Around 2.21 on Saturday, July 5 this year (2014) the first of the riders in the first stage of the Tour de France will pass down through Buttertubs Pass in Yorkshire, picturesquely renamed Côte de Buttertubs for the purpose, and will then bear east along Swaledale, through Muker and on to Reeth. It will be… Continue reading
Browsing Category Travel Features
Away to the Dales, fortified by Ashbourne
This is a piece I wrote earlier. So I apologise if one or two details are out of date. All you need to know to plan a visit is on the official website, http://www.visitpeakdistrict.com —- “We sell the Runny, Scrummy Brie You Can’t Buy Anymore. Nectarismic, Unpasteurised Luxury. Shss. Don’t tell the French.” Emphatically… Continue reading →
Glamping – outdoor living with added glamour and comfort
Until recently our tourism industry assumed that tents, and most other variants on outdoor living, and for good reason, were for masochists. We British can be as hardy and stoical as the next nation in a crisis, but most of us sensibly shun sleeping under canvas for recreation anywhere north of a French campsite. If… Continue reading →
Americans cast a winning vote for Chester
Americans have stepped beyond their traditional list of preferred cities and towns in the UK, and have given Chester their vote ahead of them all as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. The only places ahead of Chester in the poll by USA Today were all in Europe – Riga in Latvia, Bergen in Norway,… Continue reading →
Call of the Goldfinch: acclaimed new novel set in Amsterdam
The New York Times placed Amsterdam sixth on its list of “The 46 Places to Go in 2013″. It’s been a significant year for the city, with the reopening of the Rijksmuseum after 10 years of renovation. In 2016 it will be linked by direct trains from London. The city has been given another, unexpected boost…. Continue reading →
A weekend in Zurich
A [Sept 2013] poll named Zurich the best city in the world to live in. It’s good for tourists, too. The city makes visiting especially easy, with an extensive tram system and entry to museums and galleries all on the one ticket. Gareth found this friendly city on its namesake lake the perfect choice for… Continue reading →