Wanderlust

Provence typically conjures up images of rolling green hills, endless rows of lavender fields and honey-stone hilltop villages, but in reality this area is much wilder than you might think. Its setting lies in the south-eastern corner of France, better known as the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azure region, which is one of the country’s most diverse areas: a place where you can be rubbing shoulders with the glitterati in Cannes one day and scaling limestone peaks or skiing in the mountains the next. The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department is where this landscape shifts up a gear, revealing an increasingly steep terrain until it meets the jagged band of snowy summits that make up the southernmost portion of the French Alps. This topography is heaven for adventurers, with all kinds of thrills on the menu, from hiking and rafting to cycling, canyoning and, of course, mountaineering.

Like so many before me, I was drawn to St Davids – on Pembrokeshire’s westernmost tip – by tales of its saints and its history; in particular, the purple-hued cathedral that once made this a bustling centre for medieval pilgrims. Back in the 12th century, it was decreed by Pope Callixtus II that two pilgrimages to St Davids were worth the equivalent of a single journey to Rome; three, it was said, were equal to visiting Jerusalem. Even back then, this tiny Welsh city had a knack for offering up low-carbon alternatives.

Ask most people living on the western bank of the River Mersey estuary where they’re from and they’ll tell you Liverpool. It’s easier that way. It’s a world-renowned city famous for musical exports and football heritage – everyone knows it. But they’re lying. What they really want to say is that they’re from the Wirral. Any mention of it, though, is met with a puzzled look. Nobody really knows about the Wirral, you see.

From Bilbao to Barcelona, Málaga to Madrid, Pablo Picasso may have lived his adult life in France, but his early years in Spain are considered some of his most pivotal. The 8 April 2023 marks 50 years since the Málaga-born artist's death, so cities across the country are celebrating his life with a series of exhibitions: each one observing how Picasso was influenced by the places he lived, studied and worked. 

Summer is in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning more people are heading for Europe to make the most of the continent in the glorious weather. There's nothing wrong with that, but when considering your last-minute getaway during high season, we want to encourage you to think outside the box.