The Pleasure Of Single Vineyard Cognac From HINE’s Domaines Bonneuil

Four European countries now have the world’s most powerful passports.

The world's most powerful passports for 2024 have been revealed — with the biggest shake-up in rankings we've seen in several years, including a never-before-seen six nations in first place.

Over the last five years, the world has changed a lot. A global pandemic ground much of the global population to a halt with travel the most restricted it's ever been in my lifetime – and most likely yours too. Russia’s war on Ukraine and now Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza are causing shockwaves around the world, reshaping the statuses of countries and the rights of their citizens.

From our knees down it’s almost impossible to tell where our legs end and our trainers begin. A thick crust of oozing river mud is glued to our shins and smothers our shoes. Our skin fizzes and tingles from the spiteful attention of hundreds of nettles enjoying their last hurrah as winter approaches. But if you panned up from the battlefield of those middle-aged legs to the sweat-streaked faces above, you’d find something you might not expect: laughter, excitement and a deranged look about the eyes.

China will now be entering into a reciprocal agreement with Thailand for permanent waiver of visa requirements for citizens of the two countries from March onwards.

Filmmaker. Academy Award Winner. Knight. Sir Ridley Scott is not short on titles; and now, the Napoleon director can also add hotelier to the list with Mas des Infermières, a historic winery and vineyard with vacation residences in the heart of Provence, France. Owned and operated by Scott and his family, this charming Luberon address sits on the fringes of the medieval hilltop village of Oppède-le-Vieux and has been in the Scott family for over 30 years. The estate’s first independent vintage was recently released in 2020.

From Venice to Athens, Europe’s most popular destinations are buckling under the weight of unsustainable tourist numbers.

From Venice to Maryland, celebrate the holidays and ring in the new year with these timeless holiday cocktails from hotels and resorts around the world. Celebrate 2024 with some vintage coupe glasses, Yarai mixing glasses and cafe mugs to give the spirit a kick this New Year’s Eve.

From Napa Valley to Piedmont, Italy, sommeliers from around the U.S. teamed up to take you on a sensory journey to lands near and far.

There's no waffling about Belgium's baking heritage: waffles have a special place in the country's heart. In fact, the words "Belgium" and "waffle" are as synonymous as "France" and "baguette".

A new attraction: The Tower of Numérobis, a brand-new musical: C’EST DU DÉLIRE!, new characters, a new float for the Gaulish Parade… for 2024, Parc Astérix has a whole host of new attractions to surprise its visitors as it celebrates its 35th anniversary. C’EST DU DÉLIRE ! THE FIRST EVER GAULISH MUSICAL

From rubbish comes rhythm, trash turned into tunes. At La Halle de la Machine in Toulouse, I watch Ignacio Herrero, one of La Halle’s staff members, make music out of recycled bits of junk. This hangar-like space in the southern district of Montaudran is best known as the home for the giant animatronic Minotaur Asterion and its equally enormous spider companion Ariane. However, exhibits demonstrated by staff also include a makeshift orchestra: old klaxons turned into an organ, a huge pinwheel of abandoned guitars, a cascade of battered drum cymbals, an accordion powered by a contraption that in a previous life operated windscreen wipers. The ingenuity, innovation and whimsy of it all are enchanting – music and engineering harmoniously coming together in a way that would have had Heath Robinson bursting into song.