With the morning sun on her face, Kamla Joshi sits outside her house in Dalar village peeling potatoes, preparing a celebration dish for Holi. I ponder whether I should pitch in, but there are constant distractions: the toddler being chased by her grandad, the buffalo shifting listlessly in the yard, …
Read More »Tell us about a trip off the beaten track in Greece – you could win a holiday voucher
With its rugged mountainous interior, thousands of islands scattered across the Aegean and Ionian seas, incredible ancient sites and endless coastline, Greece is one of Europe’s most alluring destinations. This week, we want your tips on the lesser-known side of the country, beyond the tried and tested hotspots. From under-the-radar …
Read More »10 sustainable festivals in the UK and Europe
Plastic cutlery, abandoned tents, artists flown in to perform … the traditional music festival has not been a bastion of eco-friendliness. Now several UK and European events are introducing measures to reduce their impact, using locally sourced food, low-emission transport and renewable energy. Sustainability-minded shows range from new-generation affairs, such …
Read More »10 of the best Paris hotels with a view
Mama Shelter, La Défense Photograph: Francis Amiand If it’s views you’re after, it doesn’t get better than Mama Shelter La Défense in Paris’s business district. Yes, it’s a bit further out, but there’s a metro and you can shoot into the centre in 15 minutes. There’s everything here that is …
Read More »Spring in your steps: four great UK walks that banish winter
England: west Dorset If you drive along the A3066 towards Bridport in springtime, you might get a tantalising glimpse of pink apple blossom in the centre of Melplash village. If you park in the layby opposite the Half Moon pub, you will find there is a footpath that leads through …
Read More »Rites of spring: the Lake District’s ancient stones marking the passage of the seasons
Spring is coming, and I am planning a pilgrimage. I’m going to the vast landscape of the Lake District to visit two of the country’s most picturesque and fascinating prehistoric monuments: Castlerigg stone circle and Long Meg and Her Daughters. Castlerigg, a circle of 38 boulders of varying sizes, the …
Read More »Berlin welcomes topless female swimmers in victory for activists
When a lifeguard asked police to remove Lotte Mies for bathing topless at her local indoor swimming pool in Berlin it was a move that would inadvertently trigger a rule change allowing all women, including visiting female tourists, the freedom to go topless while swimming in the city. The decision …
Read More »BBC’s Race Across the World stirs Canadian hopes of UK tourist boom
Canada’s tourism industry this week expressed hopes for a rise in UK visitors after the third series of BBC’s Race Across the World launched in the UK to rave reviews. The reality show, in which five couples travel 10,000 miles (16,000km) from one side of Canada to another on a …
Read More »An arty weekend in … north Norfolk
Make the trip for …North Norfolk is peppered with grand houses with impressive art collections. Houghton Hall near King’s Lynn, which was built for Robert Walpole in the 1720s, is no stuffy stately home. Its parkland is a treasure trove of modern sculpture by Rachel Whiteread, Anish Kapoor, Henry Moore …
Read More »An arty weekend in … Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Make the trip for …Southend-on-Sea, a traditional British resort, may not be an obvious art destination, but it is an emerging street-art destination. Southend City Jam, its inaugural street art festival, took place last September. More than 100 local and international artists created murals for the city centre and seafront, …
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