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

Passenger Focus

From the website

“We are the independent passenger watchdog. Our mission is to get the best deal for passengers.

We are an independent public body set up by the Government to protect the interests of passengers.”

The jewel of the south Californian coastline

That’s the name they give to the city of Redondo Beach which is just twenty minutes away from the middle of Los Angeles but which seems to be in a different world. Why?

A Vulcan Welcomes You to Gloucester Cathedral

For 2 months, Gloucester cathedral will host the largest exhibition of UK sculpture outside London. There will be 75 different pieces on display in the cathedral and its grounds. So big is the venture that when I was there a few weeks ago, they were erecting scaffolding and preparing for it. It was going to take a whole week to just get the exhibits into position. Called Crucible, the event opens on September 1st and runs until October 30th so there is plenty of time to get down to Gloucester to see it. And it won’t be going to any other towns or cities. Miss this opportunity and you don’t get another.

Holidaying In Italy Gets Harder

In order to deal with security in Italy, the government has introduced some rules. The main rule is that mayors of Italian cities can introduce laws to take account of their own needs. If the new laws covered the whole of Italy, the holidaymaker would know where they stood but there are different laws in different cities. What applies in one place needn’t necessarily apply in another.

The best holiday money saving tips for the year ahead

Make the most of your hard-earned cash with Stephen Baker’s 25 top holiday moneysaving tips