Barcelona on the Northeast coast of Spain is a dynamic and stylish year-round city.  It is packed with lively restaurants and Tapas bars, trendy shops and welcoming cafés and an art and architecture scene that will simply take your breath away. Perfect for that short city break, Barcelona has something for everyone and is so good I’ve been back twice!

When to go

Barcelona is great any time. In the summer you can relax on the beach or in one of the many parks, and in winter or autumn warm yourself with a fabulous hot chocolate in cafés on La Rambla.

The last time I went to Barcelona was for a

Sydney

I was only in Sydney for a day but managed to pack lots in. To start with I watched the Sydney marathon, which ended at the Opera House, a really nice way to see this world famous landmark. I walked around the harbour, taking in the atmosphere and visited the Sydney Aquarium where you can view sharks and rays swimming alongside and above you. I also visited the Chinese Gardens, a real oasis of calm, with water features, beautiful plants and the odd iguana sunning itself on a rock. Max Brenner"s in Sydney is also not to be missed if you like hot chocolate.

Sydney Aquarium

http://www.sydne

Malaysia lives up to its reputation as one of South East Asia’s most virulent Tiger economies.  The downturn of the late 90’s is yesterday’s news, these days Malaysia is thriving as it continues to develop a diverse commercial base from technology to palm oil, the impetus behind which is certainly aided by Malaysia rich cultural mix.  The entrepreneurial Chinese community, who make up nearly half the Malaysian population, provide an industrious background to the country’s continued development.  Blend in the Malays’ laidback style and a visibly colourful Indian contingent and it makes of a truly magical Asian mix.

The downside:
To own a car in Malaysia is a status symbol and in a context of economic boom, it’s not surprising to see ba

I travelled to Jamaica with my husband and two small daughters (aged four and one).

Our first big holiday away since the girls were born, I was very apprehensive about how well they would be catered for but once in Jamaica there was ‘no problem’.

Arriving at Montego Bay Airport we found that Jamaican time started here – Immigration took over one hour to get through.

Porters will be on hand waiting to take your luggage to your transfer bus just to get a tip, and the recommended $1 per suitcase does not swing here, they expect a lot more as this is their livelihood so we ended up having to give $20.  Our transfer from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios took one hour and thirty minutes so added onto our ten hour flight I thought we would never start to enjoy ourselves.