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

Whether you’re a novice or seasoned traveller, France will steal your heart. Each month, Frederic – our French correspondent – gives us the low-down on what to see and do across the channel

HM Revenue and Customs

From the website:

“HMRC’s purpose is to make sure that the money is available to fund the UK’s public services. We also help families and individuals with targeted financial support”

Harry Potter studio tour, in pictures: now everyone can head to Hogwarts

With half term on the horizon, chances are you’re wondering how to keep your little ones occupied and entertained. One option is to wander out west to Watford for the Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter

More Brits Return to Canary Isles and Mexico

After all the stories about the impact of the euro and how it was reducing the number of us holidaying in the euro countries comes the news that it looks as though visits to the Canaries have bounced back by a staggering amount. In Lanzarote visits are up by a third over 2009 and holidays to Gran Canaria and Tenerife are up as well. Some are saying that numbers are nearly back to those pre-recession days. In July alone 450,554 of us just went to Tenerife

Rome, Florence and now Venice

Like London buses, when one comes along, it is accompanied by another. So Venice, on Wednesday this week, decided to introduce an accommodation tax just like Florence.

Letter from London: the Olympic Fringer

The dearth of Olympic tickets has been much talked about, but there is plenty to see and do around the periphery of the Games. Jane Egginton checks out London on the edge