Behind the scenes at Staatstheater Mainz Have you ever taken a behind-the-scenes tour of a theatre or opera house? Most cities offer this glimpse into the land of make believe. We did a great one at the Marionetten Theater in Vienna. They’re a good way to see some tricks as well as get under the [...]

You’d have to have been snoozing harder than Sleeping Beauty to have missed the spectacle of London 2012 Paralympic Games. But while the competition brought elite athletes from all over the globe together in London, how easy is it for ordinary people with limited mobility or sensory difficulties to get away from home? I spent [...]

On this stretch of the Rhine, it’s easy to visit four cities in four days Four cities in four days, with my four pedalling companions. Duisberg, town with a frown. Just like Cameron, who has switched to riding in buggy, his glum face peering out of the net, advertising his tiredness and a dodgy knee [...]

When we said we were cycling up the Rhine I didn’t mean literally We cross over the Rhein in search of a campsite that may or may not exist, and stumble across a stony beach. Lying our washing out to dry, we put on crocks and swimming costumes and wade in. Stuart first, into the [...]