Nobody does Christmas or Christmas markets quite like Germany. So when I asked my friend and expert Nicky for tips on where to find the best, I wasn’t surprised when she recommended Cologne. The largest city in North-Rhine Westphalia may be best known for its imposing Gothic cathedral but, having spent a December weekend there,…
Tag: Galleries
24 hours in Malaga
Malaga has a reputation for being a jumping off point for holidays elsewhere in Andalusia rather than a destination in itself. But it was bonkers when we visited, full of tourists who’d decided it was worth a day or two of their precious vacations. And while it doesn’t have a wealth of things to see,…
A weekend in The Hague
Amsterdam has become all that’s wrong with tourism. It overflows with people, marauding stag and hen parties, drunks, druggies and sex tourists. The seat of government in The Netherlands, The Hague, couldn’t be more different. It’s nowhere near as busy, is elegant and cultured and an absolute pleasure to explore. We were there for little…
Beit Beirut and the buildings of war
The speed with which Beirut is being rebuilt suggests that some Lebanese want to wipe out the memory of civil war. Others see the blanking out of the past as a mistake and are fighting to keep it alive. But as the experience of Beit Beirut shows, it’s an uphill struggle. Beit Beirut is the…
Dusseldorf: Art, museums and memorials
Dusseldorf may not be one of Germany’s picture postcard cities but it’s only an hour’s hop by air from London and has a festive Christmas market to brighten those depressing December days. Our base for a weekend break was the modern and comfortable Melia on the edge of the park known as the Hofgarten, a short…