The Borromean Isles: magical gardens on Italy’s Lake Maggiore

Patricia Cleveland-Peck gazes in wonder at Isola Bella, a baroque garden shaped like a ship floating on the lake, is entranced by Isola Madre, a romantic garden full of flowers and enjoys a lunch of lake fish on Fisherman’s Island

Letter from France: May 2013

Slovenian ImpressionistsRUNNING NOW
Until June 30: The School of Shanghai (1840-1920)
During the 19th Century, armed conflicts shook the Qing Dynasty so hard that many artists, painters and calligraphers chose to flee to Shanghai where, under the protection of Western armies, they could develop their art. The combination of traditional Chinese visual art with freedom of drawing [...]

Consumer Focus

From the website:

“Consumer Focus is the statutory organisation campaigning for a fair deal for consumers in England, Wales, Scotland, and, for postal services, Northern Ireland.

Advice for individuals on energy and post is given by Consumer Direct (08454 04 05 06).”

A warm hearted welcome awaits in Bosnia & Herzegovina

There are few remaining secret destinations in Europe still to be discovered by the leisure traveller, yet just a few hours from London is a new, highly affordable holiday choice – Bosnia and Herzegovina. CD-Traveller shows you the way to go

Dust the volcanic ash off your suitcase and take the train

We are all smart enough not to travel to flooded areas, but the truth is that natural disasters such as volcanoes do not just affect the area surrounding their location: The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland erupted for the second time in less than a month yesterday, after geoscientists were forwarded of signs of life – after being dormant for nearly 200 years – by the occurrence of 1000s of small earthquakes which started at the end of 2009.

Yet Another Hit for Air Passengers

The new owners of Durham Tees Valley Airport are the latest to remove cash from passengers by charging a Passenger Facility Fee. This fancy name can shield anything but what it amounts to is that adults (newly defined by the airport as being over 15) will pay £6 on departing flights and children between 3 and 15 will pay £2. A family of two children and two adults now has an extra £16 to find each time they go on holiday.
And you’re going to love the excuse the owners of the airport, Peel Airports, have given for the charge.

Letter from London

Each month Jane Egginton will be bringing us a letter from London. Travel writer Jane loves living in London and will be giving you the latest news from her favourite city in the world. This month, Jane takes us on a tour of Hackney, perhaps the capital’s most exciting borough (certainly one of its most notorious).