” Living in Paris, I am used to getting a surprised look from French friends when I tell them I am off for a fun weekend in Brussels. For sure, this may not be a top-10 destination for sightseeing, though the monumental Grand Place, with its ornate guild houses and […]
Holidays
” You might imagine that Brighton, the seaside resort and party town, and Brighton, the lefty, bohemian city (the only one in the UK with a Green MP), co-exist independently. Talk to local creatives, however, and that distinction blurs. Brighton is about collaboration generated by the enthusiasm of the […]
” Away from the busy coastal resorts, Portugal is a timeless and magical place. To the north and east, there are wild mountains and sparkling lakes; to the south and west, there are dusty olive groves, secret beaches and hidden caves; and everywhere you will find rustic villages, standing stones, […]
” Spectacular architecture, vibrant festivals and flamenco flamboyance; Seville has plenty of peacock oomph. There is the cathedral designed so that “those who see it built will say we’re mad”; its Plaza de España, created for the world expo in 1929; the Real Alcázar (royal palace), as seen in Game […]
” Poland’s peaks and forests While Kraków remains Poland’s top destination, with Wrocław increasingly drawing attention as a hip alternative, the country’s vast countryside is a dream setting for a summer holiday. Poland’s top destination, with Post Office Travel Money’s latest report, and prices are even lower away from the […]
” Greece’s debt crisis rumbles on, making it harder for locals to go on holiday. But with 27 million visitors predicted in 2017, the tourism industry has proved resilient. As a result, enterprising Greeks are throwing open their villas and apartments to holiday-makers, offering personalised tours, and launching travel start-ups, […]
” Italians really know how to stretch their euros on holiday. They may have a reputation for living the dolce vita, but they really, really don’t like spending too much money – parsimonioso in Italian is taken as more of a compliment than an insult. Italians have a nose for […]
” The advantage of Spain, for anyone looking for an affordable break, is that with the country’s own economic crisis making it difficult for locals to holiday abroad, there has been a proliferation of exceptionally good hostels and budget hotels. Something deep-rooted and nostalgic in the Spanish psyche makes even […]
” Granada is dominated by its mighty Moorish fortress, the Alhambra. Book ahead and visit early, at its least-crowded, and then spend the afternoon meandering the narrow streets and plazas of the old town – the Albaicín. Stay in this area at the 16th-century Santa Isabel La Real, with its […]
” ROUTE 1 From the north-west ferry ports (St Malo, Cherbourg, Caen, Le Havre) down the west of France, via Nantes and Bordeaux, to the south-west La Chouette Cabane, near Laval, Pays de la Loire These three luxurious treehouses and a wooden gypsy caravan make for a peaceful rest from […]
” Without Turin, Italy would be a totally different country. It was pivotal to the unification in 1861 and served as the first capital, until 1865. Its royal palaces were home to the ruling House of Savoy until the second world war and then its factories – and the influx […]
” Tourists tend to overlook the capital of the Liguria region in favour of Turin, Milan or Bologna when it comes to city breaks in northern Italy, just using its airport to head for the Italian riviera. But the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, St George’s Cross, focaccia, blue jeans (the […]
” The revival of Europe’s classical capital has attracted plenty of artists, curators and digital nomads. But it’s entrepreneurial young Athenians who are opening pop-up restaurants, design collectives and guesthouses, regenerating derelict buildings in rough-around-the-edges areas such as Pangrati, Kypseli and Keramikos. Messy and unpredictable, Athens fizzes with an intense […]
” The Cantal is the rural heartland of France’s wild Auvergne region, right in the centre of the country and part of the Massif Central. Locals joke that there are more cows here than people and there certainly are not many tourists, despite a range of adventurous outdoor activities in […]
” With tiny lanes lined with wildflowers leading to empty coves and rugged cliffs, this magical, often-overlooked peninsula has a timeless island feel – some say the Llŷn is like Cornwall 50 years ago. Welsh is spoken more often than not, and sacred places abound. But it’s not stuck in […]