PALIN MITENK BLOG

By Sarah Chalmers

Roche hour: La Rochelle, with its peaceful harbour, is a fine spot for a French break

The sweet, melodic sound of birdsong filled the air, the sun was high and bright and as I gazed into his pale blue eyes I realised I was in love. The object of my affections was not an oily Mediterranean waiter or toned and tanned surfer, but a lesser-spotted blue-eyed lemur.

The extraordinary animal was just one of many rare breeds at the magnificent Palmyre Zoo, in Charente Maritime, on the French Atlantic coast.

Palmyre is nothing like my childhood memories of rain-soaked zoos. One of the largest of its kind in Europe, with more than 1,600 animals, it runs a host of breeding programmes for endangered species (including the blue-eyed lemur, the only mammal other than humans to have blue eyes).

The wooded park is beautifully laid out with large, sympathetically designed areas for each species, giving the impression that the animals are still running free in the wild.

We spent an entire morning at the 40-year-old family run enterprise where my children loved hand-feeding the giraffes popcorn and watching the elephants roll in the mud.

There was plenty to keep young children interested and the carefully reconstructed habitats reminded me of Gerald Durrell's famous zoo in the Channel Islands.

This is the sunniest region on France's west coast. Famous for its beaches, water sports and sailing thanks to the warm, windy Atlantic climate, the area had something for everyone.

For wacky entertainment, there's Futuroscope, an enormous science-based theme park and one of France's leading tourist attractions. It uses films on giant screens that give a sense of flying and racing across incredible land or seascapes.

We were happier enjoying the myriad picturesque towns in the area and wonderful market culture. We based ourselves at a Siblu holiday park - Les Charmettes just outside Palmyre, in a three-bedroom, fully equipped chalet.

For a fraction of the price of an all-inclusive, child-friendly hotel with entertainment, Siblu offers a fantastic pool complex, children's clubs and entertainment.

Siblu sites tend not to be on beaches, but in woodland parks on the outskirts of towns, so a host of activities are within easy reach.

The region is famed for its oysters, producing around 80 million a year. In the town of Marennes, the socalled oyster capital, you can learn all about the seafood at a new museum, La Cite de l'huitre. Then enjoy them at the nearby Port of Tremblade, in an old oyster shack known as Le Pilotis, where locals eat.

Charente Maritime is also the home of Cognac, and the town of the same name is worth a visit. An hour's drive from Les Charmettes, its medieval quarter with narrow cobbled streets and hundreds of gargoyles, makes a fun day trip.

The Cognac-making house, The Martell, is also excellent.


Get away from it all: The Charente Maritime region is a perfect area for a family holiday


The other great local delicacy is the mouth-watering Charente melon, which you will find at the Central Market in the historic resort of Royan (12 miles from Les Charmettes). An hour from Palmyre, La Rochelle market makes a happy half-day wander. The rest of the historic town is impressive with its Middle Age timber architecture, in particular the Old Harbour.

You can use one of the town's 140km of cycle paths and hire a yellow municipal bike (free for the first two hours).

From the comfort of your horse, or bike, it's easy to see why the region so deserves its tag 'coast of beauty'.

Travel Facts
Prices for a two-bedroom Esprit+ start at £376 for the week beginning June 5 (0871 911 7777, www.siblu.com). Brittany Ferries Portsmouth-Caen return crossing for a family of four including car costs £304 in June (0871 244 1400, www.brittanyferries.com).


source: dailymail

By The Inspector

Garden of England: Thurnham Keep


Kent is well-known for its idyllic, historic towns - but Maidstone is not one of them. If the county is the Garden of England, then Maidstone, with its ring roads, superstores and fluorescent take-away shops, is the thistle in the middle of the lawn that no amount of pesticide is able to remove.

But we didn't need to stray far from the town centre before reaching the Chaucerian countryside. Thurnham Keep, built from the ruins of a castle, is just four miles away in the hamlet of Thurnham and only 45 miles from central London. Turning up at the grand Jacobean facade felt like stepping into the scene of a Susan Hill ghost story.

Through the iron gates, we meandered slowly up the drive before arriving at the front door in misty darkness. The wind and rain was hammering down on the seemingly deserted house, which stood boldly isolated on top of a hill looking out over the North Downs.

Then suddenly we were greeted at the entrance not by haunting organ music, but the dulcet tones of Peter Andre's Mysterious Girl and the surprisingly young and energetic owner, Amanda Young, in tight jeans, and her dog.

She had grown up at the house before buying it from her father, and runs it with her husband, Mark, a full-time computer software designer and part-time beekeeper. 'I never see Mark during the week as he's working. I love having guests to stay. It keeps me entertained,' she said. Unlike many B&B owners, I sensed she believed it.


Immaculately designed: The Keep's traditional rooms


'We've got a lovely young couple in the end room. They took our dog for a walk this afternoon. You can have either of these two rooms.'

Both were traditionally but immaculately designed, of the kind you'd hope to find in a top country house hotel. Amanda demonstrated the turn-and-push technique of using the plug in the Edwardian bathtub, which was the size of a double bed. 'My son and husband have cooked me Chinese so, if you don't mind, I'll leave you a glass of wine downstairs by the fire and let you get on with it,' said Amanda.

Though supper is not available at the house, the local pubs and restaurants offer some pleasant choices.

'The pubs do get booked up very quickly, so would you like me to make you a booking?' Amanda had asked. We declined her offer - which was a mistake. After calling the fourth pub, The Dirty Habit, three miles up the Pilgrims Way, we managed to get a table. It had been a resting place for James II on his travels to France. We ate well.


Classical: The gardens look out over the North Downs


After breakfast the next day - when we shared the dining room with the 'lovely young dog-walking couple' - we left feeling guilty that we had been so dismissive of what Maidstone has to offer.

Thurnham Keep, aside from playing pop music for much of the time, turned out to be a delightful, if slightly eccentric, hideaway.

Travel factsThurnham Keep
Castle Hill
Thurnham, near Maidstone
Kent ME14 3LE

Double room £120 B&B

Tel: 01622 734149
thurnhamkeep.co.uk


source: dailymail

By Simon Heptinstall

Living the high life: You can go up in the world at Key Camp


Traditional good-value camping and cottage holidays in France may be the best bet for many money-savvy travellers this summer.

Last year's credit crunch prompted many British families to take their holidays at home but this year we are prepared to travel a little further --although not too far.

The good news is that we don't have to go beyond France. Tour operators have plenty of special offers to lure us across the Channel.

A campsite or gite in rural France is still a great bargain, whatever the pound does against the euro.

The French Government Tourist Office in London is a sensible starting point for research. It has a special 'Affordable France' section on the website (www.uk.franceguide.com) to make it easier to find cut-price offers this year.

Bargain holidays are also advertised on the site of the Association of British Travel Organisers to France (www.holidayfrance.org.uk).

Camping Sleeping under canvas is the easiest way to reduce holiday costs. But in France camping isn't just for those who cannot afford anything else. Many wealthy French families go camping-crazy each summer - which is why the country has more than 10,000 campsites.

What is more, many of them are among the best located and equipped to be found anywhere in the world.

Eurocamp Eurocamp is one of the biggest camping tour operators in Europe and offers a huge range of reasonably priced holidays. You can choose between tents, mobile homes, chalets and holiday villages at sites from Picardy to Provence.

Good news for young families is that this year Eurocamp has introduced a collection of toddler-friendly campsites in Brittany, Vendée, Loire, Dordogne and Languedoc.

These 'Petit Paradis' parcs have pitches that are safe for babies and toddlers, with free baby equipment, plus essential extras such as bedrails and decking gates.

These sites also have a toddler pool, on-site laundry and all-terrain buggies for hire. Supervised play sessions are provided for those between six months and four years old. Free swimming lessons are available at some sites.

• Seven nights from June 4 at L'Atlantique Parc in Brittany, in a three-bedroom Superior tent sleeping up to eight, costs £396. Ferry crossings, fly-drive packages, rail travel and overnight stops cost extra (0844 406 0402, www.eurocamp.co.uk).
Keycamp Keycamp is one of Europe's biggest providers of mobile home holidays but it also has well-priced campsites and holiday parks.

Most intriguing of all, Keycamp operates tree houses in selected French sites. They have been so popular with British families that many more are being made available this year. It is an easy way of making your holiday feel special on a limited budget.

These unusual holiday homes perch in the tree canopy, about 15ft from the ground. At some sites, pre-bookable breakfasts at £8 a head can be delivered to the tree houses and hoisted up to the decked dining area with the aid of a pulley system.

• Seven nights in a tree house at La Forêt in St Julien-de-Landes, for a family of two adults and up to four children from 15 May, will cost £290 including return ferry crossings (0844 4060200, www.keycamp.co.uk).

Canvas Canvas was the first company to offer camping package holidays in Europe, and more than 40 years later it still has some good bargains.

New sites for 2010 include an exciting beachside park in the pine forests along France's Atlantic coast. Camping le Vieux Port, Messanges, stands between a sandy surfing beach and a huge water park.

And the new family-friendly site at Camping Parc de Fierbois in the Loire Valley will prove popular. It runs Canvas's FamilyExtra activity programme.

This involves activities such as yoga for toddlers, circus workshops, family Olympics and raft-building.

• Seven nights at Camping Parc de Fierbois costs from £537 for two adults and up to four children, arriving on May 31, staying in a two-bedroom mobile home and including return ferry crossing for a car and passengers (0870 192 1159, www.canvasholidays.co.uk).

The Caravan Club The Caravan Club was founded in 1907, 'to bring together those interested in van life as a pastime'. More than 100 years later, this British institution is Europe's premier touring organisation, representing the interests of a million caravanners and trailer tent owners.

The Club provides members with a wide choice of recommended locations, including 137 in France. Caravanning is another cost-effective way of holidaying, which is why last year's national belt-tightening saw membership rise by a quarter.

The Club has responded by overhauling its website to give a free searchable guide to hundreds of European sites including caravan-friendly routes to each one, a pitch availability search and notes of which Michelin map covers the local area (01342 326 944, www.caravanclub.co.uk).

French gites


Rural bliss: Gite d'etape accommodation can be the perfect escape for families planning a quiet break


A French gite or holiday cottage is another cost-effective way of enjoying the French lifestyle and exploring a region from your own base. They can range from self-catering studios for two people to a rambling chateau with a pool that will sleep several families.

Holiday home agencies have thousands of properties to rent this year so are offering plenty of special deals.

Brittany Ferries holidays Holidays offered include ferry travel, which makes budgeting easy. It means the breaks are extremely affordable too. For example, a week's getaway to a cottage in Brittany during Easter, including ferry crossings with a car and cabin each way, costs only £138 per person for a family of four.

Brittany Ferries also has a selection of apartments, chalets and holiday resorts in France, again including ferry travel.

• A week at the Grand Large chalet campsite near Benodet in southern Brittany during the Easter break costs £437 for a family of five travelling with their car (0871 244 1444, www.brittanyferries.com/holidays).

VFB
French specialist VFB was started in 1970 by Michael Bruce-Mitford and his French wife, Françoise Julien. The couple helped to pioneer self-catering across the Channel for many British holiday-goers.

The company may have been going for 40 years but it is still highly acclaimed --so much so that it was recently voted favourite tour operator by readers of Which? magazine.

VFB's 2010 brochure includes many cottages and villas with prices lower than last year. One week's property rental starts from just £160 for a small farmhouse in Auvergne.
It has also added a wide selection of tempting new properties, including a 13th Century manor house on a remote stretch of Brittany coast, from £490 a week, and an oak-beamed stone cottage in Dordogne, from £170 a week (01452 716 840, www.vfbholidays.co.uk).

Cottages4you This Lancashire-based holiday home agency is part of the giant American owned Holiday Cottages Group that includes brands such as Blakes.

Cottages4You alone has more than 2,400 holiday cottages, gites and villas available to rent across France this year.

• Special offers include seven nights at Easter in a property in the Vendée for four to six people, from £281 rental-only (0845 268 0760, www.cottages4 you.co.uk).


source: dailymail

By Fred Mawer

Breathe in: Comfort is not always a given when flying economy


For those of us who travel in the cheap seats, flying long-haul is not a pleasant experience. If you bury yourself in a book or the in-flight entertainment, daytime flights can be just about bearable.

But in the cramped conditions that prevail in economy, getting any decent kip overnight is highly unlikely.

Which explains why an announcement last month from Air New Zealand has caused such a stir.

The airline is promising to transform long-haul economy flying with the introduction of a 'Skycouch' - a lie-flat area converted from a row of three economy seats. The armrests fold away, and cushioned footrests come out from under the seats to extend them to the back of the row in front, to create a space big enough for two adults to lie down next to each other. See the evidence on www.futuretakingflight.com.

I should point out that you'll need to be happy to get up close and personal with your travelling companion. The Skycouch is about 2ft 6in wide - the same as a narrow single bed - and it's 5ft 1in long, so you may need to tuck up your legs to fit in.

Even so, compared with trying to get some sleep sitting upright, the couch still looks a pretty appealing option, and importantly it appears that its cost will be very reasonable.

Air New Zealand says that for two adults, the charge for the Skycouch will be two standard economy fares, plus approximately half an additional standard fare for the third, unoccupied seat.

Based on the airline's current lead-in standard economy fare of £919 return flying London-Auckland, the third seat would therefore cost around £460. So each passenger would be paying just £230 more for the Skycouch than a normal economy seat - a bargain, given the extra space, privacy and comfort for 48 hours of flying


Cuddle class: Air New Zealand's new Sky Couch has caused a stir among long-haul travellers


Skycouches will become available from April 2011 on Heathrow-Auckland services, via Los Angeles. Book from April 26 this year but be quick off the mark - there will be only 22 Skycouches per flight, and I reckon they'll sell like hot cakes. Air New Zealand says the couch should be available on all its long-haul routes by 2012.

There are other ways to get more comfort at minimal extra cost on long-haul flights. Here's the Crafty guide:

CHOOSE THE RIGHT AIRLINE The seat pitch - the distance between the back of your seat and the one in front - is the crucial factor determining how much legroom you get on flights. With BA and Virgin it's usually 31in in economy, but some other airlines offer important extra inches: for example, with Thai Airways the seat pitch is 34in.

Use www.seatplans.com to compare seat pitches. Surprisingly, charter airlines Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airways offer a seat pitch of 33in on all their long-haul flights - and their fares are often cheaper than their scheduled competitors

NAB THE BEST SEATS IN ECONOMY

You can often choose and reserve specific seats on airlines' websites using aircraft seat plans. Where possible, do so as soon as you book or are allowed to. Unsure which seats to choose? www.seatguru.com has fantastically useful seating maps showing which are the best and worst seats, in terms of legroom, seat recline and peace and quiet, on different types of aircraft.

You may find you have to pay to reserve a specific seat. To do so well ahead of travel time with Thomas Cook, it will cost you £24 per person on return flights, while BA now charges most long-haul passengers flying economy £20 per flight to select a seat more than 24 hours before departure.

Seats in front of the emergency exits are the most coveted, as they let you stretch out (for safety reasons, you need to be fully mobile, and children can't occupy the seats). Most airlines now charge an additional fee for these seats, but it can be worth paying for the extra space.

With BA and Virgin, it's £50 per flight. BA lets you book the seats online ten to four days before departure, while Virgin allows you to book seats three days before departure on some ex-UK routes, via its call centre - otherwise, the seats are bookable only at the airport check-in - so get there early. With Thomson Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines, you can - and should - pre-book exit-row seats and the cost will be similar.


Coveted spot: Many passengers opt to sit by emergency exits for extra legroom


If two of you are travelling, you might want to select a window and aisle seat in a row of three - the unappealing seat in between is likely to be one of the last to be filled. And consider choosing seats near the rear: most travellers prefer flying at the front where it's quieter and less turbulent, so you can increase your chances of sitting next to an empty seat at the back.

GET A DISCOUNTED UPGRADE

A number of airlines, including BA, Virgin, Air New Zealand, Qantas, EVA Air and Air France, offer a 'premium economy' service. This will include more legroom, plus wider seats and other perks such as more generous luggage allowances and better food and drink - yet nothing like the luxury of business class, or the cost.

And with a sharp decline in the number of business people travelling, there are lots of enticing, discounted deals for premium economy travel. Last week, BA and Virgin were selling premium economy flights to New York for £542 return and to Dubai for under £600 return - flights in economy can sometimes cost as much. (These fares were part of seat sales no longer available, but more discounted fares will be offered.)

BA recently started offering lastminute upgrades from economy to its World Traveller Plus premium economy cabin on long-haul flights with lots of unsold premium seats. The cost is a flat £150 per flight - ask at the airport whether the upgrade is possible.

The main charter airlines also offer premium cabins on long-haul routes, again with comfier seats, a few more inches of legroom, free drinks and a generally superior service. These premium seats can be good value - upgrades from economy with Thomson Airways can cost as little as £129 return to the Dominican Republic.


ContactsAir New Zealand: 0800 028 4149, www.airnewzealand.co.uk

British Airways: 0844 493 0787, www.ba.com

Thomas Cook Airlines: 0844 855 0515, www.flythomascook.com

Thomson Airways: 0871 231 4787, www.thomson.co.uk

Virgin Atlantic: 0844 209 7777, www.virginatlantic.com
Or you could pay £4k one-way for BA's new luxury service...


Rachel Weisz's choice: The British actress has launched BA's improved First Class offering... but you will need a movie-star salary to afford it


Fly in the new improved First Class with British Airways and you will enjoy 'an intimate private jet experience', say BA. The service - it cost £100million to develop - is being rolled out this weekend after being launched by actress and BA frequent flyer Rachel Weisz.

'For style, stellar service and complete luxury, it doesn't get better than British Airways' new First cabin,' said Ms Weisz, pictured above relaxing in a First Class bed. She might have added that you may need a film star's income to pay the fare (one-way to New York, for example, costs £4,854).

First Class travellers will be able to enjoy their own 'cabin' which comes complete with a personal wardrobe, a leather-bound writing desk that converts into a dining table, a new 15in in-flight entertainment screen and a 'buddy' seat to enable customers to dine together.


source: dailymail

By Michael Dobbs

Living the high life: The Scottish Highlands are a part of the UK like no other

We had a long weekend to spare. Where to go? We bent over a map. 'There,' I said, jabbing a finger, 'this is one place we've never been.' I was pointing to the Scottish Highlands. 'Time to improve your education,' my wife replied. 'Get your passport.'

We didn't need a passport, of course, but the Highlands is an intriguingly different world. Soon we were aboard the train beyond Glasgow, passing through increasingly rugged, inspiring countryside until we arrived at the tiny village of Tyndrum.

It was the first of many surprises. Tyndrum is a village with a population of little more than 150, yet somehow it manages to sustain two railway stations. They do things differently in these parts.

We got off the train needing directions for the other station. There was only one man on the platform to ask.

'Don't worry,' he said, 'one of my boys will take you.' It was a gentle welcome, so I asked what he and his boys were doing. 'We're digging for gold. Hope to open the old mine again in a few months.'

The price of gold has risen and, with it, the fortunes of this area, the Lorn of Argyll, at the southern tip of the Highlands. This is Jacobite country, a place of lochs, firths and many fishing places, of atmospheric ruined castles, rugged glens, ancient conspiracies and modern-day adventures hatched around peat fires and oiled with finest whisky.

The map can be misleading. The eye is dragged to Oban, the only significant town in the area. A working port, it has much worth visiting, including a delightful amateur-run War and Peace Museum, but the grandeur and romance of the Highlands lie elsewhere.

We hired a car from cheerful people at Hazelbank Motors and set off.

We swallowed hard and decided not to drive the few miles north to Glencoe, the beautiful but infamous site of the massacre 300 years ago. Instead, we turned off by Lock Creran for the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary.

We arrived at feeding time for fat, ticklish seals and gently-spinning otters. These cheeky creatures are totally captivating. Adopt one, if you want, or simply laugh with them. Their humour is irresistible.

But it's an unfair world, and at the nearby Inverawe Smokery on Loch Etive the fish are less fortunate. Here, you can catch them, eat them, or watch them being seasoned, sliced and smoked in old-fashioned smokeboxes.

The delights to be found in these parts are like the best wild salmon; you have to search them out. The Ardanaiseig Hotel is indisputably one of these. An old country-house filled with antiques and hidden at the end of a track ten miles from the main road, it is small, luxurious and wildly romantic.

I don't know if I've ever been more relaxed. It's Monarch Of The Glen without the crises. The food and welcome are exceptional, with sweeping views over Loch Awe that make this a hidden jewel.

The Scots are full of pride and much of it has been poured into Ardanaiseig. It may just be my favourite hotel in the kingdom.

Memories from our following day tussle with each other for top billing. Dunstaffnage Castle, a royal fortress whose remains sit on a plug of dark volcanic rock; bluebell woods in which we stumbled across a ruined chapel; St Conan's Kirk with gargoyles of floppy-eared rabbits; a cruise down Loch Etive; the ever-changing light as sun, sea, wind, loch and granite mountainside are locked in their timeless battle for supremacy.

And whisky. Impossible to escape, but who would want to? Not just to be drunk but to be discovered. I started with a tour at the Oban Distillery, watching malt whisky being distilled from base barley to its beautifully polished end.

It's a magical process; I wanted more. I found it in a Bowmore whisky masterclass at a Highland fair at Inverary Castle, while my wife soaked up the bagpipes and explored the craft stalls.

This countryside overflows with opportunity. Every stretch of water has its own legend, every glen and hill its special challenge, and every hostelry its own welcome. What happened to those cold, narrow-pursed Scots of myth? We found none.

But I promised hardcore modernism. The Cruachan hydro-electric power station may not sound enticing, but it's an eye-popping feast of brutal power. Carved from within 3,700ft Ben Cruachan, its turbine hall is like a set from a James Bond movie. Its size and engineering ambition are staggering. Outside, on the far side of Loch Awe we saw ospreys nesting on a mobile phone mast.

Just a few minutes away from this modern monster stand the atmospheric ruins of Kilchurn Castle, former stronghold of the Campbell clan. Nestling nearby on the lochside we found our second extraordinary resting place - a converted railway carriage.

The Caledonian Camping Coach is an old Fifties carriage that retains a huge number of original features, yet provides remarkable comfort for those who simply want something full of character in self-catering. Restored with care and spotlessly maintained, it's huge fun and can take up to five people. You feel part of the surroundings.

We fell asleep gazing out over the ruins of the castle, while swallows caught the last of the evening light above our heads and birds of prey hovered at a distance, with everything reflected back from the crystal waters of Loch Awe.
It doesn't get simpler, or more satisfying, than this.

The carriage is another part of the Highlands that has reinvented itself, yet the drama of the scenery is eternal. I flew back on a seaplane from Oban to Glasgow city centre, wishing with every mile and passing cloud that the pilot would turn round and give me a little more time there.

Michael Dobbs's new thriller, The Reluctant Hero, is published next month by Simon & Schuster at £17.99.

Travel FactsArdanaiseig Hotel (01866 833333, www.ardanaiseig.com) offers bed and breakfast from £64 per person per night.

The Caledonian Coach Camping Company (www.scotlandrailholiday.com) offers weekly rentals from £400. For further information on Loch Etive Cruises 01866 822430.
Return fares on Loch Lomond Seaplanes start at £149. Call 01436 675030 or visit www.lochlomondseaplanes.com.

For car hire, contact Hazelbank Motors (01631 566476, www.obancarhire.co.uk). Rates start at £40 per day.


source: dailymail

By Stuart Maconie

Empire's limits: Housesteads Crags is a spectacular section of Hadrian's Wall, which has just seen the end of a six-year building programme


To start with, let's clear up an old canard: it wasn't to keep out the Scots. Chiefly because there were no such thing as Scots back then, or for that matter English.

Emperor Hadrian built his famous wall for a cluster of connected reasons and there is no consensus as to why exactly, even among experts.

It seems, though, it was partly to subdue, partly to observe, partly to control trade and the movement of goods, and to levy customs and taxes

And certainly it was intended as a show of Roman military might and to mark the extent of their ambitions. A sort of 'this far and no further' or 'the line in the sand' statement beloved of modern politicians.

And now, a couple of thousand years after Hadrian's big idea and a six-year building programme undertaken by three legions, people like me, my Radio 2 colleague Mark Radcliffe (we did a week of live shows from various points along the route) and you can walk its 84 miles for fun.

It is fun, too. It's tough in parts, sometimes steep, sometimes squelchy, but frequently breathtaking and exhilarating, especially in the high, lonely middle section around Whin Sill.

Here, you are not just in the middle of some of the most spectacular natural landscapes England (or Scotland) can offer, but you feel the real presence of history at your shoulder and under your feet. Those couple of millennia slip away as you walk in the footsteps and among the work of those legionaries and locals.

Back then, the locals were the Carvetti branch of the Brigante tribe and the legionaries were the Second (Carleon), the Twentieth (Chester) and the Sixth (York).


Wall or nothing: Stuart Maconie and Mark Radcliffe on their exhilarating walk which took them from Cumbria to Wallsend in Tyne and Wear


Contrary to another myth, slave labour wasn't used to build the Wall. Why would the Romans bother with resentful, unskilled, press-ganged men when they had trained men galore?

They were probably aided by locals and conscripted auxiliaries. But even these weren't slaves. Pay was good, they were fed and clothed, and after 25 years they were granted Roman citizenship.

Anyway, that's enough background - besides, every step of the way is a kind of history lesson. So on with your boots and let's go. Ah, which way though?

Well, most people do it from east to west, from Segedunum Roman Fort in Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway in Cumbria. But we did it in the opposite direction and I would recommend it for several reasons.


Star location: Kevin Costner filmed part of Robin Hood in the area

First of all, the weather. The wind and the rain are at your back rather than in your face. There's also something satisfying about starting on a lonely stretch of bleak shoreline and ending up in dynamic, modern Newcastle and, appropriately, at a place called Wallsend.

On a purely practical level, it's also a lot easier to get away at the end of your walk. There are many more buses, trains, taxis and hotels in Newcastle than there are in Bowness-on-Solway.

But the latter has one cracking pub called the Kings Arms (with resident pig), and a small but vocal crowd had gathered there to see us off from this small village at the edge of vast, gull-haunted Bowness Bay.

This part of the coast is an ornithologist's delight, but you can't dawdle. It's 15 miles to reach Carlisle; easy miles across fields and such if you don't mind the odd quagmire, but 15 of them nonetheless.

By the time you get to the ancient border city, you'll be ready for a glass and a plate of something before that well-earned bed.

Before you leave Carlisle, remember to get your Hadrian's Wall Path Summer Passport stamped as a record of your walk. There are six 'stamping stations' along the route but they are available only between the start of May and the end of October.

Although the path is not actually closed in winter, walking it is not encouraged - this is so that damage to the ground is kept to a minimum.

The next leg is a similarly long, flattish march to Banks, but after that things get really interesting. There's Birdoswald Roman Fort, the spectacular new bridge over the River Irthing at Willowford, and a terrific bed-and-breakfast hotel, which has on an outbuilding a stone boasting of the legionary who built that part of wall.


Historic: Visitors at Housesteads Fort - Hadrian's Wall was made a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1987. It is the most complex and best preserved frontier of the Roman Empire


The next day or so is the mouthwatering section - lots of actual wall and lots of the kind of views that you'll find in all the guide books, such as Walltown Crags and its accompanying lough, and one immortalised by Hollywood.

The tree at Sycamore Gap is the one shinned up by Kevin Costner in the film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. He was supposed to be heading from Dover to Nottingham, so I hope your map-reading skills are a little better. Worth a detour though, I suppose, Kev.

Landmarks such as Housesteads Roman Fort, Roman Vindolanda, the Whin Sill Ridge and Sewingshields Crags provide stunning views north to the Cheviots and south to the Pennines.

This is the day that will linger in the memory, as well as the thighs and calves. But every wheezing step is worth it and if you're reasonably fit and mobile you shouldn't find it too difficult.

Mind you, we were met at Vindolanda by a nice man with some homemade pies - something I can't promise always happens. And you'll find a good welcome at pubs and hotels such as the Twice Brewed, The George at Chollerford and High House Brewery.

After Heddon, you say goodbye both to the actual Wall, which has been a good and constant companion for several days, and to the high ground. It's now downhill all the way and there are different kinds of history to be seen as you follow the glittering and majestic Tyne into Newcastle.

For me, Newcastle is the best-looking major city in England now, with its blend of historic and contemporary bridges and its dazzling new riverside complete with The Sage and The Baltic arts centres.

There's a Riviera-style marina just before Byker and even the football team is getting its act together this season.

Then it's on to Wallsend and Segedunum and the end of a trip you won't forget. You'll have crossed this island from coast to coast (give or take a mile or three), seen vistas rural and urban, ancient and modern, and hopefully lost a few pounds along the way.

You may even want to turn around and do it again. But first, there's a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale with your name on it somewhere around here.

Travel factsStuart Maconie and Mark Radcliffe stayed at a range of accommodation along the Hadrian's Wall Path, including: Farlam Hall Country House Hotel (01697 746234, www.farlamhall.co.uk) Near Brampton, Cumbria. Rooms start at £290 half-board.

Keelmans Lodge (Inn) (0191 267 1689, www.petersen-stainless.co.uk) Newburn, near Newcastle. Double rooms start at £57 (room only).
Hotel du Vin Newcastle (0191 229 2200, www.hotelduvin.com) Rooms start at £160 (room only).

For further information on accommodation and places to visit, see www.hadrians-wall.org. The Wall will be illuminated from end to end on March 13.

Andante Travels (01722 713800, www.andantetravels.co.uk) offers inclusive holidays. There are a range of circular walks along the Wall for the winter months. For further information on these and the Hadrian's Wall National Path, visit www.nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrianswall.


source: dailymail

By Alan Dale

My New Zealander mother was always saying to me, ‘I’m still waiting for you to come home dear,’ even though it was 30 years since I’d flown the nest.

Sadly, my parents passed away three years ago, but while they were alive I always had a base in the country.

I now live in Los Angeles where I work on TV shows such as The OC and Ugly Betty, but after my parents died I decided to buy a holiday place of my own in New Zealand.

It’s a pretty house in a little village called Waiwera on the east coast of North Island. It stands next to a river which runs down to the ocean and we have our own beach – it’s absolutely beautiful.

Waiwera, a 40-minute drive from Auckland and its international airport, used to be on the main highway but is now bypassed by the freeway and so it has a nice, cut-off feel.

The village is small with one corner store that used to be an old-fashioned service station, a pub that used to be a shop and the thermal springs for which the Waiwera is best known, including a big hot springs-fed public baths. If there’s a better place to escape the pressures of Hollywood I’ve yet to find it.

North Island’s east coast is much more peaceful than the west which can be a bit rambunctious. We’re on the Hauraki Gulf which is just south of the Bay of Islands. In the gulf lie the Great Barrier and Little Barrier islands.

It is a lovely spot and one of my favourite things when I come here at Christmas – high summer in the southern hemisphere – is to get out on the water in a boat.

My father and uncle had boats so, like most Aucklanders, I spent a lot of time out on the ocean when I was growing up. Like the British, we are surrounded by water, the sea is in our blood.

My best friend in New Zealand has a boat and I love sailing with him. For two weeks we never have to cross the same bit of water twice – the gulf is huge – and there is always an island to hide behind if the wind gets up.

Recently I was out on a boat fishing with my ten-year-old son when we heard this loud hissing noise behind us. We turned around and there was a huge whale going by. A dramatic moment indeed.


New era: Alan loves the peace and beauty of the North Island's east coast


New Zealand is a fish eaters paradise. When I’m in Los Angeles, I leave the fish alone: in California they are good at steak, but the fish is not so great. But in New Zealand the fish is king.

My acting career started in New Zealand, but I moved to Australia where I won the part of Jim Robinson in Neighbours. Then ten years ago I made the jump to Hollywood and have since appeared in a Star Trek film and the latest Indiana Jones movie.

I don’t have a New Zealand or an Australian accent: it’s somewhere plop in the middle of the Tasman Sea. For a lot of the work I do in the States – commercials, for example – they like me to sound British.

New Zealand is the most magnificent place, but visitors do have to remember that the Maori name for it is Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud. It rains rather a lot on our coast and it rains more in Auckland, can you believe, than in London.

This makes some people depressed, but I love it because everything is beautifully green. And after all rain means life.

Like most New Zealanders I’m sports mad. I used to play rugby and I still watch the All Blacks when they’re in action. In the winter I sit at home in Los Angeles watching the British Guinness Premiership matches on satellite TV – you guys have stolen all our All Blacks stars.

I was born in Dunedin on the South Island. My family moved to Auckland when I was eight, and that’s where I grew up. So I have strong connections with both islands.

On the South Island, one of my favourite places is Wanaka in Central Otago.

It’s stunning – especially in winter when the skiing is superb – and has a real village feel but with wonderful restaurants and places to stay. An hour and a half’s drive south is Queenstown, which is much more touristy but still great fun.


Seaside city: Cosmopolitan Auckland is just 40 minutes from Alan's holiday home


I have a fond spot for Australia, too. I started living in Sydney, but moved to Melbourne for Neighbours.

People in Sydney take the mickey out of Melbourne in the same way that Aussies take the mick out of New Zealand – it’s a sort of Big Brother thing.

I think Melbourne is an incredibly sophisticated city. It is not as brash as Sydney, but to my mind it’s the best place to eat out – one of the finest in the world – with the best restaurants I’ve ever come across.

One of the things I most miss about New Zealand when I’m in Hollywood are the meat pies. In the first week of my latest trip I probably ate 15. There are a couple of English shops in LA where you can buy frozen meat pies, but they are not the same.

One of the biggest changes about New Zealand since when I lived there 30 odd years ago and now is the wine.

Back in the Seventies there was really only one drinkable wine – it was what I would call a rough red. Now the quality and range of New Zealand wines is amazing
and it all seems to have happened so quickly.

Actually, New Zealand has much more of an international identity. When I first moved to the States I remember having a conversation with an American who asked where I came from. ‘What’s that accent? Are you British?’ I said: ‘No, I’m from New Zealand.’

‘That’s close, though?’ he replied. ‘Not really,’ I said. ‘New Zealand is at the other side of the world from the UK.’

I think it was the huge success of the movie trilogy The Lord Of The Rings that made people aware of where New Zealand was. So now, when I tell people I’m from New Zealand, they tend to go ‘ooh’ and ‘wow’.

It’s a long flight to get there, but I guarantee that it is well worth the effort.

Travel FactsTurquoise (01494 678400, www.turquoiseholidays.co.uk) specialises in tailormade itineraries to New Zealand and Australia. A 16-day Wine, Whales & other Delights trip taking in Auckland, Hawkes Bay and Martinborough, staying in a beach house, costs from £2,499 and includes return flights with Air New Zealand and car hire.

For more information about New Zealand see www.newzealand.com.

source: dailymail

Winner: Rudding Park near Harrogate was listed as the top UK hotel and sixth best luxury hotel in the world


You might expect our capital city and main tourist hub to boast some of the country's finest hotels, particularly with the Olympic Games just two years away.

But travellers apparently disagree.

In the annual Travellers' Coice Awards, polling readers of review website TripAdvisor, visitors to the UK have snubbed London when voting for their top UK hotels.

Instead, 25 hotels from right across England, Scotland and Wales were credited for their quality with Rudding Park near Harrogate chosen as the top British hotel

The Yorkshire offering, which was also sixth in the best luxury hotels of the world list, was praised for its 'faultless service'.

Manor Coach House in Worcester received a double credit taking the second spot for both best UK hotel and also Europe's best bargain hotels.

Cornish hotel Boskerris Hotel in St Ives took third place with Welsh offering Can-y-Bae in Llandudno, North Wales, fourth.

Although London was not recognised for producing a top UK hotel, Soho Hotel was voted the best in the capital and the Bermondsey Square Hotel came in at number five in Europe's Most Trendy Hotel list.

However, in a double disappointment, no London hotel was listed in the World's Top Ten Luxury Hotels list, despite its many glamorous visitors.

Alison Copus, European Marketing vice-president for TripAdvisor said: "With the Olympics just two years away it's worrying not to see a single London hotel in the Top 25 UK list.

"Come 2012 all eyes will be on our capital city and London hotels are clearly going to have to raise their game to make sure they provide world-class accommodation."

The 25 top UK hotels according to readers:
1. Rudding Park, Harrogate, Yorkshire
2. The Manor Coach House, Worcester
3. Boskerris Hotel, St Ives
4. Can-y-Bae, Llandudno, North Wales
5. Charterhouse Hotel, Torquay
6. Silverdale, Seaford, East Sussex
7. Castlebank Hotel, Conwy, Wales
8. Avalon Beach Hotel, Bournemouth
9. Dunkery Beacon Hotel, Exmoor, Somerset
10. Trelaske Hotel, Looe, Cornwall
11. The Old Rectory Hotel, Martinhoe, Devon
12. Apsley House Hotel, Bath
13. The Waverley, Whitby, North Yorkshire
14. The Clarence Hotel, Portsmouth
15. Tremarne Hotel, Mevagissey, Cornwall
16. Yeoldon, Bideford, Devon
17. Gwestry, Aberystwyth
18. Hotel Una, Brighton
19. Hunters Quay Hotel, Dunoon, Strathclyde, Scotland
20. Bowling Green Hotel, Plymouth
21. Staybridge Suites, Newcastle upon Tyne
22. Cedar Manor House Hotel, Windermere, Cumbria
23. Broom House, Whitby, North Yorkshire
24. The Waterhead Hotel, Ambleside, Cumbria
25. Primrose Valley Hotel, St Ives, Cornwall


source: dailymail

By Kay Burley

Family holiday: Kay Burley took her son Alexander to South Africa on a safari trip

There's nothing quite like the adrenaline rush brought on by an angry herd of trumpeting elephants to keep a teenage boy entertained on holiday.

Add to that a hair-raising off-road smash through the African bush in search of a skittish black rhino calf and its protective parents, and the odd bit of toilet humour involving zebra and rhino, and you have the makings of a perfect holiday solution for an otherwise grumpy, monosyllabic 16-year-old.

As soon as he clapped eyes on my son, Alexander, our South African bush ranger Bruce sensed the challenge of a potentially difficult client - and had the perfect answer ready.

'Tell you what, Big Man, fancy a bit of off-roading in this baby tomorrow?' he suggested, patting the steering wheel of the massive, 25ft-long, four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser.

That brought on just the merest hint of a smile - and realising he was on to a winner, Bruce pressed on. 'And how about a spot of target practice with this mother too?' - the 'mother' being a Brno rifle designed to stop a stampeding elephant matriarch or angry buffalo bull in its tracks.

And that was it. Job done. Alexander was happy to be on holiday and I was relieved to have made the right choice.

When he was younger, trips to CenterParcs and the occasional hot date with Minnie Mouse were all that was required to entertain my youngster, but height and hormones mean that making the correct choice for a holiday destination these days is a far more difficult challenge. As a single mum, I had high hopes that the safari would work out - and I wasn't wrong.

Our adventure began with an overnight flight from London to Johannesburg. After a quick hop in a light aircraft into the African Bush, we touched down at the Phinda Game Reserve.

Unfortunately, things got off to a bad start when grumpy teenager left all his PSP games on the aircraft. Why he needed them, who knows - but the repercussions could have been volcanic.


Luckily, I needn't have worried, Ranger Bruce was waiting at the end of the airstrip ready to welcome us with the 'baby' and 'mother' and so many plans to keep a teenager entertained every moment of every day that the lost property was soon nothing more than a shoulder shrug on the Richter scale of teenage tantrums.

Pleasantries over, and with just time for a quick spruce-up, we left our luggage to be unpacked at the lodge and were soon in search of big game with Bruce and his wonderful tracker, Stembiso.

We were excited and keen to see lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino, traditionally known as the Big Five by the cowardly hunters who would attempt to bag these majestic animals in order to decorate a wall. Had they not heard of Osborne and Little wallpapers?

Getting up close and personal with Africa's finest is a true privilege, but there are rules you have to stick to - rules that could very well save your life. The very first of these is to show respect. Being on safari is not like visiting a Disney park, it's downright dangerous. If you don't respect the animals and their habitat, you could die. That's why you sign the disclaimer. If you're gnawed by a hippo, tough!

Bruce went through the do's and dont's: don't stand up in the open-sided vehicle; do sit still during a sighting, especially when you're literally a chewed arm away from a big cat; if you come face to face with a lion, don't run; if it's a rhino, run as fast as you can in a zigzag, then climb the nearest tree; if it's an angry elephant or a truculent buffalo, you are in a lot of trouble. As Bruce finished the check list, Alexander's eyes grew almost as wide as his grin and we were off.

Phinda is a stunning game reserve of some 57,000 acres with six different lodges to cater for every personality and pocket. There's even a Homestead - too pricey for us but perfect for two or three families who fancy sharing a personal ranger, butler and chef.

We had decided on a two-centre safari, beginning at Mountain Lodge, where there are 25 recently refurbished suites and plenty of wildlife roaming the fenceless grounds.

We had our own plunge pool, right in the middle of the bush. 'Wow, how cool is this?' said Alexander, uttering more syllables than I had heard from him in some months. It was indeed very, very cool. During the day we often saw families of impala or nyala antelopes meandering through foliage just outside our window and we could almost touch them as we walked from our room up to the main lodge for lunch.

But the brick pathways that offered places to explore during the day were navigable only with a security guard once night fell and predators were on the prowl. I wasn't completely sure what difference brandishing a 6in torch would have made if we had met a leopard or worse, but those were the rules. Remember, don't run!


Creature comforts: The luxurious Homestead Lodge has its personal ranger, butler and chef


Waking early is an essential part of safari. 'A lie-in or a lion?' was the corny question I would always pose to Alexander when he grumbled at the 5.30am alarm call. He reluctantly lumbered into the shower, then had a quick cuppa and it was on to the truck to track.

Patience is sometimes needed and if you are banking on a Ferrari safari where you can tick off the Big Five plus hippo before breakfast, then you'd be better off in Florida.

Rest assured, though, patience and faith in your tracker and ranger are always rewarded, even with the slowest start to the day. On our second day we had been in the truck for over an hour, it was nearly 7am and we had seen nothing. The mood was sombre, but not for long.

Bruce kept up the interest level by spotting general game and sharing general knowledge, often giving it a teenage twist. We stopped in front of a zebra swishing its tail.

Moments later it delivered the loudest fart I had ever heard, guaranteeing sniggers all round. A few minutes later we stopped again, this time at a pile of rhino poo - for an impromptu but nonetheless informative lesson on toilet habits in the bush.

We drove on and then stopped right in the middle of a buffalo herd. 'Cows with horns' is how some describe them, but don't be fooled - they are by far the most feared animal by rangers and trackers alike.

Hemingway said a buffalo bull looks at you like you owe him a lot of money and, even though I was safe in the vehicle, I could see what he meant.

After about half an hour we moved again as we were keen to see a leopard, but the big cats weren't playing. We all agreed to try again later in the day and head back for breakfast when, out of the blue, Stembiso nonchalantly waved an arm and whispered two words that sent us crashing through the thick undergrowth, hanging from the side of a hill at an angle far from my liking. Stembiso had seen black rhino.

They are an endangered species, with only a few thousand left in the wild, and he had spotted three - a mother, her calf and a predatory male half a mile away heading towards the top of a hill. How could he possibly have seen them from so far away? I have absolutely no idea but it was an extremely rare sighting and Bruce didn't waste time getting closer.


Nature lovers: Kay and Alexander didn't just see the sights by truck, they also went out riding


We could hear the mother bellow at the male. Not only was it a rare sighting, but the adults were having a domestic.

Having endured what seemed like an eternity of corkscrew turns and bone-crunching potholes while trying to duck overhanging branches with thorns that would certainly rip open unsuspecting limbs, we arrived where the rhino had last been seen.

Bruce switched off the engine and we listened. I could hear nothing, but Stembiso - whose brilliant hearing obviously matched his eyesight - pointed to a thicket a few yards away. A few moments later we heard the family thunder back down the hillside and away from us. We weren't disappointed. We were exhilarated.

'Fancy a bit of off-roading later, Big Man?' was just what Alexander needed to hear as we made our way down the hillside. After lunch, he had his first driving lesson, which just happened to be in a four-wheel-drive game vehicle. It was a brilliant twist to his holiday, and the rangers had even more surprises in store.

Later, we found ourselves heading to a deserted dam with a target and a rifle. Every couple of months the rangers need to practise their aim, just in case. Alexander had been invited to join them. Taking aim, he scored an eight and then a nine. I was coaxed into having a go but missed altogether - and the recoil made me bite my tongue!

Next day the wonderful people at travel firm andBeyond, who maintain Phinda and organised our trip, had yet more surprises for us. This time we were heading out of the reserve for a horse ride through the bush and down to the beach. My gentle horse, Cheyenne, calmly guided me to False Bay, where a wonderful lunch was waiting for us on the sands.


Bullseye: Alexander poses proudly with his shooting targets


It was all very civilised but the rides can sometimes be a little more challenging - I heard how one horse lost half its jaw to a croc as it leant forward to drink, and another lost an eye after it galloped too close to a zebra. We were more than content with a little trot and a curious duiker antelope.

But we did get too close for comfort to big game on at least one occasion. We had moved to Phinda's magnificent Vlei Lodge, which has only six suites and staff you end up wanting to bring home with you. Cheeky monkeys stole our breakfast muffins and screamed away before anyone could grab the catapult and the dried peas. We were joined by other guests from America, Germany, Argentina and good old Blighty.

We were having a great holiday but the end was frustratingly close. As it came to our last evening and we were enjoying iced G&T sundowners and barbecued kudu skewers by lantern light, I reflected with my newfound friends how the bush had made a much bigger impression on me than I could ever have imagined by just watching David Attenborough on the TV back home.

We all sighed and dejectedly climbed back on to the vehicle for the short drive back to the lodge for dinner.

As we rounded a corner, I saw Stembiso flinch. I was immediately aware of danger and involuntarily put my arm in front of Alexander. There was an elephant in the road. I noticed Bruce almost imperceptibly grip the steering wheel and Stembiso sit up a little straighter in his exposed tracker seat protruding high in front of the vehicle. The boys are trained not to show any concern, whatever the circumstances.

If they are calm, we are calm is the theory. But the situation was potentially very dangerous.

In fact, it was not one elephant, but a herd. A big herd. They were all around us. We mustn't stop. We couldn't go back. We had to go forward but there were more and more of them.


Awesome power: Kay's group was confronted by a herd of elephants


As we inched ahead, an overconfident young male moved closer and was startled as Bruce roared the engine. The frightened elephant trumpeted a warning. We could hear the protective matriarch crashing through the undergrowth towards us.

She could crush the vehicle with ease. Elephants have been known to force their tusks into the grill of a ranger vehicle and toss it into the air, with the terrified occupants still inside.

Bruce drove faster, expertly dodging elephant calves but saying nothing. Stembiso was darting his head from left to right guiding Bruce through the ever-increasing numbers. We all sat very, very quietly in the back of the truck trying to peer into the blackness but seeing nothing.

After what must have been only about 30 seconds but was certainly long enough for me to consider my mortality, Bruce and Stembiso laughed loudly in unison and we knew we were out of danger. We all breathed again. What a tale to tell when we were back home.

Later that evening, Alexander and I were enjoying the last dinner on the deck of our beautiful lodge with the plunge pool gently lapping over and chatting about the leopard, cheetah, lion, rhino, buffalo and all the other animals we had encountered during our safari.

Moments later we heard the faintest of sounds and were once again holding our breath, unsure whether to run or hide. Four elephants which, just a short time earlier, had seemed keen to kill us had silently moved out of the pitch-black night towards us and now wanted to quench their thirst from the pool.

As they lifted their trunks and deposited gallons of water into their open mouths, it was clear they had forgiven us for our interruption earlier and were content to let us sit in awe at their majesty. Thirsts eventually satisfied, they slipped back into the night.

I thought the experience was almost spiritual; Alexander said it was 'cool'. Both of us agreed it was a wonderful end to the best holiday we had ever had.


Travel FactsThe Ultimate Travel Company (020 7386 4646, www.theultimatetravel company.co.uk) can arrange a six-day stay in the private Phinda Game Reserve from £2,845 per person, including flights from London with British Airways and onward connections by air and road. Three nights at Phinda Mountain Lodge is followed by two at Phinda Vlei Lodge with all meals, drinks, game drives and activities included. For more information visit www.andBeyond.com.


source: dailymail

The word “Cinque Terre” is the name given to the five lands or villages along the Eastern Ligurian Coast on the Italian Riviera. The villages from north to south are known as Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, which each has a unique and picturesque landscape. It is named as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and also protected as a National Park and National Marine Sanctuary. The best way to experience the beauty of Cinque Terre is simply by walking on the breathtaking trails from one village to another.



For our Cinque Terre vacation, we picked to stay at the sublimely romantic Vernazza for its remarkable beauty. Since most places to stay in Vernazza are located up on the hills, we therefore have to climb hundreds of stairs to get to our bed and breakfast (B&B), and some of the stairs are very steep. Some rooms are on higher floors and accessible only by small spiral stairs. As seen in many forums, a lot of tourists are complaining about quickly getting tired going up so many stairs especially when carrying heavy backpacks. I ended up taking a rest for a while before reaching our B&B. It’s a very good exercise. The view from the top of the hill near our B&B was incredibly stunning. We could see different parts of the Vernazza village with an amazing view of the blue Mediterranean sea. The gorgeous scenery instantly refreshed our minds and we couldn’t wait to explore the villages. Right after dropping our backpacks at our B&B room, we went for a walk and stopped at a small gelateria to get my first gelato at Cinque Terre. The gelato was probably not best but still considered okay to satisfy my craving.



Next, we headed to Manarola by train to have a lunch at Tratoria dal Billy. Thanks to V, a friend of mine whom we met a couple days before at Basel, Switzerland, and who recommended this superb restaurant. Perched high on the southern cliff, this small restaurant has a spectacular terrace that grants a magnificent view of the ocean surrounded by vineyards and pastel-color buildings of the Manarola village. We ordered their homemade squid-ink pasta with local seafood (which was their special dish of the day), and their grilled fish served with potatoes and local white wine. The homemade pasta was very fresh and flavorful. We could savor the blended rich taste between the pasta and the mixed fresh seafood. Billy serves simple homemade dishes made from fresh high-quality ingredients. It is definitely a must-visit restaurant in case we revisit Cinque Terre in the future.




After the delightful lunch, we spent some time checking the nearby ancient San Lorenzo Church, which has a traditional Basilica design and is embellished with a rose window, a bell tower and a wall overlooking the Mediterranean ocean. Then we continued walking down the road and, after twenty yards, we followed a wooden railing leading towards the seafront. An impressive sight along the path was a finely crafted vineyard and lemon groves. The scenery was so marvelous. We never imagined that it could be that beautiful.





There exists a famous easy hiking trail along the coast line that connects all five villages. The trail is twelve kilometers in length, with spectacular seaside views. Hiking the entire trail takes about five hours. Via dell’ Amore (The Lover’s Way) between Manarola and Riomaggiore is the easiest hiking trail in the Cinque Terre. So, without a doubt, I chose to walk this easiest trail. Hehehe… The trail has a wide path and is nicely paved, which makes it easy for almost everyone to do this hike. Walking along the path, we enjoyed great views of the ocean and the steep rocky cliff. We stopped several times admiring the view and capturing some pictures.


Arriving at the Riomaggiore village, we first checked out the church of San Giovanni Battista whose design is a typical local style (similar to the San Lorenzo Church in Manarola) with a white stone rose window on the front wall. We then continued walking towards Marina just to sightsee, take pictures and relax.




After leisurely walking for a half day, I started to crave for another scoop of gelato again. So, at Riomaggiore I grabbed one cup of lemone and fragola gelato, which tasted much better than the one I had previously in Vernazza. Being in Italy with the ubiquity of gelaterias enabled me to eat gelato every single day during my entire stay in Italy. Ahhh… I was extremely happy! I would ensure to have at least two scoops of gelato everyday! Yay…


Time flew by so fast, and it showed 5pm already. We planned to enjoy the sunset from a ferry going straight to Monterosso. Boarding the ferry along the Cinque Terre coast line is the best way to get an amazing panorama of the colorful houses and vineyards perched against on hill. We then hurriedly moved to Riomaggiore ’s Marina to wait for the ferry to come ashore. At that time, many people were sunbathing on the rocky beach and some were even swimming in the cold sea water. Brrr…





source: foodtravelblog

Wild camping on St Abbs Head, Scotland. Highly commended.

A free exhibition of the winning and commended entries is being held at the Lyttelton Foyer, National Theatre, London SE1 from 5 December until 24 January 2010. A book featuring the entries, Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 03 will be published on 31 October by AA Publishing at £25. The 2009 Awards are supported by Natural England and the English National Park Authorities. Visit take-a-view.co.uk for more information.

Photograph: Gary Waidson



The Millennium Bridge at dusk, London, England. Commended

Photograph: Adrian Hal



The Horse Whisperer, Snowdonia, Wales. Highly commended

Photograph: Matthew Halstead



The Dark Hedges, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Commended

Photograph: Peter Cox




One man went to mow, Kimmeridge, Dorset, England. Commended

Photograph: Anna Walls



Burrator Plantation in summer, Dartmoor, Devon. Highly Commended

Photograph: Alex Nail



Storm clears over Westminster Palace, London. Winner of the Phone View category

Photograph: Alex Varey



Kilnsey Show Fell Race, North Yorkshire. Held each year on the first Tuesday after the August bank holiday, the race is part of a major agricultural show in the Yorkshire Dales. This picture of runners struggling through the mud won the Living the View category

Photograph: Stephen Garnett/Craven Herald



Summit ridge of Blencathra, Lake District national park. This picture, taken at 3.20pm on Christmas Day, as sun set, won the English National Parks award. It is 60 years this year since the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act was passed, creating national parks, and the English National Parks Authority sponsored this competition

Photograph: Chris McIlreavy



Food for thought, Aberdeen Harbour, Scotland. Winner of the Your View category

Photograph: John Parminter




Winter nightfall, Hebden Bridge. This picture of the West Yorkshire town won the Landscape on Your Doorstep category, an award given by one of the competition’s sponsors, Natural England

Photograph: Nigel Hillier



Buachaille Etive Mòr, near Glen Coe. Winner of the Classic View category

Photograph: John Parminter




This photograph of sunrise over the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye was chosen as the best of thousands of entries showing some of the UK's finest views. Paris-based photographer Emmanuel Coupe takes home £10,000, and his picture will be the centrepiece of a free exhibition at the National Theatre in London from 5 December

Photograph: Emmanuel Coupe/PA


source: guardian.co.uk