It felt like a classic British beach outing, but with more reliable weather. Toting umbrella, towels, sun cream, water and a cool-box picnic, my husband, son and I turned our backs on the marina in Porto Palo, near Menfi in south-west Sicily, and walked west. About 10 minutes on a narrow signposted coastal path brought … Read more
In Great Yarmouth there are some signs of regeneration: the vast glass palace of the Winter Gardens is being refurbished and the ornate Cafe 1903 next to the historic Hippodrome is busy. But the bustling tourist industry of the Edwardian era is long gone. “When Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show came in 1903, the tent … Read more
Imagine a cheeseboard in a tart, but one you can have as a main course rather than having to wait for pudding: that’s the brief I set for myself when I was thinking about today’s recipe. First, I needed an excellent cheese, which is where the sweet, tangy dolcelatte comes in. Then something crisp and … Read more
Even the best-laid holiday plans can go awry. Illness, bereavements, break-ups, money problems, redundancy, pregnancy, jury duty, floods – all of these can throw a getaway into disarray. But while you may miss out on a break in the sun or relaxing city break, you do not necessarily have to lose all of your money … Read more
“When I started out 10 years ago, only three of the makers here were even in business,” says Felix Nash, gesturing to the reams of golden bottles that line the shelves of his shop. I’m at the Fine Cider Company in London Fields, east London, with its founder, having arrived with the hope of lapping … Read more
Winning tip: a beach backed by a waterfall in Pelion, Greece While staying on the northern Pelion peninsula in Greece we made our way by foot along the coast path to Paralia Fakistra beach, which is only accessible via a walk in from local villages along the coast. The white pebble beach is backed by … Read more
I recognise myself to be very contrarian, to the point of reacting in this fashion in every situation, regardless of what it is. How can I change this? Eleanor says: It sounds as though there’s a gap between what you want to do and what you do. You can see you’re being contrarian, you want … Read more
I’ve always had the gift and the curse of an overactive sense of foresight. It means I’m good at planning things, but maybe quite anxiety-inducing to be around. This week’s column is very much the product of both, but I’ve been encouraged to write it by having near-identical requests from friends arrive at the same … Read more
Brentford, London This home is sure to get the Bees fans buzzing. Part of the wider redevelopment of Brentford, the Kew Bridge Rise complex sits right by the Gtech Community stadium. It consists of five main towers, with 441 one- and two-bedroom apartments. There are a handful for sale in Wren House. This flat has … Read more
What is the secret to happiness? In a 2004 Ted Talk, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi boldly claimed to have the answer: flow. Flow is the experience of being completely absorbed in a particular task. Sometimes we call it being “in the zone”. Csikszentmihalyi described it in his Ted Talk as an “effortless, spontaneous feeling” and an … Read more