A fascination with ancient Egypt inspired Michael Hartland to strap on a heavy backpack and heft it across North Africa, as well as half of Europe. Standing on the Giza plateau gazing up at the iconic edifices of the three pyramids remains his most abiding travel memory.Four separate stints in England mark Michael out as a bit of an Anglophile. His English heritage (Dad is English) resulted in a love of cosy pubs, Britpop and decidedly average football teams, so it was no surprise when he settled down to live in the UK for over 2 years.Every holiday or long weekend would see him strapping the pack on again and travelling either through the UK or further afield into Europe. On his travels Michael has explored the moonlit canals of Venice, followed in the footsteps of Dracula in Romania, sipped wine in France's Loire Valley, witnessed the darker side of history in Germany's Dachau camp, and much more.Every day of his travels are recorded in Michael's diaries, and he remains keen to share his love of travel in the new blog-tastic online world.