Rooftop Astronomy in London

The Culpeper by Simon Rae, Unsplash

Watch Saturn and Mars in the sky from the rooftop of this Commercial Road building, with a break from stargazing for dinner in the first floor dining room of The Culpeper Kitchen.

I, Claudius and Rome at Home

Aerial photo of Rome taken from the top of the Vatican

If a trip to Rome seems like a distant dream, you may want to spend the week in the company of I, Claudius to get your fix of the ‘Eternal City’ instead.

The Other Paris Collections – Berets

Why are all the straw-woven chairs outside Paris cafes turned outwards, like theatre seats? Because the street is like a theatre, and every day is a fashion blogger’s fantasy – no internet required. Your first day in Paris is the perfect time to see the show, which usually makes Jean-Paul Gaultier look tame. Better still, […]

Wild Swimming for Depression

woman swimming under water

Mark Harper, a doctor at the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, in Britain, believes regular cold-water swimming reduces inflammation, which is associated with ailments from pain to depression. He is a cold-water sea swimmer himself. He believes you may not react as much to stress in daily life, if you swim outdoors regularly.

Paris: Juliette Greco’s Room

Juliette Greco

The Hotel La Louisiane was also the Parisian home of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Chet Baker, Ernest Hemingway, Henry Miller and Louis Malle. Beatnik, Bohemian paradise.

The Virtual Raphael Exhibition

If the shut borders in 2020 didn’t allow you to travel to Rome, the good news is that you can still attend the 2020 Raffaello Exhibition online in 2021 & beyond instead. The Scuderie show, with 120 works by Raphael from all over the world sold 70,000 tickets before travel restrictions kicked in and the […]

Paris: Cheap Hotel Survival

Hotel in Paris photo by Fabien Maurin

Paris is overpriced. That’s a shame because getting there from London is affordable and easy. The hotels above three-star are expensive, which means a shorter stay, and less money for those amazing restaurants. Shame!

London: Best Secondhand Chanel

Retromania

A short walk from Victoria London Underground Station in Pimlico, you will find a charity shop with a difference. Retromania sells secondhand at prices better than eBay and has a wonderful bargain basement.

London: Best Charity Shops for Women

Retromania Manolo Blahnik

How do we define ‘best’ charity shops in a city as big as London? Well, it’s got to be – the most shops, in the nicest place for cafes/bars, in the least picked-over territory, with the wealthiest and most stylish donors.

London: Eating at the British Museum

A group of people are standing in a lobby

There is real magic to be found in the London museum, though – and it’s hidden on the ground floor.

The Court Café, a family-friendly café is great for grabbing a quick bite to eat or a coffee during your Museum visit.

London: Best Cheap Hotels

St. Pancras Station

If you want to be a few minutes away from London’s best train station, – and satisfied with a clean room, somewhere to hang your clothes and a pretty view – then head to any of the cheap hotels which line Argyle Square, near Kings Cross St. Pancras station and its sister, Kings Cross station.