Travel Writing for The Telegraph

Exploring Portugal’s ‘most Portuguese village’

Monsanto, as it is known today, is only 15 miles from Spain, but has the distinction of being the “most Portuguese village” in the country. The title was bestowed by the Estado Novo regime in 1938 to romanticise and preserve village and agricultural life, and the accolade still stands today, with the ancient village having changed little over the decades, due in no small part to some extraordinary town planning. 

Get lost in the honeycomb streets of Malta’s ‘Silent City’

Rising from the depths of the glistening Mediterranean between North Africa and Sicily is the Maltese archipelago, best known for its balmy weather, sprawling beaches, mesmerising tapestry of ancient temples and buzzing, historic cities.

Its jewel is the fortified settlement of Mdina, Malta’s thriving capital until 1530. Visible from most of the island, it sits 200m above sea level on a high plateau draped with rolling fields, crumbling stone walls and enormous defensive ramparts – an ancient citadel surrounded by mini metropolises.