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Haunt of Rupert Brooke, the snug is how he would have known it though the pub has been extended and has excellent beers and good lunches. A quick walk into the nearby woods and you don't need a balloon for stunning views of four counties from the Chiltern escarpment.
Princes Risborough station.
We hiked the area around Bozen and stayed in lovely country manor hotels which were once Austrian working hill top farms. Berghotel Zirmerhof has an indoor spa with ‘wellness’ and Sepp oozes Gastfreundlichkeit. Gasthof Dreikirchen can only be reached on foot and lies at 2300 meters. Matthias Woodenegg and his family have renovated all rooms and we wanted to buy our room No 26 which has a near 360 degree view over the snow topped mountains. Grandma still cooks in Gasthof Krone in Aldein. She deserves a Michelin star for her South Tyrolean cuisine. Gasthof Kohlern can be reached by the oldest cable car running from Bozen since 1908. More ‘wellness’ revived our tired legs here. There are no TVs in the rooms though each hotel [sadly] has WIFI. The Tyrolean wines are excellent, such as the red Sankt Magdalener. For lazy walkers your luggage is transported to the next place and they provide a picnic. You will not lose any weight on this holiday.
Radein. Redagno do Spra 59. 39040 Radein. Italy. Nearest station Bolzano/ Bozen or Ora/ Auer. www.idyllicplaces.com. Tel: [Italy] +39 0471 887 215.
Lucknow is an historic place in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India.
This place had a central role during the 1857 independence struggle. The ruins of the residency embrace the scars and signs of it.
The old Mogol building are still standing tall. It's a place to see.
It is 9-10 hour train journey from Delhi.
www.lucknow.org.uk/
This is a fantastic restaurant in the ancient village of Gourdon - a village perched on the edge of a mountain ridge - and the restaurant is perched on the edge of the edge of the village, giving it possibly the best restaurant view in Europe - you see Nice, Cannes, Antibes, the med, and even Corsica some days (a waitress told me). And then all around you there are the Alps. Fabulous. The food is what you go for though - it is lovely, Scrummy, yummy, delicious. All the words used to describe good food and more. Excellent. With this sort of cuisine France is refinding its feet in the global food stakes. The chef is a genius- his marriages of flavours and colours are a delight for the tastebuds and the eyes. Serving staff very welcoming and friendly (and efficient) and the toilets - wow! Cleaner ones you could not find. The view was also amazing. There were four of us and we went back three times in 10 days. Now it's in our address book as a must for the next time we are in a 100km radius!
Place Victoria
06620 Gourdon
0493 775 202
www.nid-daigle.fr/fr/restaurant.php
For uninterrupted views over Barcelona, take the tram up to Tibidabo and order an ice cold beer or a Mojito at Bar Mirablau (Bar BlueView in Catalan).
I recently bought an old tourist guidebook published in 1931 called "The Lure of the Cambrian Coast". The preface closed with a fine description of this part of the world: "the lovely Cambrian coast resorts are washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and the ozone-laden breezes, mingling with the pure mountain air, bring colour to the cheek and radiance to the eye. Sunshine records are high, and no industrial smoke obscures the beneficent ultra-violet rays."
Aside possibly from the reference to sunshine records, this really is a true description of the area. For those wishing to take in the ozone-rich mountain air, the craggy edifice of Cader Idris looms large over Dolgellau enticing the serious hill walker. For a gentler walk from Dolgellau, or even a bike ride, you can follow the river Wnion and Mawddach Estuary along the old railway line. The old trackbed hugs the estuary and passes through idyllic Penmaenpool to Morfa Mawddach (once Barmouth Junction) where it meets the modern day line. The mile-long bridge to Barmouth has a parallel footpath which is a splendid, often windswept, wooden promenade from which to look down the estuary to your point of departure; Dolgellau. Featured on the BBC's "Railway Walks", presented by Julia Bradbury, this walk is a real treat and must have been one of the most scenic train rides in Wales before the line was closed in the 1960s by Dr. Beeching.
There are several old halls near Dolgellau that once belonged to wealthy families, some of whom acquired their wealth in the aforementioned "industrial smoke". One such is Penmaenuchaf Hall just few miles outside Dolgellau at Penmaenpool. Once the country retreat of the Leigh Taylors from Bolton, it's now a country house hotel set in CADW listed private grounds. If you're looking for an oasis of luxury while inhaling the pure, Celtic breezes this is the place.
www.penhall.co.uk
Penmaenuchaf Hall Hotel
Penmaenpool
Dolgellau
Gwynedd
North Wales
LL40 1YB
t: 01341 422129
(Nearest railway station: Morfa Mawddach)
If you after a unique view of Brisbane and it surrounds I can recommend doing the Story Bridge Adventure Climb. Get the ferry there and finish off with a pint at the Story Bridge Hotel.
170 Main Street
Kangaroo Point
Google map: tinyurl.com/kj2gr3
www.storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au
No doubt that many will know that Nîmes is home to a very well preserved Roman amphitheatre and whether or not this is the sort of thing that they may or may not want to see. It does have hidden charms however, even if you’re not into the Roman stuff.
If you climb to the top perimeter wall of the arena (some waist-high steps have to be negotiated) it provides some impressive views across the city which you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else - and for me was worth the entrance fee.
Rue des Arènes
A few months ago my boyfriend and I headed for a country break to Devon for a long weekend. We caught the train bright and early on a gorgeous Friday morning and before too long we were driving along the tiny country lanes in East Devon in search of our bed & breakfast. Listening to BBC Devon and watching field after field and horses and cows go by, we felt ourselves slowly being de-Londonised...
There it was our turning along a tiny dirt track, past the nearest 'village' Southleigh which consisted of a post box and village noticeboard. We passed a few farms and lovely converted barns and finally drove up the driveway to our bed & breakfast Glebe House, sitting beautifully on top of a hill. My kind of place.
Breathtaking views of the valley and surrounding farmhouses, wooden table and chairs for that night cap (or in my case peppermint tea) in the evening, and a welcoming host. I'd only just gotten there and I was already dreading leaving.
Our host, Emma, served us tea and cookies in the conservatory and then showed us to our room upstairs with views of the garden.
It was a perfect location for exploring the nearby villages, beaches and Moors. We spent a day at the beautiful beach town Lyme Regis, a day in the wild and rugged Dartmoor national park and a day in idyllic and hip town of Totnes.
I'm all about staying local, and luckily there are seemingly never ending options in this very country...
Glebe House
www.guestsatglebe.com/
Glebe House
Southleigh
Colyton
Devon EX24 6SD
Tel/Fax: 01404 871276
Gavdos is a tiny island in the Lybian Sea, just an hour and half of ferry from Crete South coastal village of Hora Sfakion (or Sfakia). Apart from August, when the island can be quite crowded, you can enjoy the feeling of being away from the world (or not necessarily too far away, it's up to you).
From the port you can get a lift to Korfos, where an easy path leads to Tripiti in an hour walk. In Korfos there are a pair of good tavernas where nice and clean rooms can be rented, but my wife and I, we spent a week on the Tripiti pebbly beach with our tent, only coming back to Korfos when we need to refill our water tank or to enjoy the local food, sitting in a taverna porch. It was September, the days were very hot, but the nights were incredible: fresh with a sky full of stars, the silence complete, only the sound of the waves.
But you don't need to be so naive; staying in Korfos (where there is a nice little beach) and going sometimes to Tripiti is a good experience.
Yet, when the last daily tourist (if there were someone) has gone, the beach and the cape are your, till next day. It's a unique experience. And consider that you don't need a lot of camping gear, a sleeping bag, some water and tinned food are enough. Don't be afraid to be alone, there isn't any danger at all, apart that ones that you can provoke: don't light fires!
With a fifteen minutes walk along the beach and then on a path over the rocks, you can get the big concrete chair just over the cape: climb over it and enjoy the sight!
From Hania (where you can arrive by plane) there is a bus service to Sfakia, where the ferry sets off to Gavdos.
Looking at www.sfakia-crete.com/sfakia-crete/ferries.html you will find the ferry timetable for Gavdos as long as bus timetable for Hania-Sfakia service. Hania is the nearest international airport.
Sarakiniko is the Gavdos main hamlet, with a good choice of domata (rooms) to rent, tavernas and a wide sand beach. There is a supermarket, too.
Labelled as one of France’s prettiest villages, it’s hard to disagree if you visit its tiny medieval streets and Benedictine Abbey. The village lies on the edge of a gorge that runs down to the Hérault river, its main street climbing up a steadily steepening hillside. There are numerous picturesque houses and it seems that a good number of the 250 or so residents are artists, judging by the amount of paintings and ceramics on sale. Towards the end of the main street you’ll encounter the Abbey, founded in 804 by Guilhem of Orange who later achieved sainthood.
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert lies in the Gellon valley just North of Gignac, east of the new A75 motorway, about 30 kilometres Northwest of Montpellier
A glorious spa hotel in the heart of the Swiss Alps. It was almost empty when we were there (early June), meaning we had the entire spa, featuring infinity pool falling away into a valley panorama with snow-capped mountains in the distance, all to ourselves.
We had booked a room without a view, but were upgraded on arrival, and thank goodness we were- the view was breathtaking. Considering it's unlikely to be fully booked in the summer, I would recommend doing the same, and paying for an upgrade if it's not provided.
Not exorbitantly priced- our bill came to just over £200 including decent supper and bar tab.
One other tip- while the map makes it look like the journey from Lake Geneva to the hotel is a quick jaunt, it is actually straight up and down some fairly perilous mountains- the motorway via Bern is far quicker!
Here you can stroll or sit in some typical shady boulevards, take in panoramas of Montpellier and the surrounding area and marvel at the old 18th century aquaduct which ends with a flourish in the form of a pool under a celebratory Neo classical pavillion.
Place du Peyrou, near the Arc du Triomphe
Worth a visit even if only to see what first appears to be two large rockets attached to the huge entrance portal of this quite unusual construction. Its origins are in the 14th century and the other end of the cathedral is rather more conventional, though more picturesque with a small surrounding garden. The streets leading away up the hill provide some quite pleasing views of this old part of the city.
Place St Pierre
The ancient city of Kourion is the perfect place to visit on a day-trip if you are staying in Limassol and hire a car. Situated on the cliff-tops, the ruined city offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea and you can see the remains of a number of significant Roman buildings.
The Roman Theatre has been recently restored to its former glory and is used as a venue for concerts and plays during the summer.
Sip your aperitifs while dangling your feet in the water... and then enjoy your curry supper (or a pizza or anything else that grabs your fancy) while watching the boats slip by...
Open every day from lunchtime onwards. And yes, the ice creams here too are very special. It was banana and lemon for me last night.
Right next to the ''Small Globe'', the wooden theatre in Yverdon, on the lakeside where the canal joins the lake.
The terraced vineyards of Lavaux, overlooking Lake Geneva, were made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. You'll see why as you ride from Lutry up the Route de la Petite Corniche, the Cote aux Vignes and then the Route de la Corniche before a fabulous descent down to Vevey. Then home, along the lakeshore.
As a hardcore roadie, it was my lunchtime training ride while working in Lausanne. But every variation is possible. You can even take the train up to Chexbres from Montreux and ride the route in reverse, downhill all the way. Stunning vineards, lakes, villages and mountains. You'll taste the effort everytime you drink the local white (with perch from the lake or fondue from nearby Gruyere) and it will have been worth it.
Here you definitely get the best views of this bustling capital. This Art Deco arts centre in the heart of the city near Sol has an enormous rooftop from which you can enjoy incredible vistas from all sides and angles. Get your 2€ ticket from the reception and hop the lift to the top. You can sometimes get to see a live jazz bank at night which gives you a totally different impression. It's a MUST but the rooftop viewing is only available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 to 14 hours and 16.30 to 20.00 hours.
c/ Alcalá 42. Nearest metro Banco de España
Although it sits dauntingly high above the little town, the ruined castle is a straightforward, rocky, if tiring, 30-minute walk from the centre.
The path is fairly simple to follow - if in doubt, look for the ankle-level lights that mark the way. At the summit, you can scramble around the ruins and take in the view of Tilos's central plain and surrounding mountains, as well as the beaches at Plaka and Agios Antonios.
Arriving from Livadia, you may see a sign directing you. Failing that, just walk back along the road from the central bus stop.
A large family cottage near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. The cottage enjoys wonderful sea views and is only a short way from the sandy beach at Ventnor.
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