Places to visit

History and holidays in Lindos, Greece

Places to visit
Motorised vehicles don’t operate in central Lindos. That isn’t the result of some fashionable, recently introduced ecotourism masterplan aimed at emphasising the sustainable credentials of the Rhodian fishing village. The twisting alleyways were laid out long ago and are simply too narrow for cars.

Horse racing at Royal Ascot

Places to visit
Mention Ascot and images of gentlemen wearing top hats and elegantly dressed ladies are conjured into most people’s heads. The small town 30 miles west of central London - and a short hop from Heathrow - is synonymous with scenes from the annual Royal Ascot race meeting.

Reasons to visit Edinburgh Castle

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Places to visit
After a brief look around I head next door to view the Honours of Scotland, the country’s crown jewels. First used together for the coronation of Mary Queen of Scots in 1543, the shining sceptre, crown and other symbol-laden artefacts are displayed behind heavy-looking security glass. King Charles II was the last monarch to be crowned using the Honours of Scotland.

Top things to do in Alnwick, Northumberland

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Places to visit
Beautifully landscaped, The Alnwick Garden was created by the Duchess of Northumberland. Highlights include a cascading fountain, a vast treehouse and the world’s largest orchard of Japanese Taihaku — flowering cherry trees. Typically, the cherry trees in Alnwick blossom in late-April or early-May.

Local tips on things to do in Riga

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Places to visit
Spilve Airport, Riga’s old air hub, is one site that most people skip. It’s one of Riga’s hidden gems. The architecture from inside, the Soviet-era murals, is something different. You have to see it to believe it. The main mural shows Latvia people in traditional costumes along with Soviet flags.

Going naked at a sauna in Germany

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Places to visit
Naïvely, I’d imagined that there’d probably be a nude sauna, for those who were into that sort of thing, plus an area where people continued to wear their swimming costumes. The part with people in swimwear would be where I'd spent my time. I’d searched but that bit didn’t exist.