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If Brindleyplace is the crowning glory of Birmingham's canalside redevelopment, the Ikon is the icing. Plain, smooth, white icing it may be, but then that's what this gallery does best. Small but perfectly formed within its imposing neo-Gothic shell, here you can soak up the minimalist modernism in a lunch hour, soothed by a sea of white.
1, Oozells Square, Brindleyplace; www.ikon-gallery.co.uk; Tel: 0121 248 0708 for more details
Tucked in the corner of the city's main family park, the Midlands Arts Centre is a cultural oasis providing art-house films, intimate theatre productions and various creative courses. But by far its quirkiest and most imaginative space is the compact open-air Arena, a miniature concrete mock-up of a classical amphitheatre. Lying dormant for much of the year, it fills to its 470 capacity for the Sounds in the Round summer music festival.
Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston - visit www.macarts.co.uk or call 0121 440 3838 for more details.
Restoration of old gallery after floods. Sits on river bank and has strange sculptures in courtyard and modern arcitectural bits added to old building.
Don't know its name but its towards the south end of Kampa island right on river bank.
Fantastic art nouveau concert hall and suite of rooms. Guided tour 10am Sunday morning recommended, followed by coffee in the cafe on the main frontage.
Near Revolution Square
Italy's premier art gallery. Pre-book your timed tickets at the pre-booking office or get your hotel to do it in advance. Sunday is the busiest day. Closed on Mondays. Be advised, it does not have a lot of really well known art, so if you are a phillistine head straight to Room 10 and gaze at Botticelli's Birth of Venus. The rest of the place is, honestly, not so memorable unless you are a true art buff.
The toilets are a disgrace. Avoid if at all possible, especially if you are a woman. The cafe is well worth a visit, if the sun is shining. Sit outside at one of the tables high above the city.
Piazzale degli Iffizi 6
Tel: 055 23885
www.uffizi.firenze.it
The place that houses Michelangelo's statue of David. There is other stuff in the building but this is the reason for going. Now he has been cleaned he looks great. The kids will like it - he has no clothes on!
The real tip is to book your tickets before you begin to queue. Get your hotel to do it, for a specific time or you can do it on the internet before you leave home. If you don't you will queue for hours along with a load of Americans who have not read their guide book info properly. There is a separate - and much shorter - queue for pre-booked tickets. Yes, it costs you 3 euros more per person but it saves hours of queuing.
Via Ricasoli 58-60
Tel: 055 2388609
Lovely 24-hour Art Deco rail car diner in Chelsea area. There's an old piano in one corner, and the place has a very charming feel. Food is great, all-day breakfasts, club sandwiches, omelettes and specials board. Cosy little booths too (candlelit at night!), an ideal place to spend an hour or so, sipping coffee after your breakfast, gazing on 10th Avenue, pretending you're a New Yorker.
22nd & 10th Avenue, Midtown west, NY 10011-4711
Modern and contemporary Central European art from a private collection of Meda Mladkova, including a large number of Kupka's paintings, Gutfreund's sculptures and one huge wooden chair in the river outside the museum. Walk there down the Vltava riverbank, called Kampa, which is a picturesque part of Prague.
U Sovových mlýnů 2, Praha 1 www.museumkampa.cz
nearest tram station: Hellichova
nearest tube station: Malostranska
One of the best views in Rome is from the Pincio, above Santa Maria del Popolo, which has two magnificent Caravaggios, including the Crucifixion of St Peter and Conversion of St Paul.
South west of the Villa Borghese, above Piazza del Popolo.
Alphonse Mucha (1860 - 1939) achieved international fame as a master of Art Nouveau, the decorative style of sensuous and opulent decoration that captured the fin-de-siecle world but was rapidly supplanted by the harsher vision of modernism. His poster art remains familiar over sixty years after his death, but the work he considered his masterpiece is sadly neglected.
The Mucha museum houses one hundred or so of his works. The 'Slav Epic' series however is now on public display in the Czech village Moravský Krumlov - for this worthwhile (90 minute) trip you'll need either a map and a hire car or a helpful train enquiries desk.
Opened last year this houses an excellent collection of Picasso's work from the whole of his career. Mainly composed of items loaned or donated by members of his family. The building itself is lovely and has architectural remains of a roman/visigothic palace in the basement.
C' San Augustin 8 not far from the Cathedral; www2.museopicassomalaga.org/i_home.cfm
Goya painted the fresco on the dome/ceiling. It is stunning and now restored it looks fresh with brilliant colour. Entry is free.
Metro Principe Pio at Station Norte. Walk down Florida past aprtments on right,shops on left to cross roads. At the moment massive construction works are blighting the area, walk back by the river path or back along Florida to stop at Horno Antonio for excellent coffee and pastry with the locals.
This is a fascinating museum with some wonderful exhibits. The highlight is probably the collection of sarcophagi discovered in 1887 at Sidon in Lebanon. The "Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women" has wonderful decorative friezes and the remarkable Alexandria Sarcophagus is covered in intricate raised friezes on which some of the original colours can still be seen.
There is a collection of fine Roman statues and in the Museum of the Ancient Orient colourful glazed brick friezes from Babylon.
Osman Hamdi Bay Yokusu
Opening Hours: 9.00am-4.30pm closed Mondays
These two neighbourhoods in the inner city are trend central. Sydney's inner-city is always interesting, but Darlinghurst and Surry Hills are an easy walk from the city centre. I just love wondering round the back streets finding a mixture of cafes and art galleries and interesting shops. There is also something about the architecture. The old stone houses, and the new apartment blocks – it's a great, exciting mix.
The main shopping street of Surry Hills is Crown Street, and it is here you will find inventive homeware stores. Some of Sydney's best restaurants are here as well.
Walk up Oxford Street from Hyde Park, and on the left is Darlinghurst, and on the right is Surry Hills
It's the place you associate with Buenos Aires, where the houses are painted in electric pinks, blues, yellows and greens. Buy a small painting from the local artists as a souvenir.
Gifted to the city by Colombia’s most famous artist. Botero’s trademark paintings of dumpy people abound, but a surprising number of other artists too including Miro, Picasso and more.
In the Candelaria, Calle 11 4-41
An art gallery set in a 1930s art deco house that used to be the home of Prince Akasa. The art is good - there were gorgeous photographs of flowers when we went - but the house is outstanding. There's also a Japanese garden to stroll round afterwards and a nice cafe near the entrance. Well worth a visit.
website - www.teien-art-museum.ne.jp/info/e_index.html. The nearest underground is Meguro (also on the JR Yamanote Line) - and then it's about a 10-minute walk.
Not the most fantastic collection of art, although some interesting pieces, but do go for the beautiful modern building on the Monchberg with views to die for over the city.
www.museumdermoderne.at/ Take the light up through the mountani to get there!
Roppongi Hills is one of the largest new developents in Tokyo, with the massive Mori Building at the centre. JPY1,500 buys you entry to the Tokyo City View, offering spectacular views from all directions (depending on the air pollution. You'll get the best views in February). On the same floor you'll also find the Mori Urban Institute for The Future, which has incredible fully-detailed scale models of both Manhattan and central Tokyo, and is likely to bring out the Godzilla "must destroy this thing!" instinct in you.
Directly connected to Roppongi subway station (Hibiya and Oedo lines).
www.tokyocityview.com
Dedicated to the work of animator Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, the museum is a 15-minute train ride from both Shinjuku and Shibuya. Even if you've never heard of Studio Ghibli before it's worth a visit, and the nearby neighbourhood of Kichijoji has a slightly bohemian feel that is unusual to come by in Tokyo.
Ghibli Museum, 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-0013.
www.ghibli-museum.jp
The nearest station is Mitaka (Chuo Line), but I would recommend walking there from Kichijoji station (Chuo and Inokashira Lines).
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