Author name: Cheryl Lucas

This autumn, the dreamy, subconscious world of surrealism will come into full focus. September 2024 marks 100 years since André Breton founded the movement. Not only are there exhibitions across Europe to celebrate the anniversary but, from Mallorca to Sussex and Rome, it’s a chance to lose yourself in the artists’ homes and studios. Dalí, […]

Genoa, Italy Saying Genoa has a lot of palaces is like saying Venice is full of canals. Still, they are one of the defining features of a city that has one of the biggest old towns in Europe, ideal for exploring on warm autumn days. More than 100 Renaissance and baroque palaces are still standing,

Ligurian charm, Italy The town of San Remo on the Ligurian coast, between Genoa and Nice, has the air of a faded grand old lady, a little bit down on her luck but with plenty of dash still on offer. Blessed with the most enticing and charming streets of a medieval old town that meanders

The sign on the gate states “Private. No access.” We ignore it and follow a path past a Georgian manor house, its white walls glowing pink in the early evening light. It appears to be empty but as we tiptoe past the large sash windows, I have the uneasy sensation of trespassing. To the far

There was a joke doing the rounds when I was first visiting the Outer Hebrides more than three decades ago. On the flight to Stornoway, halfway across the Minch, the pilot makes an announcement: “We will shortly be arriving on the Isle of Lewis. Don’t forget to turn your watches back two … hundred years.”

I first learned about the Écrins national park in relation to a specific nature reserve within it. The réserve intégrale du Lauvitel was established in 1995 to “monitor the natural dynamics of ecosystems” with all human influence removed. This so-called wilderness area was one of the first of its kind in Europe. A video showed