The sales rush to see Michelangelo’s masterpiece

THE trouble with visiting the world’s great tourist attractions these days is that too many other people are doing the same thing. Take our visit to Florence, for instance, where one of the must-do attractions is Michelangelo’s statue of David in the Galleria dell’Accademia. Italy ranks fifth in the tourist countries of the world, with…

Beware traders and traffic in Cairo

THEY said we only needed two Arabic words – La shukran, meaning No thank you. But the Egyptian street traders paid no attention, so we tried No in English, repeated a million times. Beseiged by street traders at every tourist spot, we soon learned the ropes. ‘It is a present’ means it’s free but the giver…

Chorus of music along the Blue Danube

THERE’S little in the colour of the water to justify the title of Blue Danube immortalised by Johann Strauss, but music is an ever-present accompaniment to trips into the cities which adorn the mighty river through the heart of Europe. The majestic state opera houses of Budapest and Vienna are the magnet for tourists seeking…