Our handpicked city guides feature curated collections of the best things to do in cities around the world. We look for street art, independent bookshops, farmers markets, hipster coffee shops and parks. And we’re always up for spending time in nature. We prefer independents over chains, and while both my husband and I are vegetarian, we tend to eat in restaurants that are known to be good for all food rather than just veggie stuff. While we do feature of the “must sees”, our things-to-do guides are about getting beneath the skin of a city and experiencing local life.
A few good examples to get started with are our guides to what to do in Portland, 19 things to do in Santa Cruz and the best things to do in York.
From the food trucks to the forests to the creative, quirky vibes, Portland is filled with the ingredients that make up my ideal city. We spent a week there, soaking it all in slowly, and this post is a round-up of our Portland itinerary highlights, which would work well for a weekend or three days … Read more
Barcelona is one of my favourite cities in the world and place I can’t stop returning to. It’s like a second home to me: the place where I mended a broken heart, re-found my independence and fell for a city like no other before. Later, it’s where Steve and I got together, and in the … Read more
York is the most charming city I’ve visited in England. It’s like stepping back into medieval times, with its winding cobbled streets, magnificent cathedral, classic shop fronts, and dramatic stone walls surrounding the city. It’s a delight to simply walk around, and is also packed with things to do, making it an ideal place for … Read more
For years people have been telling me how great Liverpool is, and when we finally made it there, I could see what they were all talking about. In fact, it’s now one of my favourite cities in England. Every taxi driver we met in the city was keen to tell us the city is booming, … Read more
“It’s just like the village in Beauty and the Beast.” This was my first thought when arriving in the tiny village of Eguisheum, just down the road from the equally charming town of Colmar in France. With cobbled streets, candy-coloured houses and wooden beams, it was like stepping into a scene from the film I’d … Read more
Bristol is well-known as one of the UK’s most creative and exciting cities. It often tops the charts of the best places to live in England and, after moving here in 2016, I have to agree. Londoners like me flock to Bristol, tired of the pace of the capital but still keen to have all … Read more
Our latest video for Victoria’s Insider Guide to London is all about how to spend 24 hours in London as a Londoner. Of course every Londoner would write a different version of this post; we all create a map of the London we learn over our years in the city, made up all the neighbourhoods … Read more
I know, I know, I’ve been slow to post recently. Life has been a whirlwind of many things, and I’m working on an update post to fill you in, but first here’s a little post about a trip I recently took to a little seaside town in Germany. As I mentioned a few months ago, … Read more
There’s a lot more to London than all the major tourist sights, and you’ll find that many Londoners have never even been to many of the “must sees”. When something’s on your doorstep, it’s easy to leave it for “another day”. But we are spoilt in this city for history, galleries and culture, and if … Read more
London is the city I’ve called home for the past 13 years, and before that I only lived a 30-minute train ride away. Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing lots of insider advice for the city, but to start my London tips, I thought I’d begin with the classics, all the top attractions … Read more