20. The Notorious Landlady (1962) A semi-straight turn from Fred Astaire in this witty comedy drama. He is an American diplomat in London whose employee (Jack Lemmon) rents a flat from a mysterious, organ-playing landlady (Kim Novak) who is widely suspected of having insulted her husband. Astaire brings a touch of old-world sophistication, while he … Read more
If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to be as insignificant as a grain of corn, you can now get a good idea in Kristiansand, a city in southern Norway. Standing on the fourth floor of the new Kunstsilo art museum, carved out of an old 1930s grain silo, you can peer down … Read more
There are, I think, easier ways to reach Slovenia from London than the overland route I chose. I think about this as a boy from the raucous football team that shares our Brussels-Frankfurt train kicks my seat again. Their responsible adult has seemingly abdicated responsibility. He may have jumped from the train. It’s somewhat tempting … Read more
It is perhaps one of Japan’s most iconic scenes: the triangular shape of Mount Fuji rising into the blue sky, its snow-capped peak accurately reflected in the still waters of a nearby lake. This image is captured with measured simplicity in a 19th-century woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai, the artist responsible for the iconic ’36 … Read more
I am a tired person. I do all the things I need to do to get a good night’s sleep, and yet I often get sad thinking about leaving my bed, counting down the hours until I can be in his embrace again. Is it London, which always demands more? Or am I just one … Read more
If buildings could talk, The Vulcan in Cardiff would surely have some stories. The old watering hole in the city center is a favorite of Hollywood actors, musicians, students, miners and factory workers. But the fact that it is still standing at all is a minor miracle. Despite a years-long campaign to save it, led … Read more
The artist Maurizio Cattelan will be the first to say that he does not specialize in craft. He is not a painter or sculptor per se. His specialty is imaginative provocation, the art of the conceptual joke. A life-size, hyper-realistic sculpture of Pope John Paul II, felled by a meteor in La Nona Ora, for … Read more
Belfast didn’t have the best start to 2024. Just think of the mass strikes in the public sector, the unrelated fact that Northern Ireland has no functioning government (the government returned, the strikes were settled or temporarily suspended), Late January announced one of the city’s most respected – revered – publicans, Pedro Donald, who over … Read more
Marrakech may not have a huge nightlife, but in recent years a (small) stream of trendy bars have opened in the Medina and Gueliz. Highlights include an industrial-chic wine bar, a buzzing rooftop terrace with views over the medina and a few hip spots for sophisticated cocktails. In the medina – the most traditional part … Read more
Mauritius is a paradise for active families. This pocket-sized tropical paradise offers an incredible amount to do, from island hopping and hiking in forested nature reserves to whale watching, electric bike rides in the highlands and wildlife safaris in eco-parks. Night flights and short travel distances mean kids can snorkel from a sun-drenched beach mid-morning. … Read more