Amy McPherson

Exploring the Gran Paradiso National Park in Aosta - Italy Travel and Life

Amy McPherson explores Italy's oldest national park, Gran Paradiso National Park, and finds adventure, history and wildlife

Hiking Europe’s Hardest Walking Trail

It is considered Europe’s toughest walking trail – the mythical, challenging GR20 route that slices through Corsica. Hike it and discover there is more to the island than gorgeous beaches.

Lille for Beer Lovers

The city of Lille, in France’s Nord department, is a haven for beer enthusiasts and beyond ale-tasting, there is a wealth of activities for beer lovers to enjoy in this historic northern town.

Côte d'Opale: Riding France's Opal Coast - Bicycling Australia

London-based BA writer Amy McPherson hops over the channel to spend a week cycling Northern France. Many could agree, cycling along the French coastline would be a pretty epic journey that stretches all the way from the border of Belgium to the tip of Spain.

Tour de France Femmes - Stage By Stage And The Aussies To Watch - Bicycling Australia

The Paris Olympics are over and it's high time for more thrilling bike racing. In its third year in the current format, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift starts tonight. Here Amy McPherson previews the epic August 12 to 18 race. After previous criticisms of the women's tour being 'too soft' and 'condescending', Race [...]

Urban farms and rooftop vineyards: Meet the greener, cleaner forces behind Montréal's food scene

Behind the fine-dining façade of Montréal, Canada's gourmet city, is an urban farm movement that could shape the future of sustainable living.

Le Vie del Bike - Italy's ultimate ride

The rebirth of Norway's cider tradition

There's a belief that some form of cider was made by Vikings in Norway, and today, its growing popularity has people convinced it's the country's national drink.

From mountains to the sea: hiking in Sicily

Since the airing of White Lotus Season Two, everyone wants to go to Sicily right now. While many of the famous sites are crowded with people, this traveller takes to the mountains to find the authentic Sicilian experience.

Warsaw: This city is Europe's new No.1 hotspot

April, 2003. I've just experienced the   excitement of what was then the   border-controlled German and   Polish railway crossing, where a   stern German policeman stamped my passport out and an equally stern Polish soldier stamped my   passport in.

"Like winning the lottery": Why thousands of tourists are applying to help 'fix' a country

Each year, much of the Faroe Islands' trails are closed for three days as part of the country's 'Closed for Maintenance' initiative, where volunteers help the Atlantic island nation with much-needed repairs-from repaving footpaths to cleaning trails. Amy McPherson joins the 2023 program for an 'active' holiday of a different variety.

Discover Umbria on foot - Italy Travel and Life

Among the nature and hilltop villages of Italy's green heartland, Amy McPherson discovers that travelling slowly on foot means seeing and experiencing more... There is something very precious about the steps we take, knowing that thousands have taken the same steps before us, hundreds of years ago.

Tour de France: The best cycle routes for a holiday on two wheels

Cycling holidays La Velomaritime - World War II coast trails have taken the world by storm and in France La Velodyssee - Wild birds, historic towns and beaches , with its 26,115km national network of cycle routes, there is no better way to discover the country's nature, heritage, culture and cuisine, writes Amy McPherson.

Kingston upon Thames: London's town of kings and queens

On an unassuming corner in Kingston upon Thames, an unassuming town on the River Thames, is a stone. It's no ordinary stone. Protected by a ring of blue iron rails designed to mimic a crown, with seven pillars representing the seven kings whose names are engraved at the base of the stone, this designated historical monument is, according to legend, England's very own Coronation Stone.

A walking holiday in the Dordogne Valley

Perhaps all journeys through the Dordogne Valley should start with stuffing yourself with punnets of freshly picked strawberries. At least, that's how I began my exploration of the Dordogne Valley's beautiful villages... I had arrived in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne on the day of the town's Fete de la Fraise, the strawberry festival that celebrates, well, strawberries.

Vercors: Active by Nature

Vercors: Active by Nature 66 | The Good Life France AMY McPHERSON finds beauty and adventure in unspoiled territory Before I went, I had no idea where Vercors was, but I did know it was famous for its outdoor activities.

A tasty tour of Paris

Travel writer Amy Mcpherson discovers where the locals go when it comes to eating out in Paris... "Don't go for a restaurant that lists onion soup in its menu," said Leo Goldstein of Eating Europe Tours when I asked him for his advice on how to choose a good place to eat in Paris.

Wellness in the mountains - Italy Travel and Life

Amy McPherson discovers the healing power of nature in the mountains and ancient forests of Trentino It has just rained. Soft, dense and moist autumn leaves cushion our steps, and I have the urge to pounce beneath the leafy heaps like a cat, to dig my paws into the fluffy earth, to be covered head to toe in nature.

Belgium: The Cobbles Of Flanders + Coffee With Allan Peiper - Bicycling Australia

They are loved and feared by amateur and pro riders the world over, but remain one of the highlights of our sport - cobbled climbs. London-based Aussie Amy McPherson takes a trip to Belgium where she hits the cobbles and meets up with the legendary Allan Peiper. "A.a.r.r.e w.w.w..e.e.e t.t.t.t.t.h.e.r.e y..y.e.e.t?"

The Amiata effect - Italy Travel and Life

Tuscany isn't all about sipping wine and watching the sun set, as Amy McPherson discovers on an e-bike tour around Monte Amiata, in the region's south Giant moss-covered boulders rise in vertical stacks, as if someone was attempting to build a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Wild Faroe Islands

Amy McPherson visits the wild side of Faroe Islands and finds herself surrounded by fascinating culture among dramatic landscapes.

Standing at the crossroads in Gorizia - Italy Travel and Life

Gorizia is one of those border cities that doesn't feel quite one or the other. On the one hand, it is characteristically Italian: emotions are thrown around in the wild gestures of hands. Yet there is also a splash of Austro-Hungarian grandeur in the architecture, as well as a sense of the delicate, soft nature of Slovene culture.

The Legends of Lithuania's Curonian Spit

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My trick to eating street food without getting sick

I share some of my best tips on how to avoid food poisoning from years of getting sick on the road!

6 unique and unexpected things you can do in London

Once you tick off London's iconic attractions there is a whole host of unexpected experiences to uncover. Big Ben and Westminster; the London Eye and Buckingham Palace; icons like red phone boxes and black cabs. All are among London's classic drawcards, yet the UK capital offers much more than what meets the eye.

Snowbound in Bosnia

Snowshoeing adventure in the Bosnian mountains

Finnieston - where Glasgow comes alive | Vacations & Travel

On the rooftop bar of Radisson Red with a glass of gin and tonic in hand, I squint my eyes against a sunset that had inked the horizon in hues of purple, yellow and pink. I am looking outwards away from Glasgow city centre and I liked what I see.

Weekend in .... Sligo

How to spend a weekend in Sligo for Coast magazine.

Turn left, not right: the trick that lets you see Croatia at its best

On screen, Dubrovnik is legendary. It is all kings, queens and warriors, swords and arrows and magical spells. I imagined this medieval walled city to be full of courtiers in costume at every turn and knights in armour galloping past the city gate with peasants with pitch forks cheering from the sidelines, shouting “down with the mythical beast!” I let this illusion run wild with me. After all, I am not the only one in Dubrovnik thinking of dungeons and dragons.

The Royal Connection: Windsor & Eton

Degustation in Dijon

I eat my way through Dijon and discover the city isn't just about the mustard

Chasing reindeer and Northern Lights in Finland's Lapland - Vacations & Travel Magazine

Whether or not the stars align enough to see the elusive Northern Lights, Finnish Lapland has plenty of magic to discover on its own

Embracing nakedness in Finnish saunas

The mysterious origins of Finland's true name

Ice hockey is not usually my thing. However, while at a bar in central Helsinki watching Finland play Canada, I was absorbed by the atmosphere. Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in the northern European country, and the Finns had high hopes for their team.

Slow living in Hemingway's footsteps

Adventure on two wheels

Five reasons you'll love Austria's Bregenzerwald - Vacations & Travel Magazine

There is truly something very special about this charming Austrian valley I am face down on the massage table at Romantik Hotel das Schiff in Hittisau, a village in Austria's Vorarlberg region, allowing Johannes' soft hands to rub herbal oil over my back and shoulders. The setting is picture perfect.

Lugano: The sunny side of Switzerland - Vacations & Travel Magazine

Lugano, Switzerland It wasn't so much the opportunity to experience the new Gotthard Tunnel that attracted me to take the train between Lucerne and Lugano in the first place. In all honesty, there wasn't much to see except for our reflections staring back at us on the window.

The town that gave Russia its name

One hundred years ago, revolution flung Russia from the imperialist era into the communist era - from centuries of tsars to red Soviet stars. In St Petersburg, extravagant palaces recall the lavish lifestyles of the Russian emperors, while in Moscow, austere skyscrapers are reminders of the stark existence under dictatorial rule.

Carpe Diem on Italy's Lakes District

From its natural scenery to palatial hotels and fine dining, Italy's Lakes District will dazzle you with charm.

England's beautiful Lake District - Vacations & Travel Magazine

The scene is one typical of storybook England. Bowls of water basin surrounded by soft padded hills with stitched patchwork of stone walls dividing farms dotted by specks of woolly sheep.

Lyon with the Little Prince and Friends

The best way to travel through Lyon, is with one of its most famous characters - the Little Prince.

Why people think Germans aren't funny

Tears of laughter trickled down my face and I clapped so hard my hands turned red. But I was surprised at my reaction, for I was being hilariously entertained by a German comedian at Quatsch Comedy Club in Berlin, in a situation that could be considered oxymoronic by many.

Best destinations for crazy cat lovers

Forget cat memes, here are the best travel destinations for crazy cat lovers!

Zurich West: Not your usual bankers' quarter - Vacations & Travel Magazine

There is a certain impression visitors have of Zurich. It is the financial capital of Switzerland with an image where high fashion meets the delicate engineering of Swiss watches, of smartly dressed bankers who parade the cobbled streets lined with chic and expensive boutiques sipping on espresso and talking multinational currencies.

Prague, away from the crowds

Majesty in Moscow

A review of Hotel National in Moscow

London by Foot

Discover London by foot. Learn the secrets and hidden gems that make the past and present of this city.

Moscow

Travel feature published in Virgin Voyeur. On the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, travel through Moscow and experience a new social revolution sweeping through the country.

The Pleasures of Getting Lost in Montmartre

It is still possible to find little surprises in the bustling Montmartre