Why go? This year is the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, and Salisbury Cathedral has unveiled a new exhibition all about the famous document. Of the four original charters remaining, Salisbury’s is by far the best preserved. It’s a must see.
What to do Beyond the Tolkein-esque interior of the octagonal Chapter House, where Magna Carta is displayed, Salisbury Cathedral, salisburycathedral.org.uk, has plenty more to offer.
The tallest spire in the UK deserves to be seen first hand – take a tour of this vertigo-inducing feat of medieval engineering.
It also boasts the country’s largest cathedral close, a 32ha area of encircled gardens and other buildings. These are also worth visiting if you have time. Mompesson House is an immaculately preserved 18th-century Queen Anne townhouse, nationaltrust.
org.uk, complete with all the period trimmings and a stunning walled garden. The Rifles Museum, thewardrobe.org.uk, houses a collection of war memorabilia relating to the history of the Infantry Regiments of Berkshire and Wiltshire. And the award-winning Salisbury Museum’s archives, salisburymuseum.org.uk, are about the history, archeology and art of local areas including Old Sarum (an Iron Age hill fort thought to be the original site of modern-day Salisbury), Stonehenge and medieval Salisbury.
However, if you want to get up closer, you can hop on the daily tour bus, thestonehengetour.info, which will pick you up from the railway station and drop you within touching distance of both Stonehenge – just 14km away – and Old Sarum. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, the central Market Place is a hive of activity as the Charter Market goes into full swing. With over 100 stalls, it is one of the largest open-air affairs in the south of England, though it’s the farmers’ market stalls, signified by blue and white awnings, that are the real draw.
Where to stay The Pembroke Arms Hotel, 01722 743328, pembrokearms.co.uk, is a small, family-run boutique hotel and restaurant on the grounds of the 5,700ha Wilton House estate. The nine rooms are richly decorated with floral wallpapers, generously
travel, what to see and events, with ideas for exploring the city and wider county. visitwiltshire.co.uk
Further reading
Magna Carta (Penguin Classics, £10.99). This accessible version, translated by Professor David Carpenter, includes excellent commentary on the momentous declaration.
Travel information
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Clockwise, from top left: elegant Howard’s House Hotel, perfect for afternoon tea; one of Wiltshire’s white horses; the cathedral;
a gothic arch and 14th-century Poultry Cross; Stonehenge;
Wilton House; Charter Market; the UK’s tallest spire; food with a view at the 17th-century Howard’s House Hotel
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SALISBURY
SEVILLE
Photos by Peter Cassidy; Renate Ruge
FOOD & TRAVEL 98
fontecruz.com, a former palace in a fantastic location that makes a great base from which to get around the historic centre on foot. Rooms are stylish, with black-tiled bathrooms. For a palatial retreat, a silk-wallpapered room at Alfonso XIII, 00 34 95 4917000, starwoodhotels.com, is a grand option. Housed in a neo-Moorish mansion commissioned by its namesake king in the 1920s, the Alfonso has a lovely garden pool and art deco American Bar, former haunt of Ernest Hemingway and Eva Perón.
Where to eat and drink Walk along the cobbled streets and you’ll stumble across many unassuming tapas bars with huge hams hanging from the ceiling. Sip a glass of chilled sherry with slices of delicious jamón ibérico. Still going strong, Andalucia’s oldest, El Rinconcillo Bar, 00 34 95 422 3183, en.elrinconcillo.es, has been serving up small plates since 1670. Try cod in tangy tomato sauce, mackerel marinated in spiced oil and spinach with chickpeas. A must-visit is the fashionable Mercado Lonja del Barranco on Calle Arjona, mercadolonjadelbarranco.com, built as a 19th-century market but now housing a food hall with chandeliers and stalls serving prawns, oysters, chilli octopus and Padrón peppers. Grab a selection and find a shady spot for a snack under the umbrellas on the riverside. Or enjoy a leisurely lunch at Oriza Restaurant on Calle San Fernando, 00 34 954 227 254, restauranteoriza.
com, eaten alfresco on a leafy street. Try buttered baby squid, fried calamari with wakame alioli or bull’s tail with sweet and sour wine jus. Finish the day with sundowners at department store El Corte Ingles, elcorteingles.eu, which has an outdoor champagne bar offering views across the entire city.
Time running out? Take an operatic walking tour, Seville, Opera City, sevillaesopera.es, to see the many settings that inspired Verdi, Donizetti, Beethoven, Bizet and Mozart.
Trip tip Float down the Guadalquivir river on a boat trip and be sure to hop off at the lively Triana district, where you can discover the Triana Ceramic Centre and lots of riverside cafés.
Currency is the euro. Seville is one hour ahead of the UK. Flight time is about 2 hours 45 minutes from London. Cost to carbon offset for this flight is £2.68, visit climatecare.org
Getting there
British Airways has a new service, five days per week, from London Gatwick. ba.com
Iberia offers daily flights from London Heathrow, some via Madrid. iberia.com
Fountain-filled courtyards, a rich history and some of the country’s best tapas are to be found in Andalucia’s sun-soaked capital, ‘the frying pan’ of Spain, says Renate Ruge
Why go? To eat, drink, dance and make merry, as well as sample Seville’s famous bitter-sweet export: marmalade. Juicy oranges ripe for the picking hang from trees – 30,000 of them at the last count – all over this pretty southern Spanish city. It is also home to many a fiesta and religious festival as well as the flamboyant dance that is the fiery flamenco.
What to do Start by entering the Alcázar palace gardens, where you will find a lush green space with an orange grove, palm trees and doves, and stately peacocks strutting around the fountains, patios and water features of the 16th-century Jardin de las Damas (Ladies’ Garden). Built in the 1300s, the Alcázar palace itself, alcazarsevilla.org, is one of Seville’s architectural high points, so much so that Unesco made both palace and gardens a World Heritage Site in 1987. The palace still stages royal weddings and is home to King Juan Carlos I when the monarch is in town. Its Moorish archways also play host to many TV and film sets, including Game of Thrones. In fact, the city abounds with green spaces. Take a siesta in the largest one, Parque de Maria Luisa; with its boulevards and duck ponds, it provides a pleasant escape from the noise of the city, curving around the grand Plaza de España. Built for the 1929 Exposición Iberoamericana, this plaza is gaudily grandiose, with tiled alcoves that feature maps and historic scenes of every Spanish province. You can hire a rowing boat to take a ride around its mini-canals for just a handful of euros. Next, head to Seville’s majestic cathedral, on the site of the great 12th-century Almohad mosque, with the original minaret, Giralda, towering beside it. As the sun sets, photo opportunities can be found at the city’s newest viewpoint, the Metropol Parasol, setasdesevilla.com, a frilly wooden structure towering over Plaza de la Encarnación. Since completion in 2011, it has been nicknamed Las Setas (‘Mushrooms’) by locals.
Where to stay Find fine food, wine and shelter at the very reasonably priced Hotel Fontecruz Sevilla, 00 95 497 9009,
Travel information
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Clockwise, from top left: typical tapas bar;
intricate local azulejo;
inside the Alcázar palace; a palatial arch;
an advert on tiles;
take a horse-drawn carriage; Plaza de España; plate of churros; typically decorated old door;
the eponymous orange; vibrant design; fino sherry
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Resources
Seville Tourist Board has useful itineraries for stays of up to five days or more, plus a guide to gastronomic highlights, cycle tours and the lowdown on flamenco hotspots. visitasevilla.es
Further reading
Ernest Hemingway set two iconic novels in Spain: Death in the Afternoon (Pocket Books, £5.50), about bullfighting, and Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises (Arrow Classic, £5.59).
P
uglia’s star is rising in the UK. The region, on the heel of Italy’s boot, is having its time in the sun. And that sun means temperatures in the thirties, from June to September, which creates some of the finest produce in the world. The area has a Slow Food philosophy, promoting local produce and regional cooking. There’s no better place to witness it than the shady garden of an osteria, enjoying sun-nourished antipasti drizzled with Puglia’s rich and abundant olive oil.This competition gives you the chance to soak up some late-summer sun while exploring Puglia’s lesser-known gems with Back-Roads Touring. By winning, you and a guest will eat in traditional restaurants handpicked from the Slow Food guide, learn about local specialities including cheese, Salento wine and olive oil, while being shown the region’s most breathtaking sites including the ancient town of Alberobello with its historic trulli buildings and the Castellana Caves with their stalactites.
You will be flying from an airport of your choice and enjoy luxurious accommodation, with breakfast included. Expert guides will give you a unique understanding of Puglia and its cuisine.