The survey found that:

• 59 per cent of the over-60s surveyed are taking nearly three holidays a year with
• four per cent taking as many as seven holidays a year.
• 70 per cent wanted longer holidays.
• Over-60s are taking the most holidays, now travelling to more exotic locations than any previous generations of that age.
• 99 per cent of respondents say they are more active than their parents and grandparents were at the same age.

The most popular destinations are Africa, India, South-East Asia, China and South America.

Howard Carter, managing director of Incognito, said: “The Baby Boomer generation clearly love their holidays abroad and are now competing with their grandchildren in opting to take gap years as they travel around the world. Clearly the ‘Grey Pound’ is very valuable to the travel industry as young families struggling in the economic downturn opt to stay at home.”

Carter continued: “Crucially this is probably the last generation who will retire on full, index-linked pensions. Their children have left home, they are sitting on huge equity investment in their homes and they have cash to spend.”

Are you a grown up gapper? If so, we want to hear all about your great adventures be they during a career break or after retirement. Get in touch by emailing editor@cd-traveller.com or by posting a comment below

Cupping
I nervously tried this traditional Chinese remedy – an alternative to acupuncture that is reported to boost blood circulation and suck out toxins – and leaves large circular bruises on your back.

It wasn’t pleasant (make no mistake; this treatment is definitely more productive than pampering). My therapist showed no mercy as she moved the suction cups across my back hovering up swathes of skin in quick succession, so as to encourage the flow of qi (energy) around my body. Fast forward 15 minutes and I was left with a mass of sore, swollen and angry looking red welts – the more toxic you are, the deeper the bruising – proof that I had definitely overdone it during the festive season.

Afterwards, however, while enjoying some health conscious cuisine against a backdrop of the soothing sound of pan pipes, I did feel strangely invigorated and my shoulders certainty felt looser – though that might merely have been relief that my torture was over.

CD-Traveller’s verdict: If you’re in need of purifying, give the cupping craze a go: it’s  good enough for Gwyneth Paltrow and La Beckham and, if nothing else, makes a great dinner party story.

Scraping
The Chinese sign up for a scraping session whenever they find themselves afflicted with flu or even a just a common cold. Using what looks like a scalpel, your TCM doctor will quite literally scrape your back and throat in long, languid movements. It’s terrifying but not half as painful as you would think and, against all the odds, really does work. Half an hour after my scraping session, my cold symptoms (weeping eyes and nose) had cleared – something a month of western medicine  failed to accomplish.

CD-Traveller’s verdict: Definitely recommended to anyone suffering from a cold or hacking cough. It’s not for the squeamish (see picture above) but is an effective (and affordable) way to get your body back on track.

Acupuncture
The ancient Chinese favourite sees needles inserted into the skin at seminal pressure points to improve your energy flow and repair any imbalances. In China, acupuncture tends to be offered at clinics and hospitals but in Britain, salons and spas such as Ragdale Hall (www.ragdalehall.co.uk) administer acupuncture.

I smiled weakly as my therapist produced the needles but my fears were misguided. For the most part, my acupuncture experience was a relaxing one – only proving mildly unpleasant when the needles entered an area where my flow of energy (or Chi as they say in China) was blocked.

CD-Traveller’s verdict: Surprisingly relaxing. Don’t believe me? Just ask the Iraq war veterans who are turning to acupuncture in their droves to ease their pain. However one acupuncture treatment is rarely enough: a course is recommend for optimum health.

Chinese Reflexology
Aka a supremely painful foot massage. Pressure is applied to various points on the feet, all of which relate to our organs. Again if the flow of energy is blocked, pain is felt. My therapist was able to ascertain from my winces that my kidneys aren’t functioning as well as they could/should. She wasn’t wrong: I have had kidney problems in the past.

CD-Traveller’s verdict: Worth a try for anyone who feels one degree under most of the time – and not just in January.

Chinese pedicure
Ask the stylish Shanghainese the secret to looking (and feeling great) and they’ll reply: good grooming. Even during an arctic winter when feet are hidden away, encased in man made fibres, the Chinese never mistreat their feet. The Chinese argue that a pedicure leaves you feeling more groomed than all the other beauty procedures (read: masks, scrubs and the sort) put together; it’s almost part of your outfit… Fish pedicures, dead skin scraping, cuticle clearing (don’t panic – it’s all terrific, not terrifying) are the name of the beauty game before polish is applied by therapists with hands so steady as to make Petr Cech look shaky. 45 minutes later, you’ll be left with fabulous looking feet.

CD-Traveller’s verdict: As pick me ups go, pedicures are affordable and quick. Translation? Even the time poor and budget conscious now have no excuse for not having baby soft heels…

Tui Na massage
Tui Na is an oil free massage where therapists rub, press, squeeze and work their way around a body as though with the claws of a satisfied cat. So don’t be surprised if your therapist uses his or her forearms, feet, elbows, knuckles and knees to knead out your knots. While it might not sound in the slightest bit relaxing (there’s no scented candles or pan pipe music playing in the background), at the end you’ll leave feeling invigorated and re balanced. In China, both men and women have Tui Na massages at least once a month, to soothe away the stresses and strains of modern life.

CD-Traveller’s verdict: A must. This is one of the best, not to mention cheapest, massages we have ever had.

China is arguably the only country to have emerged from the financial crisi relatively unscathed yet this time around I wasn’t remotely tempted to take up the offer. For one thing, I have a job – at CD-Traveller towers – that I absolutely adore (cheesey but true) but leaving work to one side,  even George Clooney couldn’t persuade me to leave London in 2012.

The capital has entered the most extraordinary and exciting year, with the Olympic and Paralympic Games guaranteeing a summer like no other. Of course London in 2012 isn’t only about sport. There’s the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations to look forward to, plus a cornucopia of cultural events.

In February we have the Lucien Freud exhibition over at the National Portrait Gallery, while Daniel Barenboim arrives at the Royal Festival Hall in April. Factor in London Fashion Week next month, the Arts Festival in June and a summer that will see an array of events including free al fresco music sessions in Heddon Street and West End musicals in Trafalgar Square and you have to wonder: why would anyone in their right mind leave?

Or as The Clash once sang:
“London calling at the top of the dial.

And after all this, won’t you give me a smile?

London calling

I never felt so much alive”

Jane Egginton

As London and much of the western world shakes off its collective New Year hangover, there is an altogether more exciting, colourful, and even spiritual celebration to look forward to.

Spectacular lion and dragon dances, giant puppets, leaping acrobats and ear-splitting firecrackers kick off the biggest Chinese New Year celebrations in the world outside Asia. Chinese New Year actually falls on 23 January in 2012, but a full day of festivities in central London on 29 January will see the 60th year that they have taken place in the UK.

Enthralling lion dances take place throughout the streets around Trafalgar Square accompanied by loud drums and cymbals that are believed to ward off bad luck. They are just part of a full programme of free events including a parade and musical and cultural performances. Visitors can graze at food stalls in the streets surrounding Leicester Square, slowly making their way to Chinatown for impromptu street parties and more eating and dancing.

Festivities continuing throughout February will welcome in the Year of the Dragon. In Chinese astrology, this special sign (the only one representing a mythical creature) signifies larger than life happenings and spectacular successes for the coming year. With the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee and a host of spin off events taking place throughout the city this year, 2012 certainly looks set to be an auspicious year for London.

image © sheng-fa lin

Celebrations will be taking place across London, with Chinese restaurants offering special menus and the National Maritime Museum hosting a full programme of family activities, with a procession, workshop, performances and theatre on 18 February to usher in the Chinese New Year from a historical perspective.

The British Film Institute will mark Chinese New Year by putting on a quartet of films throughout February to offer a fascinating insight into the cultural history of China. Chosen to coincide with the start of Chinese New Year, the month-long film season will launch with a biopic of the legendary grandfather of Chinese Philosophy, Confucius on 4 February.

The £10-million blockbuster is one of a handful to have been backed by the Chinese government and the most expensive Chinese movie ever made. It’s screening will be followed by A Simple Life, an emotional account of the poignant theme of growing old, that swept the board at China’s version of the Oscars and Unseen China, a rarely shown documentary that sensitively examines the complexities of Chinese contemporary life. The BFI programme culminates in screening of the slightly more left field Woman Basketball PLayer No. 5. Dating back to 1957 and London’s Chinatown’s first flush of youth, when it caused a huge stir, the film documents the heartbreaking account of a coach who successfully inspires Shanghai’s female basketball team.

Shanghai Blues offers dancing and feasting on the night of 23rd January, with Rich Mix, one of London’s most exciting cultural venues, putting on a unique – and free – combination of performances, workshops and events as well as food stalls.

While the public New Year’s commemoration lasts for one day, traditional celebrations last as many as 15 days. During this time, with echoes of Hogmanay, the Chinese clean their houses and decorate them with red scrolls to banish bad luck. They may also get a new haircut and buy some new clothes. Food typically comprises of dumplings and vegetarian fare, with gifts of envelopes containing ‘good luck’ paper money.

A quarter of million people from around the world will join in the Chinese New Year celebrations in London this year. That is as many as the number that will visit London Eye on the Southbank and who witnessed the firework displays in the capital during the dog days of 2011. Millions more watch these events on television screens around the world.

London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks heralded the beginning of an exciting year for London. The Mayor has put his name to a full city wide programme of free events that will take place in the build up to the Olympic games. Look out for highlights such as SECRETS showcasing the city’s hidden locations, SHOWTIME, an outdoor arts festival. Full details and news will be announced throughout 2012 on a new website that was launched on 31 December www.molpresents.com

Sixty years ago Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom, the start of a reign that continues today, Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap opened in London, now the longest running stage show in the world, and a deadly fog engulfed London and the word smog was invented.

Following hot on the heels of the Chinese New Year celebrations is Maslenitsa, the Russian Sun Festival on 26 February, a free event in Trafalgar Square. It is just the second time this unique celebration of the end of the chill of winter and the beginning of the warm start of spring will take place in London. The world has a bright future of events to look forward to in London over the coming months and ‘A summer like no other’ as it is being billed.

A little bit of history

We may all know that London’s Chinatown has been a cornerstone of city life since the 1950s, but who knew that the colourful quarter was originally in the East End? Chinese sailors first landed in the Docklands during the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) and a hundred years later a small Chinese community had developed around Limehouse.

The Blitz and the near decimation of the British shipping industry meant it was almost impossible for the Chinese to find work on the ships. But one happy result of the war meant that British soldiers had developed a new found love of Chinese food, and Chinatown’s restaurants were born in an area once known for its cheap rent and exciting nightlife.

Alan Locher

What do you like to do on holiday?
I love travelling and exploring different countries.  If I return to the same country, I always try to see a different city or do something new to make it a unique experience.

Where did you last go?
My partner and I just returned from a 10 day trip to California, driving down the coast from San Francisco to San Diego.  I had done this trip before but had never been to Solvang or travelled as far south as San Diego.  We spent time in San Fran, Carmel, Santa Barbara, and Solvang before arriving in San Diego.

The Great Wall of China

Of all the places you’ve been to, which was your favourite and why?
China! China wasn’t on the top of my list of places to visit, but I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed that trip.  We spent time in Shanghai, Beijing, Xian and Guilin.   We were in Beijing when President Obama became President finding out via Blackberry that he won.

Do you know where you’re going next?
We are headed to Amsterdam in the first half of 2012 for a ceremony that will honour the family that hid my mother and grandmother away, during WW II.

Amsterdam

How do you plan your holiday?
We plan the location first and then figure out all the other cities or excursions we want to experience, while we are there.

How often do you go away?
We try to take one big trip a year with some weekend get-aways thrown in during the winter / summer months.

Who do you travel with?
The majority of my travels are done with my partner.  Depending on where we go, we might be travelling with some friends or family thrown in.

In Boston, what would you recommend tourists see that isn’t in the travel guides?
There is so much to explore in Boston.  It’s all about the history, sports and food.  There are some great up and coming hot spots like Jamaica Plain or Southie (South Boston).  I always recommend spending time in the city proper, but also branching out.  Check out www.mysecretboston.com as they are known for highlighting ‘secret’ things the travel guides might have missed.

Thanks Alan! For more information on On Location Tours, please visit www.screentours.com/tour.php/boston/

Sounds good? Sure but it would be slobby to spend all your time in Tianjin holed up in a hotel. CD-Traveller tells you how to get the most of out the maritime city, regardless of whether you have one day or four.

St Regis Tianjin

One day
Spend a not to be missed morning becoming acquainted with Tianjin’s old quarter. Much of the action revolves around Ancient Culture Street  and the Drum Tower – with its decorative archways and elegant opera towers – but the Confucian Temple  and Guangdong Guild Hall are also worth a punt. Once you’ve gotten the old town out of the way, amble over to the Italian Concession or Jin Wan Plaza  – top spots for an alfresco lunch.

Refuelled? Make for the open air museum that is Jiefang Lu. Unlike Shanghai, the colonial buildings here haven’t been reconstructed, and an air of fading grandeur prevails. Next, bust out your black Amex and hit Heping Lu for some serious retail therapy. Aim to end your day with dinner at Goubuli followed by drinks at Sitong  or City Space.

Two days
Wudadao tops the sightseeing agenda for day two. As you wander around this gem of a district with its international architecture, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that you’re in Tianjin. A stone’s throw away is Yue Wei Xian. The line out of the door can remind you of queuing to get into a nightclub in your teens, but the Cantonese cuisine and collection of fascinating antiques and artifacts are worth the wait.

Ticked off Wudadao? Check out the TV Tower for jaw- dropping views of Tianjin and the Memorial Hall to Zhou Enlai  for the low-down on the former Premier and the city’s famous son. For a change of pace, take yourself off to Tianjin Waterpark where you’ll have no obligation other than to relax and read a book in one of the park’s pavilions. Have dinner at Kissling and then bounce between the bars of nearby Xiaobailou.

Three days
Three days is the optimum amount of time in which to properly get to grips with this enchanting city. Follow the same route as the two day travel plan, only at a more leisurely pace. You’ll also have time to pile on the pounds at Nanshi Food Street, ride the only wheel to be built over a bridge and admire the architectural feat that is the Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium.

Four days
On a four day trip you’ll be able to explore further afield. Standouts include the Shi Family Grand Courtyard, Pan Mountain and the Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall. Meanwhile Pringles wearers won’t want to miss the chance to hone their game. Can’t see the attraction of chasing a little white ball up and down a fairway? Golf widows can always enjoy some ‘me time’ at one of the city’s sumptuous spas.

For more top Tianjin ideas, please see: http://www.cd-traveller.com/2010/09/20/tianjin-uncovered/

My travel agent dissuaded me by arguing that in buying a return ticket and then purposely missing the second leg, I would be “breaching the contract”. Another friend (and frequent flyer) said that if I didn’t show for the second part of the journey, I could end up be blacklisted by the airline with regards to future flights.

It wasn’t a risk I was willing to take and so I abided by their words. Nonetheless I remain puzzled as to why I paid more for flying less, and can’t help thinking that the phrase ‘off’ and ‘rip’ could easily be rearranged…

Pre summer 2011, the metro was definitely one of my Beijing bête noirs and, I thought, for good reason. The line up for the tickets is always long and when – after what feels like eternity – you do finally arrive at the front of the line, chances are you’ll be informed that you are not able to charge your card in this line, or can only charge your card (which isn’t helpful if you don’t have have a card).

Then there’s the headache of actually getting on the train. No matter what time of day you choose to travel, the trains are always, always jam packed with people and each new station has more people getting onto the train, than off. Cue much pushing and shoving as the doors open and the crowd’s surge forward, searching for that elusive seat. Once on the train, you’ll find yourself pressed up against a stranger (or three) and barely able to breathe until you reach your intended stop.

However having spent the last few weeks in London, I’ll never moan about Beijing’s metro again. Sure it’s far from perfect but, believe me: it’s one that the average Londoner would kill for.

It’s been a hellish summer for London commuters, particularly those forced to ride the Jubilee line (the silver one which, worryingly, is also the principle tube line for the 2012 Olympics, serving the stadium at Stratford). London’s larger than life mayor, Boris Johnson, has spent some £13 million on upgrading the Jubilee line: it hasn’t been money well spent.

The beleaguered line has suffered on going problems with the new computerised signalling system. In theory, it’s supposed to make trains run faster. In reality? It keeps breaking down, resulting in loss of connection between signal control and train on-board computers. The system then has to be rebooted, stranding the train – and its plethora of passengers, often in the early hours of the morning.

I know having been ‘one of them’ on more occasions than I care to count. Travelling ‘home’ after a recent evening out in London, I found myself trapped underground for 90 minutes at 12 midnight, before being told by the hapless London Underground staff to take a night bus to King’s Cross – which has just been named and shamed as the capital’s worst tube station for crime, with almost 200 offences committed there last year – and from King’s Cross another night bus, followed by a taxi. Grrrrr.

The price for my pain? £4 for each single journey. One word: ouch. Suddenly Beijing’s subway system doesn’t seem such a bad deal. It might be crowded, but the trains run like clockwork (I have never waited more than six minutes for a train), are clean and, crucially, cheap. My friends and family here in the UK invariably can’t believe it when I tell them that it costs just 20p to go absolutely anywhere in Beijing. What’s a bit of pushing and shoving in the face of such a bargain?

Boris, if you’re reading this, please do take note: the Olympics aren’t the only area where London would do well to take a leaf out of Beijing’s book.

For more on what I will and won’t miss about Beijing, don’t forget to log onto the CD Traveller website next week!

Tomb of Abélard & Héloïse, Paris, France
Naming the most romantic spot in the most romantic city is a tall order. But the tomb of medieval lovers Abélard and Héloïse – ill-fated heroes of Paris’ oldest love story – has at least a historic claim on the title. Theirs is a tale of an affair discovered: Abélard was castrated, Héloïse sent to a nunnery. But now they lie side by side in Père Lachaise Cemetery – along with Proust, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison and other famous dear-departeds. Grab a map of the graveyard, pay your respects to the illustrious dead and leave a letter by the lovers’ crypt – a tradition said to ensure you find your own soulmate.
Père Lachaise is located in the 20^th arrondissement; the nearest Metro stops are Philippe Auguste, Père-Lachaise and Gambetta. See www.pere-lachaise.com.

Heart Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Why say it with flowers when you can say it with coral instead? Discovered in 1974 by a sharp-eyed npilot, Heart Reef, in the middle of Queensland’s idyllic Whitsunday Islands, is Mother Nature gone all gooey. A 17m-wide run-of-the-mill outcrop when viewed from boat level, from above this particular isolated ring of reef appears distinctly, undeniably, romantically heart shaped. To coo at it yourself, board a floatplane, though it’s just one of the attractions here: also look out for the luscious greens of the 74 islands, the sandy swirl of Whitehaven Beach, and a seemingly never-ending ocean of paradisiacal blue.
Scenic flights over the Whitsundays (www.whitsundaytourism.com) depart from Airlie Beach; a 65-minute flight will take in Heart Reef and Whitehaven.

‘Eiffel Tower’, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
If you like love declared with actual, rather than metaphorical, fireworks, it’s got to be Vegas, baby. King of kitsch, incapable of understatement, brash and larger than life, Las Vegas puts the razzmatazz into romance. It’s all fake – a city of 1.8 million in the desert? – so embrace it. Ascend the 140m replica Eiffel Tower for a dash of Parisian passion, and discover the city’s most amorous aspect: a view of ‘Venetian canals’, Chapel O’ Loves and the illuminated spumes of the Bellagio’s fountains, performing a dreamy dance at regular intervals below.
The Eiffel Tower Ride costs US$10/15 day/night; the Bellagio fountain show happens every 15 minutes, from 8pm to midnight. Check out www.parislasvegas.com and www.bellagio.com.

Plaza de los Coches, Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena oozes romance. Its walled old town is a pastel-hued warren of colonial mansions, blooming balconies and elegant towers – which is why it was used as a film set, for the 2008 adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s novel Love in the Time of Cholera. It’s the perfect backdrop for Márquez’s amorous allegory; indeed, though it’s not named in the book, Cartagena is clearly the town he had in mind. The Plaza de los Coches became the ‘arcade of scribes’, where the protagonist pens love poetry; as you pass the houses and horse carriages of the colonnaded square you may feel similarly inspired.
Cartagena, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, is hot year-round, though blessed by sea breezes; December to April is the dry season.

Aphrodite’s Beach, Cyprus

Commune with the goddess of love herself: according to legend, it was from the foam at Petra tou Romiou – Aphrodite’s Beach – that the Greek deity emerged on a zephyr-blown scallop shell, having formed in the sea from Uranus’ amputated privates. That the sand here was the stomping ground of a goddess is not hard to believe – the beach is a beauty, with Mediterranean turquoise-blue waves lapping a tumble of outlying rocks and an undeveloped stretch of shore. Bring a picnic, go for a paddle and make a sunset toast to Aphrodite, in her spiritual home.
Petra tou Romiou is on the B6 road between Lemesos and Pafos; the beach is accessible via steps near the cafe.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India
The world’s greatest monument to love, or its most outlandish romantic gesture at least, is India’s Taj Mahal, the marble materialisation of one man’s passion for his beloved wife. When Mumtaz Mahal died in childbirth, husband Shah vowed to build her the most beautiful tomb ever seen. It took him 22 years, but by 1653 he’d made good on his promise – and the Taj is no less magnificent today. Visit at dawn, when a pink glow warms the smooth white walls, to best appreciate the master craftsmanship of the inlaid mosaics and the graceful symmetry of the domes and minarets. Mumtaz would have been proud.
The Taj Mahal is open from 6am to 7.30pm daily except Friday. Agra is around 200km from Delhi.

Huángshān (Yellow Mountain), China
The views from the country’s ‘loveliest mountain’ are exactly what you want from your Oriental landscape: this is postcard China, a vista of karst mountains and pines enveloped in wispy mist, best enjoyed at sunrise. There are countless other tourists, but the (many) stone steps to Huángshān’s summits – including 1873m Lotus Peak and 1683m Beginning to Believe – are still worth the crowds and effort for those views (cheats can take the cable car). Plus there’s extra romance in these hills: keen couples buy padlocks and secure them to the handrails, tossing the key into the abyss below – thus securing their love forever.
Huángshān, in Ānhuī province, can be reached by bus (70 minutes) from Túnxī, which is on the train line to Shanghai.

Alley of the Kiss, Guanajuato, Mexico
Somewhere amid the colonial charm and mummy-filled catacombs of Unesco-listed Guanajuato, a tragic tale unfolds… Above the narrow Callejón del Beso – the Alley of the Kiss – two facing balconies almost touch. It was here that the daughter of a Spanish aristocrat, forced by her father to marry a noble, carried on hand-holding trysts with her impoverished true love living opposite. Predictably, this did not end well: Dad caught them at it, and plunged a dagger into her heart. Now couples exchange a kiss below those ill-fated overhangs to ensure 15 years of personal happiness; those who don’t pucker up get seven years of suffering instead.
Guanajuato, in Guanajuato state, is virtually the geographic centre of Mexico and is 370km northwest of Mexico City (four hours by bus).

The Meeting Place, St Pancras International, London, England
The 9m-high couple canoodling beneath the station clock (a replica of the 19th-century original) makes an unambiguous statement: The Meeting Place, lovebirds-made-bronze, aims to sum up the romance of rail travel – and of this terminus in particular. St Pancras was almost demolished in the 1960s, despite its Grade-I listed Gothic facade and vast-spanned train shed. Today it has been restored and embellished to become home to the cross-Channel Eurostar fleet. As you stand by the statue’s huge embrace you feel not only the thrill of the pair’s reuniting, but also the tantalising prospect of a whole continent beckoning beyond.
The Eurostar journey takes two hours and 15 minutes from St Pancras to Paris, and one hour and 51 minutes to Brussels. See www.eurostar.com.

Juliet’s House, Verona, Italy

Romantic by association if not in atmosphere, the Casa de Giulietta throngs with tourists eager to have their ‘Romeo, Romeo’ moment on its fabled balcony. The heaving terrace – which may or may not have been linked to a Juliet, who may or may not have existed – is attached to a humble 13th-century home, rumoured to have once been a brothel, now scrawled with amorous graffiti. For a more peaceful impression of the town that gave birth to Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, head up the Torre dei Lamberti: looking down on the alleys, ancient amphitheatre and the Adige River’s bridges and bends, you can’t deny the city’s romance.                                                    Entrance to the courtyard of Juliet’s House is free; there is a fee to enter and stand on the balcony.

The extract Opera Houses with impact is from Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Sights, available from shop.lonelyplanet.com, £15.99