Dusk in Tavira is a masterclass in seduction. On my first evening in the Algarve’s most easterly city – just 18 miles from the border with Spain – tangerine skies smudged by pillowy clouds unfurl above the old town, with its jumble of church towers and terracotta roofs. For such a romantic spectacle, the best vantage … Read more
Are you going to be handing over more cash for less Easter egg this year? You’ll need to have your wits about you to bag a bargain – or at least not get ripped off – as the surging cost of cocoa has pushed up the price of popular Easter eggs from many big brands, … Read more
With Birkenstocks and Crocs now ubiquitous, fashion’s ugly shoe trend was in danger of losing its shock factor. So the arrival of Balenciaga’s collaboration with the orthopaedic brand Scholl could not have come a moment too soon. The collection, which launched this week, includes a “Frankenshoe” style that combines the buckle and front strap found … Read more
I spend quite a lot of Easter-time licking chocolate out of my molars, and using every reflective surface to check that my teeth haven’t dissolved. When chocolate is necessary, so is a wine that cleanses the palate, to drink alongside and to complement its flavours. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission … Read more
Growing up in Norway, I had heard a lot about polar exploration, including how Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first person to reach the south pole in 1911. As a child I spent a lot of time outdoors – building bonfires, camping and skiing in the mountains. Aged 14, seven years before my south pole … Read more
A trip to the coast felt in order when the temperature recently suggested that we, the residents of the United Kingdom, have survived another winter. Behold: sunshine, green shoots, cherry blossom, fresh hope and all that good stuff. And, soon, a glut of bank holidays during which we can unveil our factor 50-smeared knees at … Read more
Six years ago, the Royal Horticultural Society drew attention to the escalating challenges faced by independent plant nurseries. Citing pressures such as an ageing customer base, fewer skilled workers and the arrival of new pests and diseases, the gardening charity warned that nurseries – the “lifeblood of gardening in the UK” – were becoming increasingly … Read more
The prosecution: Priya She’s on social media all the time, but she takes for ever to respond to me and I worry we’re losing touch My best friend Mandy is 32 – a millennial like me. She has grown up with her phone and is always on it, but with me she takes hours or … Read more
My husband is on his iPad or his phone a lot. It is the last thing he does before bed and the first thing he reaches for in the morning. We have a toddler and are pretty good at sharing childcare, but the minute I appear after work he gets his iPad out. It grates … Read more
This is my take on the viral sensation originally created by Dubai-based chocolatier Sarah Hamouda, founder of Fix Dessert Chocolatier. Her ingenious bar, filled with crunchy kataifi pastry and a luscious pistachio cream, took the internet by storm with its well-balanced flavour combination and addictive texture. I’ve skipped ready-made pistachio cream in favour of a … Read more