In pictures: Amongst the ruins at Ephesus

On the western coast of Turkey, Ephesus has some of the Mediterranean’s best-preserved, grandest ruins. As a major port for trade routes to Asia it grew from a coastal town in the 10th century BC to the second largest city in the world.

In pictures: Santorini in blue and white

Santorini is the classic Greek island – its blue and white shades featuring on magazine covers across the world. But would it be as impressive in person? Docking in the port, we dodged the cable car queue and the donkey handlers and climbed up the 650 steps to the town of Fira.

In pictures: Bryggen, the old heart of Bergen

Along the waterfront in the Norwegian city of Bergen is one of its most historic and beautiful areas – Bryggen. A row of colourfully painted shopfronts face the wharf, but down the narrow alleyways in between you’ll find a jumble of overhanging balconies and walkways.

In pictures: Cruising out of Venice

When I found out our cruise was departing out of Venice, I knew I’d have to try and fit in a glass of prosecco in Piazza San Marco on the way. But my plans were thwarted by a rainstorm and a flight delay, and instead we had to head straight on board our ship.

In pictures: The fjords from Flåm

Norway has no shortage of fjords, but the longest and deepest of them is the Sognefjord. It stretches over 200km inland from the ocean, and the tiny town of Flåm lies at the end of one of its most scenic stretches.

In pictures: Catania’s volcanic coast

For a coastal city, it’s strangely easy to spend time in Catania and forget the sea is even there. Most of the city’s seafront is filled with its busy harbour, but you don’t need to go far to get a taste of sea air. Just north of the city are a string of former fishing villages, where dark volcanic rocks formed by Mount Etna’s eruptions meet the clear turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea.

In pictures: A carpet of bluebells in the Forest of Dean

After what always feels like an endless winter in Britain, the first bluebell I see is a sign that days are getting longer and temperatures are getting warmer – summer is finally on its way. Near my home in Gloucestershire, the Forest of Dean is one of the best places in the country to see native English bluebells.

The Epic Adventures photo competition

Outdoor gear store Blacks have teamed up with adventure holiday company Explore for a new photo competition which is all about epic adventures in the great outdoors. The top prize is £2000 to spend on one of Explore’s trips across the world and four runners up will each get £150 to spend at Blacks.

In pictures: Essaouira sunsets

I love a good sunset, and a lot of my favourites have been on the coast, where you can watch the sun slowly dipping down into the water.

In pictures: Fishing boats in Essaouira harbour

Looking around the harbour in Essaouira you see endless shades of blue – from the pale skies to the rough seas and the vibrant turquoise and blue painted fishing boats.

In pictures: Bridging the gap between Newcastle and Gateshead

Straddling the River Tyne in north-east England are the twin cities of Newcastle and Gateshead. They’re divided by the river, with Gateshead on the southern bank and Newcastle on the northern bank, but have seven bridges to connect them.

In pictures: Walking London’s South Bank at dusk

After a quick trip to London yesterday (more on that to come next week), I took advantage of a free few hours and some beautiful clear skies to take a walk along the south bank of the Thames. Despite living in London for 10 years I only took a handful of photos of the city, so when now I visit I try to make up for it.

In pictures: On the slopes in France’s Three Valleys

I might not be able to fit a ski trip in this year, but each winter a part of my heart lies out on the slopes of the Three Valleys. This huge ski area in the French Alps, covering famous resorts like Méribel, Courcheval and Val Thorens, is where I learnt to ski and where I’ve been back again and again since.

In pictures: The best of the rest of 2013

As I tidy up my desk and my desktop for the end of the year, I always get distracted by the files of photos and can’t help dipping in and reliving some of my trips from the last year. Being something of a photo-taking obsessive, there’s always a lot of them – way more than I can ever use on the blog.

In pictures: Christmas carols at London’s Albert Hall

The decorations are up, the presents wrapped and the cards posted, but it still doesn’t feel like Christmas to me until I’m listening to carols at the Royal Albert Hall. It’s become a family tradition that each year we head up to London for a Christmas concert.