Europe

This whimsical city houses ornate palaces, gargantuan monasteries, and a patchwork of pastel hues in its cobbled streets, alleys and boulevards. Lemon, peach and pink renovated grand buildings sit side by side with crumbling hulks of dilapidated aristocratic housing. Trees and bushes sprout from decaying rooftops and modern boulevards intersect …

A dilapidated sign hangs above a seemingly derelict shopfront. The ‘Washhouse’ languishes in a dingy backstreet and is deliberately hard to find. No shiny advertising plaques alert you to its presence, no neon lights or pumping music. In fact, the only indication that this may not be what it seems …

The city of Alcobaça makes a great base for exploring some of the glorious UNESCO Portuguese world heritage sites in the heart of Portugal. On our recent visit, we stayed at the Real Abadia Hotel Spa complex just 3km out of town. It made for the perfect base, set in …

In the undulating hills above Alcobaça is a hotel and spa ideal for those seeking escape from the hustle and bustle. The Real Abadia Hotel is just 75 minutes from Lisbon and a few minutes drive to the quaint town to Alcobaça. From the Real Abadia Hotel, you can enjoy …

My feet are hanging over the edge of a bright purple plane 15,000 feet above the Cambridgeshire countryside. An involuntary scream accompanies our exit from the plane as my instructor and I plummet towards the earth at breakneck speed. I’m clinging on to my harness for dear life, as though …