Travelling Alone - Page 2
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Cyprus, home of the gods
Although Cyprus is best known for its beaches and for its ancient associations with the goddess Aphrodite, it is also home to a number of fine Byzantine churches, hidden away in the woods and villages of the Troodos mountains, which provide an additional incentive to visit the Med's third largest island.Exploring Egypt from the Nile
With grand pharaonic temples strung along its banks, the father of all rivers is the backbone of Egypt and can boast of having been instrumental for one of the most splendid civilisations of the ancient world. Why not take a cruise along the Nile?Take a gastronomic tour of Lisbon
Discover the gastronomy of Portugal where the finest delicacies of the sea and the land are combined with typical produce such as potatoes and tomatoes in tasty culinary creations that delight the palate. Be tempted by the aromas of cooking on the streets of the capital, enjoy a coffee under the arches of the famous Praça do Comercio or sample the typical sweet cookies of the Belem district.Discover the world of Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi, France
In the pretty pink-hued city of Albi in southern France, birthplace of Toulouse-Lautrec, the biggest museum dedicated to the works of the renowned artists has reopened its doors after an ambitious refurbishment project lasting for 11 years.The 'Titanic' legend lives on in Belfast
This weekend, on the eve of the centenary of the 'Titanic's' fateful maiden voyage, the capital of Northern Ireland launches an exciting visitor centre dedicated entirely to the most famous ship in history. This state-of-the-art interactive experience brings the legend of the great vessel home to the Belfast shipyards where she was built.Getting to the top in Tokyo
The elegance of hi-tech engineering and the pure simplicity of Japanese art come together to reach new heights in the Tokyo Sky Tree, a 634-metre communications tower due to open in May. Tickets to the top are about to go on sale.St Patrick's Day: all the craic in Dublin
March 17th – St Patrick's Day – is a national holiday that is celebrated all around the world. Where better to celebrate, though, than Dublin, where locals and tourists alike will join in the four-day St Patrick's Festival? This exciting, energy-filled event is a great time to explore the Irish capital.LA dreaming
This is Oscar weekend, so let's take a look at the city of LA, a place where anything is possible, where it's even possible to believe such fairytales as the modern-day Cinderella story of 'Pretty Woman'. Welcome to Beverly Hills!On the scent of fine coffee in Colombia
If you're the sort who can't get moving in the morning without a cup of coffee, why not plan a visit to the Colombian Coffee Triangle in the foothills of the Andes and discover just where this magic bean comes from and the traditional techniques that make it the best coffee in the world.Cooking up good memories in Fez
Pastilla, couscous, lemon chicken, lamb tagine... the delights of Moroccan cuisine are many and varied, and culinary guru Lahcen Beqqi is ready to share the secrets with visitors to the medieval city of Fez.Stockholm's 'underground' art gallery
For travellers on the Stockholm Metro, the frustration and boredom of waiting for a train hardly exists: even if there are hold ups in the service, there's plenty to look at, as practically every one of the stations forms part of one of the strangest art museums in Europe.'The Quiet Man' movie trail
Discover the green landscapes of the Emerald Isle and the setting of the endearing love story starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, in which the director John Ford paid tribute to the land of his fathers.Take a healthy break
Spa towns on the edge of the Black Forest, medicinal springs, endless landscapes to explore at your own leisure, luxury health resorts offering all the treatments and therapies in the book... if you're looking for a destination for an R&R break, Germany has it all.Masada, Herod's desert fortress
The scene of scores of biblical stories, home to monks and hermits, symbol of Jewish resistance, location for film and opera... there are reasons aplenty to visit this remarkable isolated mountain in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea. The view from its summit gives things a different perspective.At home with the mountain gorillas
Discover the spectacular scenery of the Virunga Mountains in Equatorial Africa, where the young American, Dian Fossey, studied the vanishing mountain gorillas and fought to protect these gentle giants and their habitat in a legendary story brought to life on the silver screen by Sigourney Weaver.The labyrinthine streets of Carcassonne
Sometimes when you're shooting the screen version of a novel, the best location is quite simply the actual setting of the book. That is clearly what three-time Oscar nominee Ridley Scott thought when he took the crew to Carcassone in the heart of France's Cathar country to shoot a new TV miniseries based on the bestselling novel, 'Labyrinth'.Celebrating an icy centenary
This week marks the centenary of Amundsen's successful expedition to the South Pole, and is the high point of a year of celebration at the other end of the planet, in Norway, homeland to Amundsen and other great explorers.In the land of the hobbits
The beautiful and varied landscapes of New Zealand provided the setting for Peter Jackson's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, one of the most successful film ventures of all time. From the peaceful Shire to the fires of Mordor, locations were found for the magical world of Middle-earth where hobbits, elves, dwarves and wizards live.Beijing's Forbidden City: the kingdom of 'The Last Emperor'
In China, life has changed tremendously. Yet even today to enter the Forbidden City is to be transported back in time to the days of Imperial China, to the magnificence and mystery of the ancestors of Pu Yi, the last emperor of the Asian giant, who abdicated a century ago.Huka Lodge, riverside elegance in New Zealand
Since it opened as a hotel in 1924, Huka Lodge has been a paradise for fishermen and other sportsmen, a haven where peace and tranquillity reign.Treasure islands in the Andaman Sea
The islands themselves are practically hidden among mangroves and rainforest, but the coastlines of dazzling white coral sands lapped by turquoise waters are the perfect setting for pirates to have buried their treasure chests long ago. In fact, the real jewels and gems are the lesser known islands that lie off the south western coast of Thailand.Gijon: a modern shopping mecca
While Catalonia is widely thought of as cosmopolitan, Spain's Asturias region is better known for farm produce than for its cutting-edge design. All this is changing, though, and Gijon (pronounced he-hon, with two very guttural 'h' sounds), on the country's north coast is making a name for itself as a modern shopping mecca with chic clothes and accessories shops, often managed by the designers themselves.Verdi's 'Aida' echoes around the Judean desert
Good opera is a marvellous spectacle wherever it is performed. But to witness a performance of Verdi's Aida at the foot of Masada, the ancient desert fortress, must be a truly unforgettable experience. And that's what's in store in the desert of Judea in June of this year.Take a Polar anniversary cruise
Why not set sail on an Arctic cruise this year, as Norway celebrates two important anniversaries of the great age of Polar exploration?