A quick train ride away from Lisbon, the resort town of Cascais is the retreat of the affluent classes of Portugal, though it’s firmly on the international map now too. Cornering the Atlantic and making the most of its unbroken ocean views with a long promenade and seafront villas, you’d...
With spring in the air, April is an ideal time to dust off the cobwebs of winter and explore the world again. We've picked out some hotspots that come into their own this very month. Got those bags packed? Tamil Nadu, India The south Indian state of Tamil Nadu is...
It’s official: on Wednesday 4 April, travellers can travel direct from London to Amsterdam by train, doing away with the need for airport rigmarole. The extension of the Eurostar comes after a number of delays to the launch. But track improvements mean that the London-Brussels journey has also benefitted, with...
In a dusty seaside town on an island off the coast of Senegal, Picasso 2 (it’s written on his hat and that’s what he says he’s called) is urging me to buy some of his artwork. “Today, it’s cheaper than Matalan!” he says out of the blue. A hit with...
Part of the established North Star Hotel, known to Dubliners as the only decent hotel in the area (sorry, other hotels in the area), the newly-refurbished wing of the hotel has been given its own brand, its own reception desk, and a rooftop residents’ lounge of its own too. But...
It’s the time of year when Christmas market stalls are opening up, the glühwein is being warmed and antique fairground rides are coming back into action. The Christmas market is a longstanding tradition, but that doesn’t mean that tradition is followed without creative touches. Each offers its own unique slant,...
Whatever our reasons for Brexiting, only a wrong person would question the cultural offerings of Europe. Separated by a bridge, a river or most often an imaginary line, each country on the continent brings with it a richness of history, outlook and beauty – and when I discover there are...
Tell an Italian you’re going to Genoa, otherwise known as Genova, and the response ranges from surprise to unrestrained shock. Compared to Italian delights nearby – the still beauty of Lake Como, the buzzing life in Bologna, the culinary delights in Modena – Genoa is seen to fall short in...
It’s a brave soul that opens a new restaurant in Chinatown. Rental prices are notoriously expensive - around half a mill a year for a decent-sized place. How many meals do you have to serve just to cover those costs alone? So I arrived a Hot Pot for a pre-cinema...