Author name: Cheryl Lucas

Cheryl Lucas is a writer and editor who specializes in politics, the arts, and things that make the world a better place. Her work has appeared in the Barnard Griffin Newsroom.

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Provence laid bare: ‘I shed my clothes and found freedom on a beautiful French island’

Provence laid bare: ‘I shed my clothes and found freedom on a beautiful French island’

The trail hugs every curve of the cliffside. On my left, the Mediterranean Sea swirls beside craggy rocks, while flowering plants unfurl on my right. A quarter of France’s coast is lined with similar sentiers des douaniers (customs officers’ paths), which were once used to patrol the sea. The difference on this trail is that

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Light at the end of the tunnels: classic rail routes through the Alps reopen

Light at the end of the tunnels: classic rail routes through the Alps reopen

The planning of main rail routes through the Alps was shaped by national ambition and rivalries. The opening of Austria’s Semmering railway in 1854, the Mont Cenis route (also known as Fréjus) between France and Italy in 1871 and Switzerland’s Gotthard tunnel in 1882 defined the broad contours of Alpine railway geography in the late

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Fossils, forests and wild orchids: exploring the white cliffs of Denmark

Fossils, forests and wild orchids: exploring the white cliffs of Denmark

As we sauntered along sun-splashed woodland paths, our knowledgable guide Michael started to explain the links between the local geology and flora. The unusually luminous light green leaves of the beech trees? “That’s due to the lack of magnesium in the chalky soil.” The 18 species of wild orchid that grow here? “That’s the high

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Tell us about a favourite island in Europe – you could win a holiday voucher

Tell us about a favourite island in Europe – you could win a holiday voucher

There’s something endlessly appealing about an island holiday – a chance to escape the rest of the world and kickback in beautiful surrounds. We’d love to hear about your favourite under-the-radar discoveries in the UK and Europe. Whether it was a wild island in an remote Norwegian archipelago or a lesser-known sun-drenched Croatian isle, tell

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The ‘wow’ factor: island hopping and otter spotting on a family break in Shetland

The ‘wow’ factor: island hopping and otter spotting on a family break in Shetland

It takes us 38 hours – two trains, a tube, the Caledonian Sleeper, a day in Aberdeen, a hire car and the NorthLink ferry – to reach Shetland from our home in Oxfordshire, and yet the immortal words “Are we there yet?” are not uttered once. When the ferry docks at Lerwick, the kids, Lydia

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Looking for a seaside town that’s a bit special? Try one of the UK’s best revitalised resorts

Looking for a seaside town that’s a bit special? Try one of the UK’s best revitalised resorts

Llandudno, Conwy Some British resorts are about the beach. In others it’s walking along the prom. The fashionable ones push gastronomy, drink, street art, culture. Others stick to arcades, funfairs, kids’ stuff. Llandudno delivers all of these and a bit more besides – and it does so unpretentiously, warmly and ever so slightly Welshly. My

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Eight storeys beneath Melbourne: first look inside the city's new metro stations – video

Eight storeys beneath Melbourne: first look inside the city's new metro stations – video

Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel is expected to open in late 2025. Described as the most significant overhaul of the city’s transport network since the City Loop opened in the 1980s, the tunnel has been taking shape beneath the city for the past eight years – with the bill ballooning to $14bn. With an eye on the

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