It was an inauspicious start. Having cycled no more than a few metres, from the steps of the Angel hotel into the grounds of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, I fell off my bike. I blamed the wolf: in dismounting to take its photo, I had kicked my own pannier and sent …
Read More »Tell us about your favourite European journey – you could win a £200 holiday voucher
In recent years the rise of slow travel has encouraged us all to think of the journey as part of the holiday – something to be savoured rather than a hurdle to be overcome to get to our destination as quickly as possible. If the journey in question involves airport …
Read More »My hammock was my window on to the valley: a new type of walking trail in the Swiss Alps
It was a summer’s morning in the Lepontine Alps in Ticino, Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton, and there was the vague threat of a storm on the horizon. I was already out on a trail through larch and hazelnut forest, backpack shouldered, aiming for a mountain pass. Up ahead, a herd of short-haired goats …
Read More »Sagas and geothermal swimming pools – Reykjavík moves to a different rhythm
It is said that when Norse explorer Ingólfur Arnarson and his wife Hallveig Fróðadóttir threw some wooden posts from their ship in AD878 they floated to a bay covered with steaming springs, hence the name Reykjavík, or “stormy bay”, and that’s where Arnarson decided to settle. I am here researching …
Read More »10 of the best European activity breaks with a spirit of adventure
‘Slow happiness’ in Italy, Finland, Sweden or Iceland The Scotland-based company Slow Adventure advocates a more mindful approach to activity holidays. Options include climbing and yoga in the Italian Alps, mountain biking in Sweden and horse riding and rambling in Iceland. On the Finnish Happiness trip, guests stay in log …
Read More »We found a swimming pool in every city on our Interrail trip around Europe
Stepping into the lobby of the Gellért Baths in Budapest is like stepping back in time. Having resisted the temptation to look at photos of the baths online, I was thrilled at my first sight of the spectacular art nouveau interior. After changing, my husband and I did a few laps …
Read More »Brilliant activity breaks by readers – from Portugal to the Lake District
Springtime for via ferrata, Lake Garda, Italy Spring in northern Lake Garda is an adventure paradise. I’ve been several times and enjoyed the via ferratas: iron cables fixed to scrambling routes, which require fitness and sense of adventure but not technical mountaineering skills (safety equipment required). The views are amazing …
Read More »A street food tour of Genoa
Genoa-born chef Ivano Ricchebono looks like a Hollywood actor playing a chef in a movie. His restaurant The Cook is in a 14th-century palazzo in the old town, and as I step into the dining room I stop and stare – the entire place is covered with frescoes. It’s wildly …
Read More »10 of the best places in France for paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing
Coast hugging, Bonifacio, Corsica When I first visited Corsica, I hiked down the spine of the Corsican mountains, barely seeing the sea except for glimpses from a bird’s eye perspective. This time, as I hugged the coastline, dipping in and out of sea caves, I felt as though I was …
Read More »Share details of a UK spring walk … you could win a holiday voucher
With spring almost here, now’s the time for lacing up your walking boots and getting back outside. Whether it’s woodland strolls, day-long coastal walks or more challenging hikes, we’d love to hear about your favourite lesser known destinations which come into their own at this time of year. If you …
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