I sI sat down to watch the first instalment of The Flying Archaeologist a day later than it was first shown, so I had already heard some feedback from two of my colleagues at Andante – neither of them archaeologists themselves, but, it goes without saying, with a considerable interest in the subject.

I was a little dismayed to hear that the verdict of both was ‘boring’ – since they must be just the audience the programme was aimed at, and since I knew that the archaeology being broadcast included some exciting new discoveries about the longevity of human activity in the Stonehenge area. How could they fail to have been captivated and entertained? 

Those who have been on tour with me, or who simply wish to find out a little more about Albanian archaeology, may be interested to know that I have recently published a book: Albania – An Archaeological Guide covering a selection of 50 of the country's little known, yet splendid sites. I have spent almost 20 years in Albania, working on excavations at Butrint, restorations in Gjirokastra and projects in Tirana...

Relatively untrod by tourists, the classical sites of South West Turkey are remote, spectacularly situated and often only recently excavated. Here, Guide Lecturer and Roman specialist, Denise Allen shares some highlights from her most recent visit.

The British Museum recently offered a wonderful opportunity to the public to take part in a day of lectures given by some of the international panel of Palaeolithic Archaeologists who had been taking part in a colloquium which coincided with the once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of Ice Age objects brought together in the British Museum. 

 Annabel Lawson reports on an extremely interesting day which brought the study of Ice Age Art kicking and screaming (and there’s a lot to shout about) into the 21^st century.

Terry Richardson leads many of our tours to Turkey, has a background in classical civilisations, and is author of the Rough Guide to Istanbul.  Full details of our tours to Istanbul can be found here: Springtime, Autumn & Christmas in Istanbul 

My first visit to Istanbul was as a student over 30 years ago, since then I have been spent countless hours poking around the city's myriad backstreets in search of little-known Armenian churches, Byzantine columns and Ottoman mosques (not to mention the odd bar and cafe). Below is just a taste of what vibrant Istanbul has to offer – I've attempted to include a decent mixture of the 'stellar' and the lesser-known... 

One of our most popular guide lecturer's, Dr Eireann Marshall has led over 50 tours for Andante.  Eireann specialises in Roman archaeology, particularly in North Africa - she is bilingual in English and Italian. In 2012 she will be leading tours to: Pompeii, Sicily, Ravenna and Rome. 

After leading so many tours for Andante, is there anywhere which particularly stands out? Which you look forward to going back to?
I love all of the sites we visit for different reasons.  Although I have visited the Bay of Naples innumerable times both with Andante and for work, I can't get enough of the detail you find on these sites. Often it is the hidden-away places or houses that allow you to almost touch the ancient peoples who lived here.

For different reasons I love Ravenna: here I don't feel as though I am communing with the peoples of the past but feel I am able to glimpse an enigmatic period and feast my eyes on the most colourful mosaics I have seen.  

And you can't beat Rome, the caput mundi: here you can drink the best coffee, and soak in the atmosphere of a city that has been the centre of the world for millennia. 

Urbino is a small Italian hilltop town, one of those places whose charms are not necessarily immediately apparent to the casual observer.  Standing with an Andante group in front the National Gallery of the Marche, with a bitter wind whipping through the late medieval streets, the place certainly felt rather abandoned. We were on Andante’s new Via Flaminia tour – following the Roman road from coast to coast across Italy.

Modest though it may be, Urbino has a distinct story to tell. Not every town can boast a Palazzo Ducale such as that of Frederic of Montefeltro, a 15^th century Lord of Urbino and one of the truly remarkable characters of the Italian Renaissance…

Is the leading expert on prehistoric rock art world-wide, and is certainly one of our best-known archaeologists. He is not only a renowned academic, but also a great exponent of popular and accessible archaeology, and he has been leading tours for Andante Travels since 2000.

Dr Bahn is leading six cave art tours in 2013 to the Dordogne, Chile & Easter Island, Australia, Namibia, Cave Paintings of Northern Spain and the Côa Valley. 

Cave painting and prehistoric art is quite an unusual specialism, even within archaeology - what makes it really worth seeing and studying?
Quite apart from the thrill of standing exactly where a prehistoric artist chose to place an image, hundreds or thousands of years ago, it has to be said that rock art is often located in breath-taking landscapes. In southern France there are the extra attractions of excellent food and wine! In Australia and Namibia one can also learn a great deal about the traditional cultures. And the geoglyphs of Chile's Atacama Desert and the statues and rock art of Easter Island still dazzle me.

A Day at the British Museum
with your own personal archaeologist

FOR YOU AND TWO FRIENDS

Plus recommend a friend and both receive a £50 John Lewis Voucher when your friend books on their first Andante Tour... 

Sitting in the Andante old Barn, as the afternoon light fades and temperatures plummet, it is hard to imagine anything more alluring than the wildflower strewn temple sites of Sicily (a positively balmy 18 degrees in April), or the painted tombs of the Etruscans, hidden away in the Tuscan hills..

As it is now near impossible to predict when good weather will strike in the UK (snow in March and rainy Mays seeming more and more the status quo) many of our guests are choosing to travel in April and May.

So, this is just a gentle nudge to anyone who hasn't been quite so quick off the mark booking their holidays this year, that spaces are filling fast on many of our Spring tours...