An ice-cream parlour/cafe with two sister sites in central Oxford, this one stands out because it takes you into vibrant East Oxford. The ice-cream is great, with 'petition' flavours which change frequently. It's light and airy and seems to be tolerant of the many local freelancers and students who sit and work there. It opens early and closes late - another bonus.

After you've been, wander up the Cowley Road away from the city to get a taste of Oxford beyond the gown-ridden centre.

104 Cowley Road
Oxford
OX4 1JE

Cowley Road Area
Telephone: 01865 727111

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A beautiful place to stay about 20 minutes away from Florence. The rooms are brightly coloured grungy chic, and the views over Tuscan countryside are truly lovely.

The owners were unobtrusively helpful, and laid on scrumptious breakfasts. Full board was beyond our budget, but on the couple of nights we had dinner there it was stunning - and veggie-friendly. We went away laden with soap made locally from produce grown in the gardens, and a decent bottle of the house wine.

www.poderecastellare.it/hotel.html

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On the very first night of our honeymoon last October, the owners of the agriturismo we stayed at lit our room with candlelight and left a bottle of wine from the estate down the road in our room. We happily drank it, and it was so good we headed off to find the source.

Turns out that wine buffs amongst you may recognise the name - Castello di Nipozzano is owned by the Frescobaldi family. But whether you know the label or not, it's a lovely place to visit - tucked away on the hillsides above Florence with joyous views of rolling Tuscan countryside. They run frequent tours and tastings, or you can just wander round the shop and pick a few choice bottles before emerging again into the sunlight and the good life.

Nipozzano is about 25km east of Florence. The website isn't hugely helpful on visiting but try it: www.frescobaldi.it/en/home.htm

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