Q. Wait a minute. Nobody knows us here. Our social media accounts are private; search engines don’t give us the time of day.  Let’s assume new identities – we’re minor aristocracy, we’re high-flying art detectives in search of that masterpiece, we’re world-changing philanthropists. Do people embellish or flat out lie

To all who are celebrating today: Merry Christmas! A particularly warm greeting to those who are spending their 2023 holiday season away from their loved ones. Here’s to good health and goodwill in 2024. To help us ring in the day is the brilliant artwork of William H. Johnson, born

Q. What is it about the Uffizi Gallery that drives art lovers to return to Florence again and again? . A. The Uffizi Gallery houses an extraordinary collection of paintings, with masterpieces from Boticelli to Michelangelo, Caravaggio to Giotto, Leonardo to Raffaello. This world-renowned gallery sits in the first two

Q. Through the tumult of the last years, is it any wonder that we dream about escaping for carefree holidays? What activities do our idyllic vacations include for 2024? . A. To build their Travel Trends 2024 reports, Skyscanner studied search and booking data, and polled thousands in Canada, the

Q. As Goethe said: ‘Without having seen the Sistine Chapel, it’s not possible to have an idea of what one man is capable of doing.’  How long did it take Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Ceiling? . A. Michelangelo painted his brilliant Old Testament frescoes over four and a half

Q. What are your favourite cities in the world? When Condé Nast Traveler asked this question, more than half a million readers – 526,518 to be exact – responded. Which cities outside of the US did they pick for 2023? . A. How many of the winning cities are in

Q. What to name your child: that’s no small decision for a parent. And how interesting when we choose the name of a city or country for our progeny. It would be intriguing to learn more about the ‘whys’. Even those of us who just like the sound of the

Q. The last family road-trip? Nothing but ear-to-ear smiles. and spread-eagle jumps into roadside lakes . Well, at least if you believe the much-liked photos. But, almost anyone who has been on a long family road trip knows that there will be squabbles. What are families most likely to bicker

Q. Fiction has brought us all kinds of alarming place names. Take C.S. Lewis who, in Chronicles of Narnia, invited us to: Burnt Island, Deathwater Island, Dragon Island .. Back on the workaday end of the wardrobe, what are some alarming town names on our maps? . A. Alligator Pond,

Q. Why? Why are there so many cities with streets named ‘Broadway’?   A. Whilst many cities can claim a Broadway street, there is none more famous than New York’s. This now bustling hubbub was once part of an Indigenous trail called Wickquasgeck. Moving forward to Dutch takeover and 17th Century