The Cumberland exit of the Bay subway stop (Bloor line) puts you right in the center of Yorkville West Queen West Art & Design District As artists move farther west on Queen Street to more affordable quarters between Bathurst Street and Gladstone Avenue, so too do the independent and experimental art galleries and the clothing … Read more
The ITC Grand Chola sets a new benchmark in luxury. We got a first look. Don’t be confused: regular visitors to Chennai will know the name Chola from as far back as 35 years ago, but that hotel has since been rebranded (it’s now known as My Fortune, Chennai). Meanwhile the highly-awaited ITC Grand Chola … Read more
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu The venerated Real Madrid football club celebrated its centenary in 2002, although this 75,000 seater stadium was not completed until 1946. It is named after Santiago Bernabéu, the club president who brought the team five successive European championships in the 1950s. This success has continued – in 1998 FIFA, soccer’s world governing … Read more
Most live music venues are licensed bars and entrance is limited to those 19 years and older, unless an event is specifically all-ages Crush Just as diners are ordering dessert, the lights are dimmed and the music turned up, officially ushering in the night to this restaurant and wine bar. A terrific selection of wines, … Read more
Take the Grandeur of Gandhi tour with Gujarat Tourism for a peek into the Mahatma’s lifestyle Take the Grandeur of Gandhi tour with Gujarat Tourism for a peek into the Mahatma’s lifestyle Gujarat is a land with vibrant scenery, rich culture and delicious food. From pristine beaches and breathtaking hill stations to heritage monuments and … Read more
Beijing Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant Lots of restaurants specialize in Beijing’s most famous dish, and debate rages endlessly over who serves the best fowl. This place is less over-blown and over-priced than many of its rivals, and for that it gets our vote . Beijing Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant Preparing Beijing duck Guizhou Luo Luo … Read more
Boston Duck Tours Board a refurbished, World War II era, amphibious vehicle that plies the Charles River waters as smoothly as it navigates Back Bay streets. This historic tour encompasses all the peninsula and is conducted by courteous drivers and informative, entertaining guides who are great at keeping kids engaged. Prudential Center and Museum of … Read more
Top athletes feature in an Olympic countdown portrait tour Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II at National Portrait Gallery, London As part of the 2012 countdown to the London Olympics the National Portrait Gallery and BT will be showing over 30 stunning printed panels in major UK cities. The 30 panels will tour the country this … Read more
Tea being poured in a Beijing restaurant Check the local press for details of cooking classes Beijing duck The best-known dish in north Chinese cuisine. The duck, a local Beijing variety, is dried and brushed with a sweet marinade before being roasted over fragrant wood chips. It is carved by the chef and eaten wrapped … Read more
People-watching on Boston Common Corralled by bustling, commercial Tremont Street, stately Beacon Street, and genteel Charles Street, Boston Common lies at the confluence of three disparate worlds. Whatever the season, a stroll through the common yields a veritable cross section of the city’s residents. People-watching in the Public Garden Pilgrimage to Revere Beach The first … Read more
Ronnie Scott’s This legendary London jazz club was opened by saxophonist Ronnie Scott (1929–96) in 1959. Intimate lamplit tables surround a tiny stage that has hosted such stars as Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, and continues to attract top names . Ronnie Scott’s jazz club 100 Club Atmospheric jazz and blues dive that stays open … Read more
State Street A slew of chain stores line this legendary street , but it’s the two old-time department stores that make it unique. The former Marshall Field’s, now Macy’s, here since 1907, has merchandise to satisfy every wealthy woman’s needs. At Filene’s Basement the prices are lower, but the variety is still extensive . State … Read more
Nuit Blanches Paris held its first Nuit Blanche in 2002 and the all-night contemporary art event now attracts more than 1,500,000 people each year. Its goal is to give a fresh perspective on Paris with installations and exhibitions in several different neighbourhoods, and to make contemporary art more accessible to all. First weekend Oct Fête … Read more
Royal Opera House One of the greatest opera houses in the world, this theatre is home to the Royal Ballet Company, and hosts international opera productions. Apart from the sumptuous main auditorium, there are the smaller Lindberg and Clore theatres which have music and dance. There are regular backstage tours and occasional big-screen live simulcasts … Read more
Unless otherwise stated, all attractions have Disabled Access. Chicago Children’s Museum The engrossing, imaginative exhibits here emphasize doing – be it digging up a dinosaur bone or designing a water channel. A central, three-story rope tunnel immediately snares the attention of older visitors, though there are age-appropriate attractions for infants to pre-teens. If this place … Read more
Flower and Bird Markets Dating from 1808, the colourful Marché aux Fleurs (flower market) on the Ile de la Cité is the oldest and one of the largest flower markets in Paris. Its blooms brighten up the area between the stark walls of the Conciergerie and Hôtel Dieu from Monday to Saturday – everything from … Read more
Großer Wannsee Wannsee has long been a popular destination for Berliners, and it is well worth visiting Strandbad Wannsee. Europe’s largest inland beach, it attracts some 40,000 visitors a day who sunbathe on its beautifully white, artificial beach and swim in the lake. This is also a great place for people-watching, and in the summer … Read more
Munich no longer has a closing time for bars; many stay open until 3am or later. Several museums feature attractive cafés, including the Glyptothek, the Kunsthalle (Hypo Kulturstiftung), and the Lenbachhaus. Schumann’s Munich’s top bar since 1982, now in a new location on the Hofgarten. Most tables are reserved for regulars, so be sure to … Read more
It was my dawn horizon for nearly a year: a craggy shadow meandering across a west-coast sky. For the first BBC Two series of Great Escape in 2008, my home was an old cattle shed on a beach, close to the village of Applecross in Wester Ross. Each morning I would collect rainwater (never in … Read more
Deutsches Technikmuseum The technology museum is a giant playground for children, excellent for learning through play. There are locomotives to clamber over, windmills to play with and the exhibition “Spektrum”, where older children can conduct their own physics and chemistry experiments . Deutsches Technikmuseum Labyrinth Kindermuseum Berlin’s Museum for Children is particularly suitable for children … Read more