10 of the best eco-friendly places to stay in Europe

Posted on October 23, 2021 by Admin

These sustainable stays offer the chance to share mountain views with bears, sleep easy in a low-carbon hotel and wellness experiences

The Holenberg forest is the gateway to the Maashorst nature reserve, a rewilding pioneer in North Brabant, home to roaming bison and Tauros – a project to revive the aurochs, an ancient European ox. Tucked away in the forest, among a rusty palette of trees, heather and wetlands, sits off-grid and self-sufficient Cabin Anna. From the linen to the recycled waste-product tableware, the emphasis is on reducing your environmental impact. The cabin sleeps two and has a vast glass atrium for enjoying the natural surroundings in all weathers, and a sunken bathtub. There are safaris, cycling and hikes on the doorstep.
From £154, holenberg.com

Warriors, cathedrals and carnivals: Spain’s best smaller cities, chosen by readers

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Admin

Medieval plazas, fortresses like film sets and seafood straight out of the net feature in your pick of these lesser-known destinations

I stopped in Salamanca for lunch when driving from Madrid to Lisbon and ended up staying there for a week, caught up in the lovely atmosphere of the city. Its graceful red sandstone architecture, with two cathedrals and splendid university buildings dating from the 15th century, gives the city the quality of an alfresco cultural living room – where academics, students and locals live on a sort of dreamy, theatrical open-air film set. Street names are hand-painted in scarlet on signs and the youthful population creates a hedonistic vibe at night when darkness descends. By day, check out the Plaza Mayor and the lovely Doll Museum.
Yasmin Cox

Turin Brakes’ playlist: 10 songs that take them back on the road

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Admin

Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian take a spin down memory lane, from California’s Redwoods to Nepal via the mean streets of south London

10 songs that bring back memories of my travels: Tom Ravenscroft’s playlist

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Admin

From Sheffield to Tokyo via New York and rural France, the DJ recalls his adventures with friends and family – and the music that accompanied them

We didn’t travel as kids, partly because my dad hated flying and also because it was festival season and his job meant our summer holidays were spent being dragged off to muddy fields. It sounds like I’m complaining. I am a bit. This was long before it was commonplace to see kids at festival: we got cold, and drunk people pointed at us. On the odd occasion we went on “holiday”, we were squashed into a car and driven around Europe with seemingly no real destination. We once drove all the way to Germany to see where our lawnmower was made. The only joy in these journeys were the mixtapes my dad would spend weeks painstakingly preparing for the journey. A few records for the kids and lots for him. Lonnie Donegan was one of the few tracks on there we all loved. Many years later we got to see him play the Glastonbury festival. I stood in awe. He did a weird amount of encores, double figures.

10 inspiring hobbies taken up by readers during lockdown

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Admin

Using Shakespeare plays, mum’s cooking and even Lego as inspiration, our tipsters – and their kids – have discovered ingenious ways not just of de-stressing, but of feeling more alive

This is about my autistic daughter’s hobby. She’s nine, and since last March has become an avid birdspotter and photographer. It’s been great to be outside finding nature in the city, and to see her thrive and grow, walking to and exploring local parks. She’s now got an amazing mentor – wildlife artist and photographer Alfie Bowen – and has been winning competitions and had her photos published. She told me: “2020 was the best year ever … less stress because of less school, and I could be the person I am meant to be.” What more could a parent ask for?
Emma