Category Archives: Travel

National Geographic Traveller – June 2025

May 1, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER MAGAZINE (May 1, 2025): The latest issue features the pintxos bars of San Sebastián to exploring the artists’ studios of Barcelona, the June issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK) invites you to discover mainland Spain’s most breathtaking cities through the eyes of locals.

Kenya: In the southern safari regions, humans and wildlife have a fragile coexistence
Faroe Islands: In search of shapeshifters and sea trolls in this elemental archipelago in the Atlantic
Biarritz: On France’s Basque coast, this nostalgic town is revered by surfers and gourmands alike
Croatia:Hop from beach clubs to medieval monasteries with these island itineraries
Cartagena: Local designers and bartenders are giving this Colombian city a shake-up
Trentino: Mediterranean and Northern European cultures collide in this mountainous Italian province
Chengdu:In Sichuan’s provincial capital, teahouses are attracting a new generation of travellers
Prague: The Czech capital’s hotel scene is a feast for design aficionados

Plus, our pick of this month’s most exciting travel news; celebrating 200 years of Berlin’s Museum Island; a look at the flavours of Burgundy; exploring Galloway, Scotland, on two wheels; an architectural tour of Casablanca; the best summer music festivals; a dose of Victorian whimsy on the Isle of Wight; independent bookshops worth travelling for; and essential kit for festivalgoers.

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Travel

Country Life Magazine – April 30, 2025 Preview

April 29, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (April 29, 2025): The latest issue features ‘The renaissance of the country house’ (1975-2025)…

A vibrant era for our country houses

The seeds of a renaissance for the British country house were sown in the mid 20th century, argues John Martin Robinson

Bringing ‘beauty’ back

Lord Deben assesses his 1997 ‘Gummer’s Law’, conceived to aid the creation of new houses

Radbourne Hall

John Goodall hails the revival of the 1740s Derbyshire house

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A question of technique

Mary Miers meets the experts keeping country houses and their collections in working order

Chillingham Castle

The Northumberland landmark lives on, discovers John Goodall

1975 and now

What a difference 50 years make

Asleep no more

Tiffany Daneff celebrates the designers bringing our leading country gardens back to life

Knowsley Hall

John Goodall finds the Lancashire home restored to its former glory

And now for something different

Diversification has revived the fortunes of many an estate in the past 50 years, reveals Kate Green

What’s on at the big house

This year’s country-house events

Stowe

John Goodall charts the survival of this Buckinghamshire gem

Ready for anything

Arabella Youens examines how owners are equipping their houses to thrive for the next 100 years

Wimborne St Giles

John Goodall lauds this award-winning restoration in Dorset

You saw it here first

It’s not all about the gardens — John Hoyland profiles some of the plants that made their name at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

In cloud cuckoo land

The evocative, echoing cuckoo’s call reverberating across the meadows heralds the arrival of spring for John Lewis-Stempel

Today’s pollen account

Hayfever sufferers may not agree, but Ian Morton argues that pollen’s contribution to life on earth is not to be sneezed at

A rainbow of ribbons

The maypole has been the source of merriment and mayhem for centuries, as Deborah Nicholls-Lee reveals

Stuart Procter’s favourite painting

The Beaumont Mayfair hotel CEO chooses an intriguing work with an air of mystery

The legacy

Amie Elizabeth White reveals how Constance Spry revolutionised flower-arranging a century ago

Interiors

Digital printing and panoramic wallpapers offer endless possibilities, learns Arabella Youens

Foraging

Poetry inspires John Wright, as he seeks out the saccharine, aniseed smack of sweet cicely

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino is captivated by the calming 19th-century landscapes of Utagawa Hiroshige, an artist who continues to inspire today

Culture, History, Magazines, Photography, Travel

Smithsonian Magazine – April/May 2025 Preview

April 4, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE (April 4, 2025): The April/May 2025 features ‘In The Birthplace of the Buddha’ – What happens when Archaeologists and worshipers converge in the spiritual leader’s legendary Nepali hometown?

In Search of Siddhartha

The legendary birthplace of Siddhartha in Nepal beckons worshipers from around the world—and archaeologists hoping to uncover new evidence about the revered spiritual leader

Can a Forgotten Bean Save the Brew?

In a world that consumes two billion cups of coffee each day, climate change is threatening the most popular species. How one leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new beans that could keep our cups full

An Artist for the Here and Now

Long overlooked, Swedish painter Hilma af Klint made pioneering abstract art. Today she’s a global star—but some scholars insist she should be sharing the spotlight

History, Magazines, Photography, Travel

National Geographic – May 2025 ‘Traveller’

April 3, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER MAGAZINE (April 3, 2025): The May 2025 issue features Rocky Mountain hikes, railway journeys across bear country, sea-kayaking excursions through whale-churned waters — embrace the call of the wild with our latest issue.

Lanzarote: The Spanish island’s volcanic landscapes are beloved by artists, winemakers and hikers
Sierra Leone: Stunningly biodiverse, the West African nation is finally opening up to travellers
Brazil:In search of jaguars on the meandering waterways of the Brazilian Pantanal
The Alps: Classic itineraries taking in the mountain range’s forests and fast-flowing streams
Bangkok: Find peace away from the crowds in Thailand’s storied capital
Panama City: The sparkling high-rises of this Central American metropolis conceal a fascinating history
River Shannon: Village pubs and flower-filled meadows pepper this Irish waterway
Portland, Maine: Innovative farmers are driving this coastal hub’s dining scene
Lisbon: From pilgrims to party people, the Portuguese capital has stays for all types of visitor

Culture, Gardens, History, Homes, Magazines, Travel

Country Life Magazine – April 2, 2025 Preview

April 1, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (April 1, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Smaller Country Houses’; The Maldives unpacked; How to grow a magnificent magnolia and The Portmeirion phenomenon and secret pillboxes…

Interiors

The art of conversation can be aided by a carefully configured drawing room, says Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler

All ‘Clough-ed up’

Ben Lerwill marks 100 years of Portmeirion in North Wales, the outlandish architectural creation of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis

Property market

Arabella Youens casts her eye over compact country estates in Dorset, Devon and Hertfordshire

A prince among plantsmen

Charles Quest-Ritson is wowed by the memorable magnolias among the 6,000 plants in the Kent garden of Maurice Foster

Travel

Libby Brodie and Rosie Paterson explore the magnificent Maldives and Pamela Goodman shares not so fond memories of cheese fondue

Zoë Wanamaker’s favourite painting

The actress chooses a vibrant work bursting with the light, colour and energy of spring

A house of many inspirations

Jeremy Musson marvels at the amazing transformation of 300-year-old farm buildings at High Wardington House, Oxfordshire

The legacy

Kate Green pays tribute to Joe Henson, a ‘true gentleman’ who led the way in safeguarding some of our favourite native breeds

From this slumber you shall wake

Numbers have plummeted in the past 20 years, but plans are afoot to revive the fortunes of the hazel dormouse, reveals Jack Watkins

The good stuff

Immortalise your beloved pet in a beautiful piece of bespoke jewellery, suggests Hetty Lintell

London Life

Amie Elizabeth White embarks on the capital’s Big Egg Hunt, Country Life writers present all the titbits you need to know this month and Huon Mallalieu takes a trip down memory lane as he recalls the colourful characters of Booksellers’ Row

Foraging

John Wright lauds elderflower for its ‘scent beyond compare’

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino delves into the beauty, birds and beasts in the kingdom of J. M. W. Turner

Close to your chest

Huon Mallalieu investigates how the chest of drawers has gradually made itself at home in every room of the house

A song of the four seasons

Henrietta Bredin applauds the fusing of poetry and music in the exquisite song cycle ‘Seasons’

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Travel

Country Life Magazine – March 12, 2025 Preview

March 11, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (March 11, 2025): The cover of Country Life’s 12 March 2025 issue, featuring The Garden Hall at Pitshill House, West Sussex, as photographed by Paul Whitbread.

Water you wading for?

The village pond, once the hub around which community life revolved, is being reinvented as a ‘superpower’ habitat for rare species, finds Vicky Liddell

Sorry seems to be the easiest word

Deborah Nicholls-Lee makes no apology for asking why there is nothing more British than saying sorry (up to eight times a day, we regret to say)

Two’s company, three’s a crowd farmer

Jane Wheatley is impressed by a new European project linking farmers direct to consumers in an effort to ensure fair pricing

Peak sugar

Harry Pearson is sweet on Kendal Mint Cake, the original energy snack that is still going strong after conquering Everest and crossing the Antarctic

Arts & antiques

Nature’s beauty and vulnerability are laid bare in a new exhibition at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, as Carla Passino discovers

Josh Eggleton’s favourite painting

The chef and restaurant owner chooses a contemporary collage that keeps the viewer guessing

Like cats on a hot tin roof

A feline stand-off in a Wiltshire farmyard has echoes of tax and trade talks for Minette Batters

Gothic splendours

John Goodall hails the rebirth of Victorian gem Allerton Castle in North Yorkshire, some two decades after a devastating fire

The legacy

Kate Green lauds the brilliant, but tragically brief blooming of cello prodigy Jacqueline du Pré

The red army

Ian Morton reveals why we don’t want wood ants in our pants

The good stuff

Pretty pastels are back for spring, so think pink, says Hetty Lintell

Bring me everlasting flowers

Catriona Gray meets a man crafting blooms from coppiced hazel

If you want colour…

Picture-perfect primulas offer an easy way to festoon the garden with a kaleidoscope of colour, suggests Charles Quest-Ritson

Foraging

John Wright savours the peppery crunch and kick of black mustard, but he’ll never pick it in Yeovil

It’s a Scream

The wild work of Edvard Munch betrayed a troubled soul, but the Norwegian artist found salvation in Nature, declares Jessica Lack

Arts, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Tourism, Travel

Country Life Magazine – March 5, 2025 Preview

March 4, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (March 4, 2025): The latest issue features ‘The enfant terribile’ – Michelangelo; London’s best bakeries and why 1775 rocked; Charles Dance; Cheltenham and kitchen confidential…

The year the stars came out

A host of luminaries that were born in 1775 still shape British identity some 250 years on, as Matthew Dennison discovers

A horse walks into a bar…

Jack Watkins raises a glass to the Cheltenham superstars immortalised in the bars and restaurants at Prestbury Park

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe cooks up a real treat with the latest inspiration and innovations for the kitchen

London Life

– Amie Elizabeth White celebrates 100 years of the Dickens museum, plus Country Life’s guide to the best baked goods in the capital

Arts & antiques

Charles Dance talks to Carla Passino about Michelangelo, mentoring and why the Sistine chapel is like playing King Lear

The good, the bad and the ugly

Michael Hall delves into the genius of Michelangelo, at once the enfant prodige and enfant terribile of the Renaissance

Simon Martin’s favourite painting

The art-gallery director selects a beguiling 17th-century miniature revealing a connection to Nature

A regal renewal

John Goodall hails the revival of Restoration House in Kent, a magnificent property that welcomed Charles II in 1660

The legacy

Agnes Stamp hails the ‘British Barnum’ Charles Cruft, whose dog show is still best in class

Shiver me timbers

The once-popular black poplar could be our secret weapon in the battle against climate change, finds Vicky Liddell

The good stuff

Hetty Lintell’s top tips on what to wear to the Cheltenham Festival

And it was all yellow

Charles Quest-Ritson brightens his day with the cheerful flowers of the ever-dependable forsythia

Sharp practice

The thorny old issue of pruning roses, with Charles Quest-Ritson

Foraging

Is tapping birch-tree sap worth the bother, asks John Wright

Travel

Emma Love shares the latest cruise news, Imogen West-Knights finds everything shipshape in the South of France, John Niven follows in the wake of Mr Mississippi Mark Twain and Pamela Goodman’s birthday treats take on a life of their own

Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Travel

Country Life Magazine – February 19, 2025 Preview

February 18, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (February 18, 2025):

The legacy

Kate Green celebrates the Revd Gilbert White, the original ecologist whose 1789 book on flora and fauna has never been out of print

Mad as a box of frogs

Our amphibious friends were once thought to possess mystical powers and they now aid the advance of medicine, as Ian Morton discovers

The ghost of golden daffodils

David Jones traces the fall and rise of the Tenby daffodil — all but extinct in the wild, but making a return as a cultivated bloom

The lure of Venice

Matthew Dennison investigates Britain’s long-standing love affair with the Italian maritime republic, fuelled by Canaletto’s enchanting, kaleidoscopic vedute

Playing the fool

Who could have foreseen the influence of tarot cards down the ages? Deborah Nicholls-Lee delves into decks and divination

Dr Ximena Fuentes Torrijo’s favourite painting

The Ambassador of Chile picks a vast, dreamlike Surrealist work that portrays a turbulent world.

A sense of delight

John Goodall marvels at the outstanding array of new and restored buildings on the grand Aldourie estate in Inverness-shire

Snakes and snails and puppy-dog tales

Matthew Dennison pays tribute to Peter and Iona Opie, who pre-served much-loved folklore and fairy tales for future generations

The good stuff

Work out in style with Hetty Lintell’s elegant exercise picks

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe shares the best of London Design Week wares, plus an elegant room with a view

Shaping the view

Tiffany Daneff admires the vista of rural Northamptonshire from the delightful Modernist garden created for a converted cart house

Foraging

Listen in as John Wright shares his thoughts on wood ears, the fungus with a gelatinous texture

Arts & antiques

Thomas Girtin’s exquisite landscapes were a match for Turner before the artist was cut down in his prime, reveals Carla Passino

History triumphs over invention

A brilliantly acted historical play conquers overproduced Greek mythology for Michael Billington

Magazines, Tours, Travel

Traveller Magazine — March 2025 Preview

February 6, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER MAGAZINE (February 6, 2025): The latest issue features ‘The World’s Best Train Trips’….

Also inside this issue:

Greenland: Meet the communities working to preserve Inuit culture for future generations
Portugal: Roman relics and pagan festivities on a road trip through the untamed north
Kerala: A photographer’s journey among the tranquil backwaters and perfumed spice farms of Kochi
Southern Mexico: A guide to the region’s immense jungles, ancient settlements and distinct cuisine
Hong Kong: Beyond the urban sprawl, adventures abound in the form of kayaking and intrepid hikes
Glasgow: Warm yourself in the Scottish city’s art galleries and era-defining music venues
Essaouira: Myriad cultures have made this Moroccan port city a hub for art and music
Cognac: A change is under way in the French region’s restaurants and distilleries
Salzburg: Fairytale stays for every taste, from lovers of old-school luxury to fans of TheSound of Music

Plus, new travel routes for spring; fresh hiking opportunities on Australia’s Whitsunday Islands; Bradford’s year as the UK City of Culture; a taste of Amorgos, Greece; a lighthouse retreat on Italy’s Tuscan coast; an insider’s guide to Ibiza Town; island adventures in Brač, Croatia; globetrotting books about love and obsession, running essentials to put a spring in your step; and a historical getaway in the Welsh Marches.