I love a city that can fit neatly into a weekend. They say Amsterdam is one of the most livable cities on earth but for me, the thrill of dodging all those beautiful people with their bikes piled with perfect blond children wears thin after a couple of days. As does cheese. And more cheese. [...]

I was crossing the border into China the week before last week and spotted this rather interesting bomb disposal equipment, parked metres away from the queue in which I was standing. It seems somebody has to wheel up to the suspicious package or bag and using the go-go-gadget-like claw, pick up said object and place [...]

Image Courtesy of info.aia.org
I’m not a huge fan of Ginza (too many chain stores and tourists) but it is worth a visit for the new Lanvin store, which has two floors of magic.

Time your visit around lunch or afternoon tea at the Gucci Café. You don’t have to be into the brand to enjoy this [...]

There is nothing like the desert. From the cacti to the blue skies to the warm weather, it’s a place where you can get in touch with your inner hippie. At first glance, Scottsdale, Arizona isn’t the hippie Mecca of the west with Cayenne trucks as the standard method of travel and the [...]

If you want to learn about the might of the Hapsburg Empire’s capital, Vienna, Gerhard Strassgschwandtner is your man (he’ll explain why the bit over there looks like it was lifted from Brussels, the bit over there looks it’s come from Greece). If you want to know about the whys and wherefores of the etiquette [...]

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A good travel companion can go a long, long way: an engaging book to read on a long flight; a buddy in shotgun who stays awake the entire drive; a loyal parrot for the dangerous journey to the East Indies in search of spices and tea. Add to that list Votre Vu [...]

The Tuscan town of Siena is best seen entirely on foot. In just two hours, the boho-chic Cinzia Mariotti, who clambers with you up and down medieval towers in high-heeled rope wedge sandals, can point to the evidence of the moment the 1348 Black Death struck - a half finished arch; then guide you through [...]