Francis Tea Rooms are redolent of a more elegant era, when women wore lace gloves and indulged in afternoon fancies.
On a quiet back street behind Scarborough's Esplanade you will find 1930's wood-panelled booths (the tea room was once a barber's), vintage mismatched china, and embroidered lawn tablecloths.
A full range of Taylor's teas are served by the pot with lemon or milk, and there are a plethora of savoury dishes and home-baked cakes to tempt the tastebuds. The rarebit is particularly good, but my all time favourites have to be the lemon meringue and the cream teas.

7 South Street, Scarborough
+44(0)1723 350550
Google map: bit.ly/JIbj4C

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La Balagne, in northern Corsica, is criss-crossed with walking paths, ranging from the sedate to those requiring crampons.The mountains and valleys are wild, unspoilt and crowd-free; scattered with fig, olive and chestnut trees, and fragrant maquis. From timeless mountain villages such as Ville de Paraso and Speloncato, there are stunning views across the Regino valley towards the distant coast, and as the light changes in the afternoon, the jutting ridges of granite glow pink. Late spring and early summer are the best time for walking; July and August are usually too hot.

www.balagne-corsica.com/

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At the National Media Museum in Bradford all the exhibitions are free, and aside from the permanent photography, cinematography and television exhibitions (all family-friendly and interactive), there is now the world's first gallery devoted to the impact of the internet and digital age on our daily lives. There is always a range of films showing, as well as the mind-bending IMAX screen. This Easter there are various family activities on offer, including the chance to create animations and 'movie mash-ups'. There is a great shop, and a good cafe/restaurant; but this is Bradford, so it would be a shame to miss the chance to visit one of the fabulous curry shops just yards from the museum.

Pictureville, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD1 1NQ
+44(0)870 701 0200
www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk
Google map: bit.ly/HCxwkT

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Istanbul's skyline is magical at night and one of the best places to enjoy it is from the restaurant on the rooftop of the Adamar Hotel in Sultanahmet. Just a stone's throw from the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia, the rooftop terrace has a 360 degree panoramic view, great food and a romantic atmosphere. The Bosphorus Bridge twinkles with ever-changing colours, the commercial district sparkles with modern skyscrapers, and the mosques and minarets glow with golden light. High above the rooftops, the sounds of the muezzins' evening calls to prayer echo and collide in the night sky around you.
And If the weather is less than kind, there is an indoor restaurant on the floor below with equally good views.

www.adamarhotel.com
Yerebatan Cad. No: 37, 34110 Sultanahmet - Istanbul
+90 212 511 19 36
Google map: bit.ly/xp7d5a

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The basilica of San Clemente, not far from the Coliseum, is three buildings in one - a church within a church within a church.
The church above ground dates from 1100 and is simply beautiful; one of the most lavishly decorated in Rome. A €3 entrance fee will take you down to the other two levels. There is a fourth-century church below which still houses the remains of ancient frescoes. Below that is the dark and intriguing house of Mitra (the Roman god of the equinoxes), which dates from the first-century, and was later used as a secret meeting place by early Christians. Amazing to think that this labyrinth of tiny rooms and corridors is hidden below two other churches and has still survived.

www.basilicasanclemente.com
Via Labicana, 95, 00184 Roma, Italy
+39 06 700 3804
Google map: bit.ly/yWC9HY

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The Sunday flea market in Cologne is a trove of delights in a lovely setting along the banks of the Rhine. The stalls are an eclectic mix of architectural salvage, vintage clothes, porcelain, prints, tin signs, books, old phonographs, records and beer steins. The food stalls serve delicious bratwurst in crusty rolls, and the market is a mere stone’s throw from the gorgeous cathedral and the Früh Kölsch beer house (Am Hof 12-18). After all, market shopping is thirsty work.

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On our first trip to New York, my boyfriend and I decided to blow the budget on a yellow cab from the airport. The driver said he normally took the tunnel, but that he would take the bridge so we could get our first view of the skyline as we crossed he Hudson. It was perfect. Manhattan glittered in the sunshine against a bright blue sky, as magical as I had always hoped it would be. I grabbed my boyfriend’s hand and saw that he was feeling the same, and I swear I could hear Gershwin. One view that definitely should be shared, and that I will never forget.

www.iloveny.com/
Google map: bit.ly/yLa0OM

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The Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons is a lot more fun that its name might suggest. It contains more that 3,500 specimens, mainly collected in the 18th century by John Hunter, the anatomist.
There is a vast array of pickled body parts, the skeleton of a 7’ 7” ‘Irish giant’, the tooth of an extinct giant sloth, and a slightly grisly display of pickled foetuses. More recent additions include Churchill’s dentures.
There is also the opportunity to try your hand at simulated keyhole surgery, and watch footage of brain surgery. Educational and fun at the same time!

www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums
35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE
+44 (0) 20 7405 3474
Google map: bit.ly/wEx9wO

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A journey or destination takes on life-changing status when you suddenly feel that inexplicable frisson that stirs your soul. It can be something as simple as a smile, the quality of light, or a hand carved wooden bowl, that can make you see life from a new perspective.
The country that affects me that way above all others is Japan; a hypnotic mix of rigid convention and outlandish weirdness, and the home of Zen. Japan showed me how to appreciate beauty in a single moment or a simple object - the sweet hay smell of a tatami floor; a screen door sliding open to reveal the colours of the autumn trees; the sound of tea pouring.
The Japanese understand how beauty is most clearly seen in imperfection, and more importantly they understand the transience of nature - which is why cherry blossom is the perfect symbol of the Japanese soul.

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My favourite bar is the Uerige brew-pub in Dusseldorf Altstadt. In 2012 they will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of their wonderful top-fermented altbier - affectionately known as the 'delicious droplet'. The Uerige is a warren of lovely wood-panelled rooms, shining copper, scrubbed tables and quirky adornments. The beer is served straight from barrels, which are hoisted onto the bar by the blue-aproned kobes. When they're not rolling barrels around the pub, they are doing the rounds with endless trays of beer. And when you need something to soak it up, there is a tasty menu of traditional Rhenish fare, from black pudding and smoked sausages to raw minced pork on rolls (Mettbrötchen).
When you leave, be sure to call at the street counter of Et Kabüffke, opposite, for a warming shot of Killepitsch, the digestive licquor.

www.Uerige.de
Obergärige Hausbrauerei GmbH
Berger Strasse 1, D-40213 Düsseldorf
+49(0)211 866990
Google map: bit.ly/s7f45R

www.killepitsch.de
Likörfabrik Peter Busch GmbH & Co. KG
Holzstraße 4, 40221 Düsseldorf
+49(0)211 86 44 40

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We went to Rajasthan for Christmas with the original intention of getting away from traditional festivities. However, our hosts at Fort Chanwa had trimmed up with a tree and there were cheap crackers and party hats to accompany our Indian Gala Dinner. The whole evening had a lovely sense of things as they used to be; a quality that reminded me of childhood Christmases.
On New Year’s Eve the Maharaja threw a party for the locals, and my boyfriend and I dressed in Rajasthani costume - to the great amusement of the Indian guests who were all in the latest designer gear.
At the end of every evening we drank our nightcap around fire baskets on the lawn, and then watched the bright north star from the rooftop before retiring to bed - what could be more Christmassy than that?

www.fortchanwa.com
No. 1 PWD Road, Jodhpur, 342001‎
+91 291 2432460
Google map: bit.ly/u2MAuZ

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If you like customising everything under the sun with quirky buttons, buckles, ribbons and trim, then this is the place for you. The first shop opened in Harrogate in 1956, and there is another in Ilkley, and a third in a wonderful medieval building in York. Drusilla White, the daughter of Duttons founder, travels the world in search of fabulous buttons, and offers the largest selection in the UK - over 12,000 to be precise. They range from sparkly diamante to vintage glass, shell, wood and ceramic. Unusual designs include buttons in the shape of hats, lighthouses, owls and fish. They sell a great hessian bag for you to customise, and every other haberdashery item you could ever need. Buttons from Duttons can even be spotted in films such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Evita!

www.duttonsforbuttons.co.uk
Oxford Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, HG1 1QE
+44(0)1423 502 092
Google map: bit.ly/rtptkh

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Tokyo offers every possible shopping experience, from the achingly cool to the seriously quirky.

Try the traditional-style Nakamise Market in Asakusa for reasonably priced souvenirs, and the Harajuku district for off-the-wall fashion. The vast department stores in Shinjuku and Shibuya are great for designer accessories, and often have basement food halls that are a feast for the senses. They are also one of the best places to buy kimonos - usually cheaper than those in souvenir shops. The noisy, garish electronics district, Akihabara, is worth a visit even if you aren’t buying. However, be aware that some goods are exclusively for the domestic market, so check voltages etc. To experience the latest innovations in technology, check out the Sony Building in Ginza.

The power of the yen means that bargains are hard to find - but try the ‘100 yen’ shops, where you can pick up cheap souvenirs such as chopsticks, kites and fans.

Google map: bit.ly/vvfiW9

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Fort Chanwa, in the village of Luni, 35km from Jodhpur, is an oasis of peace that is far removed from the madding crowds of the Blue City. This restored sandstone fort, owned by the Maharaja Dalip Singhji, is built around connecting courtyards and decorated with intricately carved lattice work. From atop its walls and secret pavilions you can watch village life drift by, trains snaking their way through the surrounding countryside, and glorious sunsets. We travelled into the surrounding bushland by camel cart and wandered down to the train station for a cup of pukka railway chai. In the evenings we sat around fires on the lawns and watched traditional dancing, before stargazing from the rooftop before bed. The staff are charming - as are the Maharaja and his wife.

www.fortchanwa.com
Luni, Distt. Jodhpur, Rajasthan
+91-2931-284216
Google map: bit.ly/vkmkv9

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Fort Chanwa, in the village of Luni, 35km from Jodhpur, is an oasis of peace that is far removed from the madding crowds of the Blue City. This restored sandstone fort, owned by the Maharaja Dalip Singhji, is built around connecting courtyards and decorated with intricately carved lattice work. From atop its walls and secret pavilions you can watch village life drift by, trains snaking their way through the surrounding countryside, and glorious sunsets. We travelled into the surrounding bushland by camel cart and wandered down to the train station for a cup of pukka railway chai. In the evenings we sat around fires on the lawns and watched traditional dancing, before stargazing from the rooftop before bed. The staff are charming - as are the Maharaja and his wife.

www.fortchanwa.com
VPO : Luni, Distt. Jodhpur
Rajasthan, INDIA
+91 2931 284216

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The North Yorks Moors are awash with standing stones, circles, burial mounds and markers from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. New ones come to light from time to time that have been covered by heather and bracken for hundreds of years, and a walk on these glorious moors reveals a surprise cross or stone at almost every turn.
Some served as markers on the pannier tracks that connected Yorkshire's monasteries, and some are boundary stones - such as the aptly named Fat Betty on the road between Castleton and Rosedale. Two miles inland from Robin Hood’s Bay are the three Bronze Age stones of the Ramsdale Circle. This is an unsurpassable site for a picnic, with a wonderful view of the coast across rolling moorland, which has probably changed little since the stones were erected.

Google map: bit.ly/qO90XR

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The North Yorks Moors are awash with standing stones, circles, burial mounds and markers from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. New ones come to light from time to time that have been covered by heather and bracken for hundreds of years, and a walk on these glorious moors reveals a surprise cross or stone at almost every turn.
Some served as markers on the pannier tracks that connected Yorkshire's monasteries, and some are boundary stones - such as the aptly named Fat Betty on the road between Castleton and Rosedale. Two miles inland from Robin Hood’s Bay are the three Bronze Age stones of the Ramsdale Circle. This is an unsurpassable site for a picnic, with a wonderful view of the coast across rolling moorland, which has probably changed little since the stones were erected.

www.ramsdale.org/megalith.htm
Google map: bit.ly/vioyoG

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My favourite subterranean attraction is not actually a cave, or a mine, but the Basilica Cistern, or Yerebatan Sarnici, which is the largest of the myriad of cisterns beneath the streets of Istanbul. This 6th century Byzantine underground chamber can hold 80,000 cubic metres of water, although nowadays visitors walk on a raised platform above the shallow water, and watch carp swimming languidly below. The ceiling is supported by hundreds of soaring marble columns nine metres high, two of which have huge Roman blocks with the carved head of Medusa at their base. Eerie and magical, the cistern feels like an underground cathedral.
A great place to visit to escape the midday heat, and there's also a small cafe.

www.yerebatan.com
13 Basilica C, 34410 Istanbul Province, Turkey
+90 212 522 1259
Google map: bit.ly/p42Arh

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The ruin of Top Withens farmhouse is the perfect place to experience the fictional world that the Brontes created in their novels. Purported to be the location that Emily had in mind when she wrote Wuthering Heights, the farmhouse is reached by a well signposted walk across the moors from Howarth. Far removed from the touristy tea shops in the village, the isolation of this windswept ruin gives you a true sense of what it must have been like in the world of Cathy Earnshaw or Jane Eyre. The views are wonderful, but even on a bright summer's day, the loneliness and solitude of this moorland are an almost tangible presence, and you feel that the howling winds and harsh frosts of winter are never far away.

www.haworth-village.org.uk/brontes/places/top_withens.asp
Google map: bit.ly/or3Rm4

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Scarborough's Open Air Theatre is the largest in Europe, and first opened in 1932. It closed in the 1980's and was left to decay, but is now back stronger than ever, and was re-opened by the Queen in 2010.
Close to the north beach, it occupies a beautiful setting in a natural amphitheatre. The 6500 seats stretch up the hillside, while the stage is in the middle of a small lake against a backdrop of trees.
Over the years it has been home to a variety of performances from local operatic shows to It's a Knockout, and since the re-opening they have staged music festivals, Last Night of The Proms featuring Kiri Te Kanawa, and a gig by Sir Elton John.
2012 events have yet to be announced - remember an umbrella and a rug!

www.scarboroughopenairtheatre.com/
Burniston Road, Scarborough YO12 6PF
+44(0)844 888 9991
Google map: bit.ly/mZ2wX0

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