In the midst of winter with its low grey skies, the scents and colours of embryonic spring are a welcome morale booster. These gardens will offer spectacular views over the coming months, as banks of delicate snowdrops, and armies of budding daffs, bluebells and tulips return. Castle Howard, North Yorkshire …
Read More »Right to Rome: why spring is the best time to visit the Italian capital
Forget Paris in spring: Rome is both warmer and cooler in the first few months of the year. The locals are in their winter black rollneck jumpers, accessorised with equally noir-ish sunglasses. With an average of 17C by March, it’s warm enough to sit outside cafés and bars, but not …
Read More »‘Time for dreaming’: five writers on the slow travel joys that bring them peace
Wild camping I was deep in the folds of the mountain of Tryfan when it first happened. When time seemed to stop ticking at the breakneck pace it always does when Iâm sitting at laptop, working on a deadline. Instead of blue light from a screen, I was sitting at …
Read More »After five years on a narrowboat, I’ve finally reached the end of the canal network
âOnce upon a time, not so very many years ago, it was possible to travel all over England, north, south, east and west, by river and canal; there was not a county you could not visit, hardly a town you could not reach by water, if you liked and if you were …
Read More »Ditch the car and saddle up: readers’ best slow travel breaks
Winning tip: a jolly good vélo, Brittany and Normandy I’ve enjoyed a lovely four- to five-day circular trip using ferries and bikes. We took the Brittany Ferries overnight sailing from Portsmouth-St Malo, then cycled along La Véloscénie [signposted cycle route] passing Mont Saint-Michel. At Domfront we took La Vélo Francette …
Read More »Skiing without clutter: on the eco-friendly slopes of Slovenia’s Julian Alps
Winding through Sloveniaâs Julian Alps, itâs easy to miss the signs to the Vogel ski centre and carry on driving. The cable car and car park are concealed deep in woods above beautiful Lake Bohinj â a deliberate policy to keep the landscape free from tourist clutter and visible ski …
Read More »More than a Highland fling: making wedding rings on a romantic Scottish holiday
Blanketed by snow, the forest is almost silent, with only the muffled crunch of boots, my frosty exhale and the occasional creak of laden branches. Low sunlight dazzles, glinting off curls of silver birch bark and branches festooned with lichen like forgotten tinsel. Ahead of us on the trail there …
Read More »Sun, sea and rock’n’roll: how Torremolinos got its groove back
I’m in Torremolinos. Yes, I know what you’re thinking – and you’d have a point. But I’m not here for the sun, cheap booze and a full English, although there are plentiful supplies of all the above. I’m here to relive my well-spent youth (albeit in a decidedly middle-aged fashion) …
Read More »Share a tip on a spring holiday – you could win a holiday voucher
Mountain meadows are festooned with wildflowers come spring, and places like the Alps, the Dolomites and the Pyrenees are perfect for long walks below the snowline. Or you may prefer to take a rural break in the UK once the grey skies have lifted and the mud of winter has …
Read More »Walking through the Yorkshire Wolds to a great village pub: the Goodmanham Arms
All Hallows Church in the village of Goodmanham is where the conversion of King Edwin of Northumbria’s kingdom to Christianity began in 627. Edwin had already embraced the new religion in nearby York, and to seal the deal the pagan temple that stood at Goodmanham was destroyed by his high priest, Coifi. This …
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