Artists in the French Riviera Our sadly incomplete collection of the French Riviera on canvas from Cagnes-sur-Mer Many of the 20th century’s most famous painters spent some time – occasionally the most fruitful years of their lives – on the French Riviera. On good, sunny and clear days, of which there are many, the whole…
The day when the Easy Hikers came to imbibe the spirit of European unity in Aachen When the weather is cold and wet, as it was for the Christmas season in Germany, only the most intrepid dare to defy the elements out on the trails in the countryside. Easy Hikers, meanwhile, retreat to the smallest…
Our outtakes of the year Now is the season for all of us to make resolutions for the next year, and this is ours: to provide you with even better, more truthful and more accurate reports from our travels. This, of course, implies a confession of sorts, and we must come clean: yes, we did…
Aristotle, Train Stations and the Romance of Travel Christmas may not be the best time of the year for hiking, but it is surely perfect for reading about it: so much time on your hands, so few incentives to step out your front door (with either the rain pouring down in buckets or the temperature…
Happy Italian families, sunshine and local delicacies combine for a perfect winter walk on the Mediterranean Winter walks very much have their own logic: a successful outdoor experience between December and February requires more careful thinking than a journey at any time of the year, even in the relatively mild and balmy climate of the…
Guest Post by Chris Beattie For survival on a wintry hike, even for one day, you need the right tools. No self-respecting hiker would set off into the wilderness ill-equipped because nature and the weather tend to be highly unpredictable. Here are some of the key items you’ll need, and some you’ll just want for…
A Côte d’Azur gem and something to do outdoors during the “rainy season” on the French Riviera Normally, we are spoilt by the weather in our part of the world, but for the past six weeks, it has been raining and raining. And just when it felt that the worst was finally over, somebody up…
Following in the footsteps of Soviet town planners, teetotal socialists, Quakers, silly old men in skin-tight trousers and – perhaps – even Vladimir Ilyich Lenin to the first garden city in the UK. It may be difficult to believe, but Letchworth Garden City, nowadays a well-heeled country town on the edge of North London’s commuter…
by Mrs Easy Hiker Perhaps it is because we are under the charms of Liguria (the nearest Italian region neighbouring Menton where we now reside) and lived along the stairways of Montmartre for more than 20 years, that the sight of the stairways of Valletta gave us a tug of familiarity. There is definitely an…
London’s extensive canal network is a haven for nature lovers – and often just a single stairway down from the city’s hustle and bustle One of the best things about London is that you don’t have to leave the city to do some serious walking. The West End is virtually surrounded by the leftovers from…