Avid Travellers Barbados Guide is the latest blog on Barbados by Calum Glenny, The Avid Traveller. Calum has some advice for anyone considering a visit to or already on vacation in the island: One of his suggestion is to check out regional beach bars, restaurants, and shops. The island is made for outside living, nature, and an enviable way of life. There is much to do outdoors both at day and night, from stargazing to exploring the nooks and crannies of the island that only local Bajans know.
Calum shares many of his favourite attractions like Janelle’s Homemade Natural Juices and her delightful ginger and sea moss beverage and several more creative personalities.
Avid Travellers Barbados Guide Meets Janelle
Calum Adds: “It’s with Joy to see my Barbados guide published om Markhat, Barbados.org, and Rogues in Paradise, Markhat , and TravelWatchNews, amongst others.”
The Avid Travellers Barbados Guide, by Calum Glenny is a personal account of his experience Going Local in Barbados: It is an “Absolutely Charming” account of the wonderful people who make the island special. His journey takes you to many parts of the island with a focus on the people; the vendors, guides, taxi people, chefs, entrepreneurs and everyday folk, who are the story of Barbados
In this travelogue, Avid traveler Calum Glenny takes us through the site, sounds, and tastes of Malaga and Seville. Having spent several holidays (including hosting his daughter’s wedding in September 2022) in Frigiliana, Gourock’s ‘Avid Traveller’ revisited the Malaga area and ventured into the Andalusian capital Seville, seeking the warmth of late summer sunshine and an escape from the damp and cold Scottish autumn.Finding treasures in the warm and friendly Andalusian people of Spain.
Old Town Malaga
After a 3-hour flight from Glasgow to Spain, we were met by the warm October sun in Malaga.
The ‘Old Town has lots to explore, with stunning historic architecture, outstanding restaurants and beautiful beaches. In a short three-night stay, the shorts and flip-flops were back out of the suitcase, and sunshine was abundant.
New Malaga Port
First on the agenda was Malaga Port and Malagueta Beach, followed by a harbour cruise out past some huge cruise ships docked at the port.
The evening then continued with the first of two visits to La Barra de Zapata near to Malaga Cathedral. This was an eye-opener with fantastic food and outstanding service.
Tapas Galore
A lunchtime visit to Bar La Tranca opened our eyes to fabulous Spanish hospitality and a truly unique bar with an unforgettable atmosphere. Other tapas bars such as the Malaga Bar and were visited and are covered in the travelogue.
Train Ride to Seville
On the fourth day, it’s a two-hour train journey from Malaga to Seville. Even in mid-October the temperature gauge rises as you travel inland. When alighting in Seville’s impressive Santa Justa Station, the temperature was knocking on the high 30’s.
The next six days are spent mostly exploring the city’s stunning sights and sampling its outstanding hospitality. Every restaurant seemed to better the previous one until El Disperate which tops them all with truly a magnificent meal, location, and service.
Stunning City Sights
The unmissable sights such as the massive Cathedral, Gold Tower, Bullring, Plaza de Espana, and the Parque Maria Luisa are all highlighted in the travel blog. Recommended is a sunny walk across the historic metal arch Triana bridge, which opens up the traditional neighbourhood of Triana with its vibrant flamenco culture and tight, narrow streets.
Plaza San Marcos
Despite Seville being a large city the small neighbourhoods seemed to be multiple linked villages within the larger city. Neighbourhoods such as Plaza San Marcos are a ten minute walk away from the main tourist sights but had everything you needed, plus food and drinks were drastically cheaper than the prices charged within the city centre.
Video of Seville
Return to Malaga
A return to Malaga on the impressive train service from Seville to Malaga confirmed the high standards experienced on the inward journey were not a one off and train travel in Spain can certainly be recommended. Another three night Malaga stay followed, this time more relaxing in the 5-Star Vincci Posada del Patio Hotel. This got off to a hesitant start as the balcony room had no view. However, the staff and hotel recovered very quickly and was a highlight of the Malaga stay. With the temperature difference working against us this time, it was bizarre feeling cool in the high 20’s temperatures.
Read both Malaga and Seville travel blogs and immerse yourself in the history and culture of two main cities within Andalusia. Certainly a very worthwhile Spanish adventure!
Once you unravel the Andalusian secrets, you’ll want to travel and experience it for real!
In a buzzing backdrop of iconic rum shops, historic chattel houses, and bustling open-air markets, The book explores the character of the island beyond its pristine beaches to uncover remarkable people who survived 300 years of slavery and discrimination.
Calum Glenny is an Avid traveler who writes from a deeply personal point of view about people and places and experiences of his travels. He chats with the people he meets ad shares what he loves about the food, wine, and ambiance of the unique hotels, restaurants, and bars in historical settings.
RoguesInParadise is an open, honest, and funny book of quirky characters full of wit and humour set against a turbulent past
Turning Travel Literature Upside-down
Rogues in Paradise transcends travel literature going where no book of its kind has dared to tread. It is a celebration of the Afro-British Caribbean Culture of Barbados and its people and an examination of contemporary life in light of a troubled past.
Ian R. Clayton uses his 20 years of expertise creating the world’s first multimedia digital media Tourism Encyclopedia of Barbados, to author a one-of-a-kind book. It is about the extraordinary ordinary rogues and heroes of a renowned Caribbean island destination. He weaves their stories into the backdrop of history, confronting slavery and colonialism to paint a riveting picture of a remarkable people and the world’s most revisited Caribbean vacation island—Barbados.
Five-Star Review of Rogues
As Reedsys’ Savyajha says in the book’s first review:
“I’ve read several boring slice-of-life vignettes and travelogues, but this piece of writing was anything but boring. I can’t quite place the style, but I was able to get a hint of Roald Dahl’s writing in Boy and the first few chapters of Going Solo in the rhetorical flourishes applied to the characters; a bit of Ruskin Bond’s flow in the poems and rhythms applied left, right and centre.”
Poetry Literature
Savyajha adds, “Even the descriptions of places seem to have their own metre, the writing swaying in your head as it gently colours in an increasingly clear outline. The author complements these descriptions with some poetry here and there. I amused myself for a bit by reading the poems out loud, as I believe many others reading this book might do as well. At the end, though, one puts this book down with a smile on one’s face and a gasp upon the realisation that what one thought was five minutes was actually closer to an hour and a half. Reading this book is no effort; it is best described as a joy. It is uplifting, fun to read, and extremely engrossing. A must-read for sure!”
With its style, humour, and candid storytelling, Rogues in Paradise turns travel literature on its head! Readers get the
Humanity, Heritage & Culture
In the book, Ian explores humanity, heritage, and cultural responsibility with warmth and humour. He addresses the psychological question of character, tracing how after 300 years of slavery, the island’s people can be so self-assured and open. History is coupled with lucid storytelling to redefine what it means to be human despite all circumstances. To rise for one and as one in pursuit of the common good.
The Google Map is a unique adaption for a book. Readers can navigate the destination and read what the Rogues in Paradise chapters say about each location’s people, place, and history. The map shows how the series covers the entire islands, North, South, East, and West, and points in between. The editors proposed the structure as it adds meaning to the sequence of events. The new structure combines men, women, and places and classifies them by area, where practical. It adds to the flow of the stories and to the Rogues in Paradise book tours that will follow.
The Book Digital Media by Ian R. Clayton, a New York Times featured tourism authority, summarizes what you must understand about Digital Strategies for Hospitality and Tourism.
Digital Media is stacked with twenty years of wisdom and effective strategies that anyone can put into effect now. It is an easy-to-read guide that will help anyone in tourism and comes with access to a variety of vital reports and membership to a book owners mastermind group.
SEO & RankBrain Merging Technology and Social Distancing
SEO-RankBrain to your aid?
COVID-19 has ushered in the digital age like nothing that came before it. Digital has become the primary media for advertising and we are reaching critical mass in digital connectivity. Over 50% of the world is now active online. Source: see The Why of Digital Media
The Pandemic has made eCommerce leap forward and has affected not only the established online vendors but also local brick and mortar stores. Consumers can buy local via smart phones and can either pick goods up or have them delivered. It has enhanced business in untold ways. Online and offline technologies are merging to create conveniences and efficiencies that are as yet unknown. Yet all is not quiet on the western front!
Video SEO & RankBrain – a Digital Dilemma
While Digital Media Marketing takes center stage with social distancing and lockdowns, it is also undergoing tremendous shifts as modern technology gallops off with the goal post.
As you will notice in this video, Google is not indexing all social media. It’s just too much. With so many marketers posting endless content on the same subject to hundreds of sites, social indexing has lost its value.
Press releases have also fallen into this trap. With social media posts and sharing, the old days of authority journalism have faded into a case of “anything goes”.
The press release was supposed to be NEWS. But social media experts took over and the established media created surrogate sites for all of them to post to. At the time, it protected journalists’ integrity but the surrogate sites soon lost all authority. They too failed to be indexed by Google.
What is Indexing and Why it Matters
Google Indexing
Indexing simple means that your site is added to the Google database.
Google says: “A page is indexed by Google if it has been visited by the Google crawler (“Googlebot”).
It is analyzed for content and meaning, and stored in the Google index. Indexed pages can be shown in Google Search results
(if they follow Google’s webmaster guidelines).”
If a page is not indexed it will not show up in Google Search results. If you are trying to rank your page in search results, having quality links back (backlinks)to your page will help.
Not long ago marketers created these backlinks using social media to share content and post links back to your site and pages. Now many social media accounts and pages are not indexed. The rule is not universal. Authority sites like Facebook, Scoopit, YouTube and several other pages do show up in search results. This happens when the site is considered an authority and the page content is unique and valuable.
From the point of view of ranking, Social Media pages are just not as valid as before.
Is Social Media & SEO Still Relevant Today
Absolutely! Like everything else it is changing and some parts rise while others sink. Indexing is just one part that is preforming differently.
Social media is far more important today than it has ever been. It is a powerful communication and marketing platform. Your post, shares and advertisements on top social platforms get seen and help build your visibility. They deliver your message and can build traffic to your website and your sales funnel.
Even if the post is not indexed by Google it still counts as social signals that are taken into account in ranking. As noted above posts that are unique, add value, show expertise will rank and help build your authority and your brand. You just can not rely all social media backlinks to impact your search engine ranking. The key to success in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization is in producing top quality engaging content, shared to top authority platforms and sites. Your digital footprint will include all digital media platforms: Videos, blogs, articles, news sites, social media, trade specific publications, reviews, magazine, academia and popular consumer channels.
SEO is vital if you want to get ranked in search engines. It is an essential part of Search Engine Marketing. There are many factors that effect you success in getting ranked. Social Media backlinks still count but far more important is the quality of your content. There are several tactics in building quality content that will help get it crawled, indexed, found, featured, linked and followed. All are detailed in my Book Digital Mediaand its Bonuses such as Advanced topics in How to Optimize Content
What Works Now & What Does Not
As the video notes, it all works if you do it right. Content marketing works but not if it is a knockoff of others’ work. Content has to be Expert, Authoritative and Trustworthy (EAT). RankBrain and AI now evaluate all content ranking on this basis. Cut and paste spun content does not work.
Yet content is still the driving force behind building authority brands. Lizzy Hiller, Manager of Nestle’s Global Data Analytics, explains: “A robust, data-driven eCommerce strategy has become ever more crucial to brands over the past decade as they try to navigate a market that is turning increasingly to digital channels.” Source: eConsultancy
No one can doubt the value of social media but the way in which it is used is evolving. Social sites are alternatives to established media but their authority has diminished in the eyes of RankBrain. Social shares have too often sidelined true Expertise and too many lack Authority and Trust (EAT).
We don’t need a crystal ball to know how to fix this. It is a matter of creating outstanding content, publishing it wisely and selectively and knowing the channel you use. This also means knowing the tools you use and the people who help you. As the video says, too many marketers are using ‘past-tense’ tactics that are futile at best and can destroy your integrity at worst. To be sure you don’t make these these fatal mistkes grab my book Digital Media below.
Help at Hand with Digital Media Book
Seo & RankBran – the Digital Delema
Ian R. Clayton’s Book, “Digital Media”, distills 20 years of experience. It lays down, in straightforward steps, what is happening in Digital Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and the shifting sands of technology.
Written in an informal, conversational style, it is very easy and fun to read as it unravels today’s media.
Find out exactly how to make Digital Media help you with my very easy-to-review publication, Digital Media, on Amazon.com.
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