Europe
The Swan Hellenic Gastronomic Atlantic Voyage
And that is Swan Hellenic’s secret - along with excellent service from Mauricio Dos Santos’ team, to complement the fabulous food and wine. On shore during one excursion, we dined at a château hotel where everything was polished and precise, but as one fellow guest murmured, almost guiltily, “the food on board is better.”
Winter activities in Sälen, Sweden
Sälen, in the western part of Dalarna, central Sweden, is a winter wonderland with the most extensive skiing area in Northern Europe. The landscape is dramatic, with forests, mountains, and frozen lakes. If you don't ski, there are a host of other activities to enjoy and things to experience in this beautiful mountain area situated near the border with Norway, close to the Scandinavian Mountains Airport.
Snowsure skiing in Sälen, Dalarna, Sweden
For skiers seeking a fresh destination, Sweden offers a compelling alternative. In Dalarna, Sweden, Sälen boasts the largest ski area in Northern Europe, spanning five interconnected resorts. From vast slopes to a uniquely Scandinavian atmosphere, here’s why Sälen deserves a spot on your winter itinerary and why you should consider skiing in Sälen.
Discover Sweden’s Divine Dalarna
Take a train from Stockholm’s central station and within an easy two and a half hours’ journey time, you’ll arrive in Sweden’s heartland, Dalarna (The Dales). Stretching from Avesta in the south to the Norwegian border, 350 kilometres north, this beautiful region offers the opportunity to discover the essence of Sweden and the source of much of the country’s global appeal.
What to see and eat in Palermo
Palermo boasts natural beauty, situated between the sea and the mountains, with magnificent Baroque architecture, mosaics unlike any I’ve seen in Sicily, a plethora of museums, vibrant street life, and, of course, excellent food. With only two days in the city, you will need to pack in a fair amount. Here are my top five picks for churches and museums to visit, along with some great places to eat.
Casa Almagro by The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts Madrid
I’ve learned that where you stay matters. It’s the difference between merely visiting a city and feeling, however briefly, like you belong to it. Enter Casa Almagro by The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts Madrid, a stay that feels like being handed the keys to someone’s artfully designed, impeccably located townhouse
Brach Madrid Restaurant And Bar
The first clue that Brach Madrid isn’t your average hotel restaurant comes not from the opulent Philippe Starck interiors or the postcard-perfect Gran Vía setting, but from the scent drifting through the open kitchen - a heady swirl of za’atar, garlic, and slow-roasted aubergine. Visiting from London, I’d expected polish and theatrical flair (this is a five-star hotel, after all), but what I found was something far more intriguing: a restaurant that crackles with personality.
NH Collection Madrid Palacio de Tepa
If your idea of a stay in Madrid involves shopping, bar hopping to sample wonderful tapas, sherries, vermouths and sangria, then it is to the literary quarter, the Barrio de las Letras, that you should head. And it is in the centre of this historic area, which evolved from farmland to become home for many Spanish literary giants, that the Madrid NH Collection Madrid Palacio de Tepa is situated.
Discover Madrid on a Cultural City Break
Unlike Barcelona, Venice, Florence, Rome, Paris, Porto, Prague, Amsterdam, Berlin, and many more, Madrid isn’t high on many people’s priority list. If, like me, you haven’t spent time in the city, then it's one you should consider.
