Travel

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. 

Honeymoon. I feel like the very word itself should be written in quill with golden ink and looping calligraphy swirls. A word that conjures up images of luxuriously indulgent days, time dripping by like treacle, real-life hustled into the wings as married-life peacocks its way onto centre stage.
But the challenge is this: how to transform that one word into a reality that refuses to disappoint. A reality that will stay with you for ever, that you will re-live with more than a touch of smug contentment knowing that it was one of the most precious times of your life.

When arriving late at night, it’s always worth the suspended joy of opening, like a present, the shutters the next morning. In comes the sun over a clear blue sky above these terracotta roofs of Ronda. With Ronda what’s so special is that it’s that rarity: a European city centre from which I could see the fields beyond.

The next day started early on the balcony overlooking the sea, feeding the fishes and swimming amongst the resulting dense shoals that appeared, as if by magic. Again not a soul to be seen, just the infinite clear water stretching out in all directions, from this utterly private retreat.

The trampoline that hovers six feet above the sea takes some getting used to, but once in, is relaxing and peaceful, just the splash of the soft waves against the wooden pillars lulling you into a daytime reverie.

Lanzarote Retreats have announced that they will donate their spare and available accommodation to help out anyone stranded by the collapse of Thomas Cook.
They will provide their services and all available accommodation to any visitors, free of charge, who have been left stranded as a direct result of thomas cook no longer trading.
In addition, once Lanzarote Retreats has no further availability, they will try and help by contacting other providers in Lanzarote to do the same for anyone they cannot accommodate.

To find the true treasures in life, it can be rewarding to seek out the quiet, lesser known ones as they may reveal qualities beyond their description and image offering very individual experiences. You find it in anything from chefs through to skiing resorts; Slovenia hides lots of treasures including the acknowledged “ world’s best female chef”, dig deeper and there is much more to find. Aspen, St. Moritz, Gstaad and Courchevel 1850 are known to all.