Its sleek landscape with pencil-thin evergreen trees and gently undulating fields epitomises why Tuscany is a picture-postcard region of Italy. This beautiful province is home to 3.8 million inhabitants and attracts a steady trickle of tourists all year round. If you are taking a winter break then Tuscany, with its quality ski resorts, world-famous leaning
Acrobats that prance about without any trousers; painstakingly prepared celebrity paella and a zealousness for football that under no circumstances ceases, the Catalan capital certainly has a lot to offer! Barcelona is a pulsating city, which manages to combine London’s 24/7 party atmosphere with the laid-back “manana manana” attitude that Spain is renowned for, much
The marvellous pyramid-shaped rocky island of Le Mont Saint-Michel is to be found just over Brittany’s border with Normandy, one kilometre out to sea at the mouth of the River Couesnon, not far from Avranches. Le Mont Saint-Michel was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1979 and attracts more than three and a half
Rising to a striking 906 metres, just a tad short of 3,000 feet, Mount Pantokrator is the highest point on the island of Corfu. On top of this mighty mountain lies the Monastery of Ipsilos besides a small café. On a clear day the views from Mount Pantokrator are absolutely stunning. Of course the route
With the grim weather, depressingly dark evenings and the snippets of spring seeming like a world away, who can blame us for dreaming of a mid-winter break? If you are determined to turn your dreams of sunnier climes into reality, then the striking region of Umbria should definitely be on your shortlist. One of Italy’s
The Greek island of Skopelos is one of several islands situated to the west of the Aegean Sea and that make up the Northern Sporades island group. Much of Skopelos’s beauty stems from the fact that it is one of the greenest islands in the Aegean Sea, shimmering like an emerald on a cobalt sheet
After half a century the Algarve is still attracting tourists. Perhaps it’s the year-round mild temperatures and over 300 days of sunshine? Perhaps it’s the long golden beaches being lapped with lucid water? Or perhaps it’s the riverside towns of villages full of friendly locals, atmospheric restaurants and stunning architecture, which has meant that for more
With a surface area of 781 kilometres squared, Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands. It is an island of wondrously diverse scenery, ranging from pretty harbours lined with fishing boats to dramatic mountain ranges overlooking a emerald rapture that contrasts vividly to the azure sky above and the equally as cobalt sea below.
St Malo, Rennes and Brest – Three great Breton cities. With its many great megalithic monuments scattered across the peninsula, elaborately carved sculptures found at crossroads in the villages and small towns and magnificent manors and chateaus meticulously positioned overlooked a wild, ragged and exhilaratingly liberating coastline, it is not difficult to gauge why Brittany is
If you go on holiday to Tuscany, eating out is likely to be part of your itinerary because after all Italian cuisine is simply irresistible. Italians enjoy eating out regularly and children are very much part of the vibrant and pleasantly boisterous restaurant scene. Similar to much of the continent, Italians tend to eat their
