Travel

Jacques Gregoire’s landscapes capture a spirit of a time and place for a solo exhibition at the Osborne Studio Gallery from 15TH TO 26TH September   (www.osg.uk.com). 

Exclusivity, privacy, active adventure, spending more time outside, safe environments and the constant pursuit of ‘new experiences’ are changing traveller and guest preferences in the wake of COVID-19. At the higher end of the market, the travel industry has seen a rise in private jet travel due to the renewed focus on personal health and hygiene. 

Introducing the Diamond Races, the all-new road racing festival set to be hosted on the beautiful Isle of Wight in October 2021. On an island known for its remarkable coastline and just two hours from central London door to door, the Diamond Races is set to take place on a 12.4 mile-long course in the south of the Isle of  Wight.

There is an unassailable romance about travelling by sleeper trains in Europe. They call to mind the grand rail journeys of the past: Paul Theroux on the Iron Rooster or Kerouac’s drifters jumping freight trains in “On the Road.” Today’s rail journeys seem rather sterile in comparison, with once mysterious routes so well-trodden there is little left to say about them. But there are exceptions. Some sleeper trains still convey the sheer romance and glamour of embarking on a grand journey across a continent full of possibilities.

Freedom, adventure, discovery… nothing stirs the soul quite like a road trip. For future inspiration, here are nine incredible road trips around England, Scotland and Wales to enjoy when lockdown is over in a Lexus.

Short but spectacular

Kendal to Keswick

Cumbria, England

The cruising sector has taken a real body blow from Covid 19 and will take many years to recover but it is a mistake to tar all cruises with the same brush. Size truly does matter when it comes to ship choices. There is a world of difference between the megaliners carrying 6000+ passengers and, at the opposite end of the spectrum, ships carrying less than 100. With fewer passengers and the ability to cover more remote, less-visited parts of the world, small ship cruising and especially expedition cruising looks set for a much swifter recovery.

“Pyjamas” replied the guide (who lived through the Bosnian-war 1992-1995) when asked what does ‘Peace’ mean to you? Her single-word answer encapsulated daily survival amid war; a frightened teenager, who during the four years of conflict, had worn her clothes to bed anticipating the need to escape the bombardments which characterised the siege of Sarajevo. Being able to wear her night clothes represented the end of hostilities, “peace without fear” she added, during our visit of the ‘Tunnel Museum’ located beside the airport and Mt.

“Imagine the harmony of an orchestra, with no single instrument heard above another, this is what we aim for with our Weiner Gemischter Satz wine,” states Fritz Weininger from his winery, in the sleepy outskirts of the Austrian capital.

The vintners of Austria are a very passionate breed. They are a new generation of wine makers producing high quality products. They are represented across the four main wine regions of Niederosterriech (Lower Austria); Burgenland; Steiermark (Styria) and Vienna.

A study has calculated how far 007 has travelled to save the world - an enormous 276745.2 miles across 24 movies, with Austria having been the location on three separate films. It is a country known for its epic alpine surroundings and tailor made for adventure sport junkies.

Fez is Morocco’s second largest city but looking at the airport’s route network over the last 20 years or so, visitors wouldn’t know it. With the arrival of budget airlines and a refreshed larger airport, Fez was now more open as a city break destination. But before this growth, a couple from London, had already built and developed the city’s leading hotel, Palais Amani which opened its doors in 2010.