All cities have their good points — whether it’s the markets, cafe culture or music scene. Tartu, Estonia’s second largest city, has all that plus something more cerebral: it has good thoughts, too. Tartu is known as the City of Good Thoughts and is the Estonian equivalent of Oxford or Cambridge. It’s the country’s centre … Read more
Continental drift, I seem to recall from geography lessons at school, is the theory of how land masses shift position over aeons. But the term could also be used to describe the ritual Gadarene rush to over-crowded, over-developed hot spots around the world every summer. At least, that’s what used to happen and I dare … Read more
Sandy beaches, ice creams, fish and chips, amusement arcades, or rolling hills with footpaths and baking countryside… these are the traditional ingredients for a UK summer break. But think again. 2020 could be the perfect year to visit some of Britain’s great cities, with high streets quieter than ever and hotels offering tempting deals. It’s … Read more
Book me in: Exploring the Yorkshire locations in The Secret Garden, a classic that brings the magnificent moors to life Yorkshire’s moors are arguably at their most memorable in The Secret Garden A film version of the book starring Colin Firth and Julie Walters is out next month The 300-acre Duncombe Park is used as the … Read more
Let’s tackle the science first. To a geographer, a wold is a hill that’s on a base of limestone or chalk. To the rest of us, though, wolds are the epitome of the English countryside – understated and beautifully rural, dotted with small villages and market towns surrounded by rich farmland and reed-fringed streams. The … Read more
Olivia Culpo shares some sultry selfies in a white tank top while exploring nature By Brian Marks For Dailymail.com Published: 02:14 BST, 24 May 2020 | Updated: 14:25 BST, 24 May 2020 She’s been keeping safe amid the coronavirus pandemic by quarantining at home with her NFL star boyfriend Christian McCaffrey. And Olivia Culpo didn’t … Read more
Every day, those in search of Iceland’s most perfect Instagram shot will get up at dawn, just so that they can score a photo of a deserted, pristine Blue Lagoon. To one side of the lagoon, though, is The Retreat, which takes Iceland’s most seminal experience – bathing in its milky blue geothermal waters – and … Read more
An illuminating 200th birthday tour with the Lady of the Lamp: Exploring Florence Nightingale’s family home and the museum dedicated to her Next week marks the 200th birthday of inspirational nurse Florence Nightingale Her former family home in Derbyshire is now a B&B – you can stay in her bedroom London’s St Thomas’s Hospital hosts … Read more
Britain at its best: Exploring the Llyn Peninsula, a coastal corner steeped in classic Celtic culture The Llyn peninsula is a 30-mile spit of land or the ‘Land’s End of North Wales’ Angela Epstein checked into cosy Gwesty Ty Newydd Hotel overlooking the bay Whistling Sands feels like you’re ‘on a Greek island at the end … Read more
Northumberland is scarcely a ‘secret’, but I had long presumed that it was so far away from where I lived, I would never visit. Then, a chance (and generous) gift from my sons of four nights in a boutique hotel to mark a big wedding anniversary took me there. The North-East, with its dramatic coastline, … Read more