Racing tips

On a blustery December morning, I made my way through the small Swedish town of Torsby near the Norwegian border. I had arrived well past midnight that same morning into a shadowy -13C winter wonderland. Now, snow crystals crunched under my feet as I ventured outside. I didn't so much walk as pulsa, the Swedish word for laboriously plodding through snow. 

A surge in Formula 1’s popularity means that a glimpse into the high-octane world of the sport has become increasingly appealing in recent years. Long-time race attendee Nicky Haldenby helps fans plan their Grand Prix weekends at a leading F1 travel website. Here, he gives you the inside track on planning a trip to a Formula 1 race.

Switzerland's International Concours of Elegance (ICE) is back this month at St. Moritz Lake. This event combines the thrill of motorsports with luxurious après-ski celebrations, making it a favorite among international scenesters who visit from all around the world.

Before there was Massimo Bottura, another man ran Modena and his name was Enzo Ferrari. The racing driver-turned-entrepreneur has a name that's instantly recognizable thanks to the automobile company he founded to what we now know to be a great success. But prosperity was neither immediate nor constant for Enzo, and it is with such a period of turbulence in the man's life that the new film Ferrari is concerned. Set in Modena in 1957, Ferrari was filmed almost entirely in the Northern Italian city and its surroundings.

Pico—one of nine Portuguese Azorean islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that is dominated by a cone volcano—is about three times the size of the U.S. island of Nantucket, or 10% larger than the U.K. Isle of Wight.

At the top of a steep path through a birch forest in western Sweden a middle-aged woman calls out “Välkommen!” with such warmth it’s as if we’re long-lost relatives being welcomed. We’re extremely happy to see her, too, and her trays of torn-up cinnamon buns, gherkins and crisps, the Swedish take on a pit-stop, which will power us on to the next feed station.

Several years ago I was asked to judge the homemade wines at a local agricultural show. I have written to tight deadlines at World Cups and delivered a speech in the Long Room at Lord’s; neither filled me with quite the same feelings of pressure and anxiety. I knew how seriously such competitions are taken, the strength of feelings they evoke. I had nightmares of being strangled with a siphoning tube. Fortunately my co-judge was more experienced and sanguine. She also held the old-fashioned opinion that swirling the wines around your mouth before spitting them in a bucket was uncouth, and so following her lead I drank a small glass of each. There were more than 20 entries, and after half an hour my fears had dematerialised into a fuzzy summer glow.

Located just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, Cabarrus County is an escape from the city proper that has no shortage of things to do. There’s a wealth of adrenaline-fueled experiences, historic treasures at an old gold mine, museums, food markets, and cafés that are perfect for remote workers looking for a change of scenery.