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Exiting the bookstore, Notre Dame rises up in front of you. It’s been closed since the tragic fire in April 2019, and it’s not expected to reopen for another 5 years. You can visit the nearby tourist office and pay your respects or leave a donation for the rebuild. Stop for an excellent ice cream at Berthillon – one of the best ice cream shops in Paris, then head over the river to the impressive Hotel du Ville.
Next, head back onto the left bank of the Seine to the Latin Quarter stopping at Shakespeare & Company bookstore. It’s a small but rambling store with old books crammed into every nook and definitely worth a visit as you’re walking past.
Walk the short distance to the Louvre to immerse yourself in possibly the world’s premier museum and a Paris icon. It’s impossible to see everything in one visit so this guide on what to see in the Louvre is a good starting point. The French & Italian masterpieces are the most popular thanks to a truly world-class collection including the Mona Lisa. Napoleon’s lavish well-preserved apartments are another gem.
Begin with a stroll through the box hedge symmetry and manicured gardens of the Jardin du Palais Royal. It’s surrounded by some of the most beautiful arcades in Paris including Galerie de Montpensier and Galerie Beaujolais. The palace is closed to the public, however, the polka dot art installation is a popular photo spot in Paris.
Start at the North Quarry Car Park (P on the map) and take the trailhead at the southeastern end of the car park towards North Hill. Stick to the higher path as it heads through forest. After passing Ivy Scar rock, turn very sharply right (signed to North Hill) and complete a large zig-zag up the hill. Exiting the trees, join a wide track called the Lady Howard de Walden Drive. Follow it clockwise around North Hill for 90 degrees and then turn left and take the clear trail straight up to the top of Worcestershire Beacon
From here the trail heads south. Take either the sealed path around Summer Hill summit and past Beacon Road Car Park, or the gravel track over the hill and along the top of the ridge until it meets the main B4218. Cross the road and take the path heading up the ridge, keeping the public toilets on your right. The obvious trail now follows the top of the ridge over Perseverance Hill, Jubilee Hill and Pinnacle Hill to the top of Black Hill (2).
Follow the ridge down over another small summit and, meeting a wood, turn right and drop to the road (B4232) behind the Malvern Hills Hotel. Turn left on the road and pass public toilets to reach the large British Camp Car Park
Take the path on the right side of the car park signposted to British Camp (Herefordshire Beacon) and wind your way to the 338-metre summit. Its strange shape is due to the man-made iron age fort that used to command the views of this area.
Having absorbed the vista, head south over Millennium Hill, turn left and zig-zag steeply down before turning right. Stick to the path that keeps the forest closely on your right and after a while the path heads into the trees to Peacock Villa
Now head diagonally left up the hill on the other side until you reach another sealed track. Turn left and follow the track out of the deer park to the main road. The entrance to Eastnor Castle is in front of you and well worth exploring if you have the time.
Turn right on the main road, follow it for 50 meters and then turn left down a narrow track that brings you to Eastnor Church
This walk in the Malvern Hills begins at North Quarry Car Park in Great Malvern. It is one of a number of car parks run by the Malvern Hills Trust. It opens from 6am to 11pm and costs £4.50 for the day. The ticket is transferrable to any other of their car parks.
There are 3 options to get back to the beginning of the walk after you finish in Ledbury.
While wading through the long weeks of lockdown in the waters around Kota Kinabalu, we anchored off the idyllic island of Sepanggar. As usual, the buildings were deserted, there were tourist boats marooned in the sheltered bay and solitary men in beaten up fishing canoes quietly retrieved their small nets.
f you’ve ever had any connection with boats, you’ll know that one of the biggest issues with living on one is the constant equipment failure. It’s the inevitable consequence of living in the corrosive marine environment.
Add termites, tropical heat and humidity into the mix, and you’ll begin to understand why sailors go on about maintenance all the time!
One of the biggest estuaries is where the Tuaran River hits the South China Sea around 15nm from Kota Kinabalu. We were on the lookout as usual, but we’d never seen the sea this colour before. The line between the sea and the river run off was so sharp it could have been drawn with a pencil.
The sails are out and we are sailing and cruising west coast Sabah again!
Sailing days have been few and far between since you-know-what happened… and we are having a great time playing around in the blue, blue water.
"After an enforced hiatus, it's time to take those long-postponed travel plans off the shelf and make them a reality," Tom Hall, Lonely Planet's VP of Experience, said in a statement. "The lists celebrate the world in all its wonderful enticing variety."
The rolling, vineyard-covered hills on the Italian border, the elegant and eco-friendly capital city of Ljubljana, the perfect tranquility of Lake Bled, the snowy valleys in Triglav National Park and the warm waters along the Adriatic coastline — the nation definitely punches way above its weight.
Despite ranking as the smallest continent in terms of size, Europe is arguably the most adventurous and historic continent on earth. Besides the history, the continent is also blessed with lots of beautiful places which feature scenic views, rich culture, and mesmerizing sky colors. These cities, in particular, are so beautiful, they make us want to pack our bags and get on the next flight.
In many ways, the location and the sublime views from Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock, near Stavanger in south-west Norway are irrelevant, because what is important is the journey to get there. It is a hike up an expertly engineered and well-maintained stone staircase that is as much of a marvel as the finale itself.
Paris, Rome, Barcelona... Europe's cities are bucket list destinations, and rightly so. But the continent's small towns are a dream, too, with all the beautiful architecture and much of the culture you'll find in the big hitters, only with fewer crowds to share them with.
Here are some of the prettiest small towns across Europe, from humble fishing towns to hilltop medieval power bases.
CLIMB UP TO THE DOME OF THE PANTEÃO NACIONAL
The striking baroque National Palace was originally built as a church but now houses monuments to the great and the good, linked to the golden era of Portuguese history. Like many landmarks in Lisbon, it pays particular homage to Vasco da Gama, the sea-faring hero who returned fabulous wealth to Portugal.
Climbing the stairs to reach the internal perimeter of the domed roof provides the best view of what 16th-century money can buy. The entrance is lavishly adorned with geometrical marble flooring, plush gold detailing and grand stone columns.
HUNT FOR WEIRD TREASURES AT FEIRA DA LADRA (THIEVES’ MARKET)
At the square beside the National Pantheon, a flea market takes place twice a week (Tue & Sat) which has a reputation for being known as the thief’s market. Despite the appealing stories of the market being stocked to the brim with stolen goods, the name actually comes from ladro referring to a bug found in antiques.
Nonetheless, it’s one of the quirkiest things to do in Lisbon. The market sells everything you will never need: old rotary phones, broken mannequins and pre-loved vinyl. There’s also plenty of handmade crafts, CD’s, military objects and nana’s discarded furniture. Tourist prices tend to sneak in, so practise your best haggling.
WANDER THE CLOISTERS OF SÃO VICENTE DE FORA
The Church of São Vicente de Fora has had a chequered history, including being devastated in the 1755 earthquake. Thoroughly renovated throughout the 17th century, it remains today an exquisite hidden gem, that houses the tombs of many Portuguese Kings. It’s a wonderful thing to do in Lisbon.
The church itself is decent, but the cloisters next door are thoroughly impressive. Lisbon’s story-telling azulejos cover the walls under the protection of white vaulted ceilings. The sacristy walls are covered with intensively elaborate marble designs and intricately painted ceilings.
TAKE IN THE VIEWS FROM SÃO JORGE CASTLE
São Jorge Castle was once a Moorish castle, but subsequent occupiers have altered the building so much that little of its original construction remains. However, as it operated as the Royal Palace from the 13th to the 16th century, it’s lost little of its grandeur.
The most compelling aspect of the castle, however, is the stunning view over the beautiful city. Lisbon’s patchwork of terracotta tiles interrupted only by narrow rambling lanes is a sight to behold.
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