Crafting a travel journal offers more than just a pastime for kids (or a chance for frazzled parents to grab five minutes of peace.)

Research suggests that keeping a journal is good for us.

What do you think?

insidethetravellab.com/travel-journal…

Rich in colour and ritual, Gambian cuisine is a delight to explore. Take your tastebuds on a journey through peanuts and lemon juice, baobab and wonjo juice, with this guide to traditional food and drink in The Gambia.

insidethetravellab.com/gambian-cuisin…

Kazakhstan. Would you like to go?

Questions that old style ads have left me with...

Can you get quicker than a kwik-fit fitter?
Is Gillette really the best a man can get?
Will I really know if I've been tango-ed?

And I can never eat a Ferrero Rocher, nor visit an Embassy, without thinking of them both...

You?

Souvenirs. Do you buy them? Do you like to receive them as a gift?

Wishing everyone a great time at the #TravMediaAwards tonight and keeping my fingers crossed for Inside the Travel Lab! TravMedia UK

Who's going?

Is a river cruise along the Douro right for you? Here's a look at the pros and cons...insidethetravellab.com/avalon-alegria… #travelportugal

To all those who celebrate - Eid Mubarak!

Which city would you like to visit the most?

Airport choices: straight to the gate or leave it to the last minute?

The Douro Valley is best known for port and lush green landscapes. But there’s a tinge of sadness and searching, too, as so many died transporting those port barrels along the water in the past… #AvaloninView

* NAMIBIA*

For 55 million years, particles of sand, in shades of blood red, caramelised orange and an exhausted, jaded rust have sifted one over the other in this part of the world.

Would you like to go?

insidethetravellab.com/namib-desert/

Touchdown Portugal! Ready to head along the Douro Valley for a few days on the new Avalon Alegria. Guess the city from these pics… #AvaloninView Ad

If you need me, I'll be daydreaming about tender souvlaki, crispy spanakopita and mounds (yes, mounds) of feta...

insidethetravellab.com/athens-food-gu…

Happy birthday to me! Another trip around the sun. And, by looking at life expectancy charts, I'm well over half way.

It's both a sobering thought and a chivvying into action kind of thought.

So, pen to paper time. What are your dreams? What do you want to be remembered for?

This weekend, I'm heading to the Oxford Literary Festival to speak to Hilary Bradt and Kate Humble.

So, in preparation, I'm reliving the beauty of the Cotswolds...and reading Bradt's book, of course.

In the meantime, find secret spots here:

insidethetravellab.com/unusual-things…

Anyone know any good spots in Oxford for breakfast & dinner? And, heck, why not lunch too!

Paris is coming together 🧩

Which would you rather see?

Hiking or golf?!