Battersea Power Station: The Beached Whale Has Come Back to Life
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Battersea Power Station: The Beached Whale Has Come Back to Life

For this post, our last before the holidays, I wanted to fulfill as many Christmas wishes as I possibly could. Which meant that, since I had no idea what anyone of you might want me to write about, there was only a single Christmas wish that I positively knew I could fulfill, which was my…

To Dare is To Duesseldorf
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To Dare is To Duesseldorf

Rivalries between cities are always about more than mere topographical proximity, although physical closeness is of course a necessary ingredient. But so are envy and mutual resentment. Rivalries typically develop between cities when one of the two is bigger and the other just big enough to convince itself that it plays in the same league….

The Discreet Charm of the Chateau des Terrasses
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The Discreet Charm of the Chateau des Terrasses

The showcase gardens of the Riviera fall into two categories: for drama and excitement, you can visit gardens like the Giardini Hanbury near Ventimiglia or Menton’s Val Rahmeh, which were conceived for maximum effect on the grandest of theatrical scales. But on the local tourist board’s shortlist of famous Jardins de la Cote d’Azur, you…

A Taste of the Veneto on the Outskirts of Vicenza
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A Taste of the Veneto on the Outskirts of Vicenza

Beautiful provincial cities may be the true treasure of Italy, but the country’s beautiful landscapes are at least as attractive. The Veneto – rolling hills and scenic rivers wedged in between the Alps and the Adriatic coast – is near the top in the list of Italy’s most picturesque regions, and it would be a…

The Beauty of Vicenza, Palladian and Otherwise
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The Beauty of Vicenza, Palladian and Otherwise

Beautiful provincial towns are Italy’s true treasure. Almost every country in Europe has one or two Grade 1 tourist attractions, but only Italy can tempt visitors with a seemingly endless list of Grade B sites, all of which merit a long weekend if not, perhaps, a full-length holiday. Vicenza is another of these hidden gems…