Five of the best

Five glorious gardens to visit and enjoy

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The Easter holidays are with us and it’s a time to get out and about. Spring is also the time to visit some beautiful public gardens for fresh air and gorgeous views. Here are my five top tips – share yours by leaving a comment below.

DUNHAM MASSEY
Cheshire, UK

This stately pile just outside Manchester is a popular spot for walkers and day trippers. Aside from the acres of parkland there are sumptuous woodland and formal gardens with carpets of seasonal flowers – in April you may see swathes of colourful tulips. Tap/click image to see more

Dunham is renowned for its seasonal flower displays

YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK
Near Wakefield, UK

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is less of a delicate garden, more a spectacular playground. The extensive countryside grounds have water, woodlands and are studded with large artworks and changing displays. This place will definitely fill a day out. Tap/click image to see more

Landscape artworks at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a garden on an impressive scale

WALKDEN GARDENS
Manchester, UK

Walkden Gardens is tucked away in the south Manchester suburbs. It’s small but packs in value above its weight. The maze-like space has its own folly, a pergola walkway and many pretty plants. Definitely a lovely little escape if you’re in the area. Tap/click image to see more

Pergola walk at Walkden Gardens, Manchester

The cultivated walkway is one of Walkden’s little gems

BODNANT GARDEN
Near Llandudno, Wales

Bodnant Garden has to be one of the gems of north Wales. It boasts carefully manicured and planted grounds, not to mention a lot of space to roam around and relax. The Pin Mill (below) is a total delight – not to mention your Instgram post of any visit. Tap/click image to see more

Pin Mill at Bodnant Garden in north Wales

Bodnant Garden: A place for reflection

TERRA NOSTRA
Sao Miguel, Azores Islands

This far-flung garden may take a little more effort to visit, but if you happen to visit these mid-Atlantic Portuguese islands, it’s a must-see. A stunning place packed with sub-tropical flora, palm trees and even medicinal bathing waters. Tap/click image to see more

Water lily bloom at Terra Nostra gardens, Azores

Terra Nostra is replete with floral delights

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Five memorable day trips to beautiful places

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A day trip is all about leaving your cares behind and enjoying some fresh air, visiting somewhere new in good company or by yourself. Here are five of my favourites – beautiful locations, photographically inspiring and memorable. Please tell me about your best days out in the comments section.

SHUGBOROUGH

Location: Staffordshire, UK

An ancestral seat set in rolling countryside with a connection to the Royal family. With extensive grounds, beautiful gardens, wondrous follies and a stately home to wander around, this is the stuff days out are made of. And I visited on a landmark birthday! TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE

The drawing

You will enjoy lavish interiors at Shugborough

ESSAOUIRA

Location: Morocco

An unmissable day trip of you are lucky enough to visit Morocco when coronavirus restrictions allow. This colourful, vibrant city is situated next to the wild Atlantic Ocean and in easy reach of the tourist town of Agadir from where I made my visit. It would be easy to stay here longer. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE

Three elderly Moroccan men meet on a bench in Essaouira

People-watching are among Essaouira’s joys

STOCKPORT

Location: Greater Manchester, UK

This town is close to my Manchester home, but easily turned into a full day out. It’s architecturally beguiling and has an old centre which deserves a lot of exploration on foot. With added indoor attractions like the air raid shelters and hat museums, you’ve got a satisfying trip on your hands. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE

A view of Stockport's old market place

Stockport gives you a dose of Victorian grandeur

FYLDE COAST

Location: Lancashire, UK

This has been a favourite day trip of mine since moving to north-west England in 2016. I like taking the train to the seaside town of St Anne’s and walking south, passing the pier, Lytham’s famous windmill and the wide open coast. Very good for the soul. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE

Remains of the old pier at St Anne's, Lancashire

The Irish Sea is wide open along this coastline

JOKULSARLON

Location: Iceland

This is an unmissable trip if you visit the otherworldly island of Iceland. It’s a glacial lake which you will probably get close to on a boat trip – and even taste some of the pure, ancient ice. The black beach nearby is strewn with glacial, diamond-like chunks. It’s one sight among many to see in Iceland. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE ICELANDIC LANDSCAPES

Glacial ice on Jokulsarlon in Iceland

This is not just any old lake

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Five dream countries for your travel wish list

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Travelling abroad has been seriously impacted by the pandemic. Under current coronavirus restrictions here in the UK, overseas holidays are effectively banned.

But a long-term plan to ease lockdown holds a glimmer of hope that the travel ban could be lifted by mid-May at the earliest. 

The announcement of a ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown saw a huge spike in holiday bookings despite no firm decision being taken on international travel.

I’ll be pleased to enjoy a day trip to the seaside but still dream of exotic, thrilling destinations. Hopefully these five adventurous country ideas will fuel your wanderlust and at some point become reality.

ALBANIA

This Balkan nation is very close to tourism hotspots Greece and Italy, but remains more or less unknown. Albania has all the landscape you could possibly want to explore, from the rugged mountains of Valbona to a relatively unspoilt Adriatic coastline. Its towns and cities are a wealth of architecture and history to keep you enthralled. 

Unique selling point: Albania was an isolationist communist country from 1945-91. This fascinating legacy is still very much there to be explored. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE ON ALBANIA

Sunset at Skanderbeg Square, Tirana, Albania

Sunset on Tirana’s Skanderbeg Square

ETHIOPIA

A fascinating African country that prides itself for never having become a European colony. Ethiopia has wonderfully rugged and carefully cultivated landscapes alike, and ancient monuments built on its Coptic heritage. There is wildlife to spot and bustling towns to explore and experience.

Unique selling point: Ethiopia’s people. Proud, resourceful and curious. It’s impossible to visit without meeting several along the way. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE ON ETHIOPIA

Two Ethiopian men take in the view over countryside near Lalibela

Ethiopian men take in the view near Lalibela

CHILE

This is your long haul option to a South America which is less samba and tropical rain forest, but a vast country studded with staggering scenery and a people who made their mark on some extreme terrain. Chile is a place to indulge in some pretty full-on landscape photography while air travel is like hopping on a local bus.

Unique selling point: Chile’s geography gives it everything, from searing red desert, magnificent mountains and tundra, and even a Pacific Ocean idyll. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE ON CHILE

The Torres del Paine mountains of southern Chile

The Torres del Paine mountains of southern Chile

OMAN

This corner of the Arabian Peninsula is arid and mountainous in equal measure. Oman is a more traditional society than its neighbours, studded with forts, sandstone-coloured towns and the low-level whitewash of the capital Muscat. With a long, beautiful coastline, you can also relax at a number of stylish resorts.

Unique selling point: It’s not Dubai and is pleasingly restrained. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MIDDLE EAST TRAVEL IDEAS

Minaret and fort wall in Oman

Oman is rich in traditional Islamic architecture

ARMENIA

This small nation in the heart of the Caucasus Mountains has had a very long and at times troubled history which you will begin to understand when you’re there. The landscape is stunning and peppered with ancient churches and monasteries which are haunting and mystical. Armenia’s capital Yerevan doesn’t feel like any other European city.

Unique selling point: The old is very much alive and kicking here and the hospitality will delight. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE ON ARMENIA

Light coming through a church dome in Armenia

Armenia is a country of ancient spirituality

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Five modern buildings that will inspire you

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Modern architecture is rubbish. Actually, I don’t think so. New buildings can be some of the world’s most innovative, striking and inspiring creations. Here’s five that have made a lasting impression on me and are worth visiting. I’d love to hear your nominations!

MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART
DOHA, QATAR (2008)

This Middle Eastern waterfront building combines clean lines with elements of Islamic design. It’s become a must-see in Doha for oozing architectural cool as well as the treasures it houses. Classy, photogenic and Instagrammable. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar

MUSEUM OF 21ST CENTURY ART
KANAZAWA, JAPAN (2004)

A building comprising of cubes, a great deal of glass and even an open window on the sky. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the space. It’s an unexpected feature of a city best known for its ancient history and genteel architecture. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE MODERN JAPAN

Visitors at the Museum of 21st Century Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan

HARPA
REYKJAVIK, ICELAND (2011)

This hunk of blue glass positioned next to Reykjavik’s waterfront is a centre for concerts and conferences. It’s a very impressive building to find in such a small capital city and is a photographically mesmerising from all angles. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE REYKJAVIK

Harpa concert hall, Reykjavik, Iceland

SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE
ABU DHABI, UAE (2007)

A contemporary place of worship but also a major tourist attraction. Its numerous domes and minarets make it stylistically the most traditional of these five buildings. But it looks shimmering and new while being very photogenic. TAP/CLICK IMAGE TO SEE MORE

Interior of Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

BROOKS BUILDING
MANCHESTER, UK (2014)

A local building which first took my fancy earlier this year. It’s a faculty building of Manchester Metropolitan University, with a striking exterior which has many perspectives and alters in different conditions. Both the university and Manchester have their fair share of new architecture, which seems to delight and disquiet in equal measure. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE NEW MANCHESTER

Brooks Building, Manchester Metropolitan University

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Five capital cities to explore and enjoy

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Your first port of call in a new country is often the capital city. It’s the national hub, showpiece and population centre. It’s easy to pick world class cities such as London, Paris and Berlin. But I’m sharing five less obvious choices to add to your travel goals. As always, please share your favourite capitals!

HAVANA, CUBA

An exciting yet languid capital city showcasing decades of Fidel Castro’s communism in a tropical Caribbean climate. Havana is less about stately edifices but the shabby chic pastels of its elegantly crumbling buildings. A photographer’s wet dream. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE OF CUBA

You must: Stroll around the back streets and take it all in.

Elegant crumbling Havana street corner, Cuba

Havana’s battered look is its greatest asset

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND

The world’s most northerly capital city is a place of compact size and immense cool, with some unexpectedly dazzling architecture. It’s also a city where the magnificent Icelandic landscape is never far away. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE

You must: Take a trip up to the Perla Dome for some wonderful views.

View of Reykyavik from Perlan Dome

Reykyavik: Small but beautifully formed

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

This Arabian Gulf capital seems to sit in the shadow of its more famous, glitzy neighbour Dubai. But it feels more like a real, working city with all the benefits – a very pleasant seaside corniche, some modern high rises – and warm winter sunshine. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE

You must: See the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Go at sunset and after dark.

Skyline of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The UAE capital has an ultra-modern skyline

TBILISI, GEORGIA

This undulating Caucasian capital sits in a spectacular spot and has an array of architecture and attractions. What I liked about it most was its energetic vibe and nighttime liveliness. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE OF GEORGIA

You must: Ride the Soviet era metro and take the cable car for sunset views

Mother Georgia statue in Tbilisi

Mother Georgia has a great view of Tbilisi

TOKYO, JAPAN

This five of the best is the largest capital city. Tokyo prefecture is home to a staggering 38 million people. If you’re visiting Japan for the first time, it’s a baptism of fire with its complex transport system, unfamiliar cultural norms and frenetic vibe. Just go with the flow and you’ll come to love it. Even I managed not to get lost. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE OF URBAN JAPAN

You must: Visit bewildering Shibuya and walk in the other direction – you’ll hear birds sing.

View of Tokyo's Shibuya district

Shibuya is an intensely urbanised area of Tokyo

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