A Roman holiday… with snow and kids February 12, 2012 A LONG, long time ago, in a life far, far away, there was a young couple. Blissful, carefree, and most importantly childfree, they went on a romantic city break to Rome. They spent most of it in a bar, giggling at a sign: “Never mind the Trevi, come for a bevy”, and the rest of [...]
HALLOWEEN TRICKS AND TREATS | HELENA LEE October 27, 2011 • Experience Cinema Spook yourself with horror film classics (the Exorcist, the Blair Witch Project, Halloween) screened inside a church. Runs from today until 31 October. The Round Chapel, Hackney. www.experiencecinema.com • Clapham Party Store Need Halloween fancy dress? Pop down to the much loved store, which has reopened after it was burned down during [...]
HALLOWEEN TRICKS AND TREATS | HELENA LEE October 27, 2011 • Experience Cinema Spook yourself with horror film classics (the Exorcist, the Blair Witch Project, Halloween) screened inside a church. Runs from today until 31 October. The Round Chapel, Hackney. www.experiencecinema.com • Clapham Party Store Need Halloween fancy dress? Pop down to the much loved store, which has reopened after it was burned down during [...]
Sun, flowers and history in Corsica August 14, 2011 THE blue Corsican sky rained men as we breakfasted on warm baguettes and chestnut flavoured honey on the terrace of our villa overlooking the bay of Calvi on the island’s north-west coast. As they leapt from their plane the parachutists from the nearby Foreign Legion base distracted us from another arresting sight – Calvi’s ancient [...]
Ancient and modern wonders July 3, 2011 THE Eternal City has had a 21st-century makeover. In the last few years, daring new architect-designed buildings have been springing up, while workmen sing along to Tony Bennett: “The glory that was Rome/Is of another day.” The Auditorium Parco della Musica was created by Renzo Piano, and took 12 years to build. The American architect [...]
TOP FIVE DRIVES December 7, 2010 THE NÜRBURGRING Sooner or later any sports car owner that knows his stuff is going to want to take his car for a spin around the Nürburgring, the German race track generally considered to be the toughest and most dangerous race circuit in the world. The Nürburgring remains the benchmark by which car manufacturers measure [...]
Bewitching homes for beautiful living October 28, 2010 WHILE few sane people would relish the idea of cohabiting with a ghost or other supernatural presence, Britain is an old country and has its fair share — perhaps more than its fair share — of spooky residences. We have more graveyards than you can shake a stick at, and plenty of people have died [...]
Grape escapes: make the vineyard dream come true July 29, 2010 I’D guess that at some point in your career in the City you’ve sat back and daydreamed about a life outdoors, working the land, relaxing at sunset on a terrace overlooking your vines and sipping the product of your labour. Vineyard properties are among the most magical, particularly those in the well-known grape regions of [...]
Go back to school… this time in style July 8, 2010 ESTATE agents love taking on “conversions” – it allows them to market the “authenticity” of a property. But what does a conversion actually offer buyers? One of the advantages, says Anup Pankhania of Jaspar Group, a property conversions business, is that “you’ve got a spectacular spaces you’d never get anywhere else”. He’s referring to features [...]
Tequila’s birthplace gives the drink a whole new spin… July 4, 2010 I’M drinking Tequila for the first time in years, as fingers of blazing Mexican sun poke down between the swaying branches of a shady tree. I can’t quite believe that I’m sipping firewater on the lawn outside a picture postcard 150 year-old hacienda – a Mexican manor house – as I eat a splendid lunch [...]