​The Isle of Iona offers a wide spectrum of ancient buildings to explore - from the 11th century Abbey to the burial grounds of the Kings of the Isles. From the ferry port at Fionnphort, on the Isle of Mull, one can see the magnificent Iona Abbey, across the Sound of Iona.It is the Abbey that we came to see – and subsequently discovered that there ...

& Juliet follows in the much-lauded footsteps of Mamma Mia! the so-called ABBA 'jukebox musical' by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. This musical, which is playing to great acclaim in London's West End, is a vehicle for the back catalogue of Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin, who has penned 'some of the most glittering pop anthems of the last...

The Lake District is a region and national park in Cumbria in northwest England. It offers glacial ribbon lakes, rugged fell mountains and historic literary associations. Market towns such as Kendal, Ambleside and Keswick on scenic Derwentwater are bases for exploring the area. The family-owned, Lake District Hotels has a six-property portfolio acr...

Located at the foot of the Dolomites mountain range, in northern Italy, the region of Trentino has been attracting hikers captivated by its peaks for over 150 years. Two British mountaineers, Francis Fox Tuckett and Edward Robson Whitwell, made the first ascent in the Dolomites to Cimon de la Pala (the 'Matterhorn of the Dolomites') in 1870, paving...

I timed my arrival in Tuscany with the jousting festival​ ​The Saracen Joust of Arrezo is held the first Sunday in September every year.  The Parade This is a colorful display of rivalry. Participants represent four quadrants of the town dress in respective colors of green/red, yellow/crimson, white/green, yellow/blue. Each team parades throug...

The Ardennes is a region in southeast Belgium that extends into Luxembourg, Germany and France. Once the scene of fierce battles in both World Wars, its rugged terrain encompasses rolling valleys, meandering rivers, extensive caves and dense forests crisscrossed with hiking paths. The Ardennes area was named for the goddess Arduinna, meaning 'deep ...