Cortijo Balzain Casas Rurales (3 Key Rating) May 3, 2011 Rustic is the word for this country resort in the Sierra Nevada National Park – and we mean that in the most complimentary way. A collection of nine self catering cottages plus a farmhouse for up to 31 people, this traditional complex is just delightful. The beautifully restored 17th century buildings have retained all their [...]
Where the scenery is matched by the history Into the heart of Spain’s most captivating region May 2, 2011 YOU don’t have to head far out of Malaga airport to see the pernicious influence of British tourism on the Spanish coastal landscape, where the piled-up encrustations of holiday homes, apartment blocks and bargain hotels cling to the coastline like guano on a cliff face. Head past Marbella and turn inland, however, and it’s a [...]
THINK ROOMS… with LateRooms.com May 2, 2011 FUERTE GRAZALEMA 4* Baldío de los Alamillos|Carretera A-372 | Km 53|Grazalema |11610 Surround yourself with the beautiful Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park at this lovely rural hotel. Nature lovers will adore being out in the countryside here, with so much to see and do. And if you’ve filled your day with outdoor activities, Fuerte Grazalema [...]
TRAVEL NOTES May 2, 2011 DISCOVER THE BALKANS The historical and cultural richess of the Balkans may have been shrouded by darker shadows in recent decades, but they are increasingly on the agenda for inquisitive travellers. Cultural specialist tour operator The Traveller offers several fascinating trips to the region, each guided by an expert lecturer, of which the pick could [...]
Taking the big ideas to infinity and beyond April 27, 2011 VOTING systems, Socrates, gravity, time, sex. What do these have in common? Physics, of course. More specifically, certain ideas about science, humanity and progress flowing from the mega-brain of David Deutsch, the Oxford physicist who pioneered the field of quantum computing, and wrote the 1997 cult favourite, The Fabric of Reality. Certainly, without a deep [...]
OUT OF OFFICE: ROYAL WEDDING SPECIAL April 27, 2011 If you’re keen to get in the spirit of the royal nuptials but still haven’t decided how or where, here’s a few places getting in the spirit. The Narrow,Gordon Ramsay’s riverside pub overlooking the entrance to Limehouse Basin is holding a “BBQ and Bunting” party from midday onwards, with a menu including blasts from the [...]
It’s time to uncork a bottle of bubbly or ten April 27, 2011 NO doubt there’ll be rather a few champagne glasses being clinked around the country tomorrow. One of the more predictable aspects of attending a good wedding is the certainty of a pulsating champagne hangover the next day, and this time that applies to street parties, garden parties, pub gatherings and all the other get-togethers taking [...]
The suit that every man should wear to a wedding April 27, 2011 DAVID Cameron’s apparent change of heart regarding the wearing of a morning suit to the royal wedding tomorrow may mean he won’t have to stick out like a sore thumb – or a sorely misadvised PM, at any rate – among all the other appropriately-attired guests. But it’s also an endorsement of a uniform that [...]
Rough with the smooth April 26, 2011 THE drive for good fuel economy usually puts a dampener on fun, with one almost always coming at the cost of the other. If you’ve driven a Mini you’ll know that the Cooper S is an exciting drive. The problem is the minute you hammer one around the Kent countryside then the fuel economy tanks. [...]
CAR TALK April 26, 2011 JAGUAR BEEFS UP THE 2012 XF Jaguar has shown its new, revamped 2012 XF at the New York Auto Show. The car gets a new fresh look with slimmer headlights, a more powerful-looking bonnet and a larger, more upright grille. A new 2.2-litre, four-cylinder 188bhp diesel engine, capable of 0-60mph in a time of 8.0secs, [...]