Itineraries
One Day in Dubai: Old Dubai and an Evening by Burj Khalifa
One day in Dubai becomes more rewarding when you choose two parts of the city and give them room. Begin beside Dubai Creek, where trading streets
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PerspectivesRoman Florence beneath the familiar centre: how to read the older city
Roman Florence is not an intact ancient town waiting beneath every familiar street. Its traces survive within a city rebuilt through later periods: in the memory
PerspectivesA corridor above Florence: why the Medici needed Vasari’s route
The Medici needed the Vasari Corridor to connect places of government and residence through a protected passage above ordinary city life. Built in 1565 for Cosimo
PerspectivesWhy Ponte Vecchio has shops: Florence’s bridge as a street above the Arno
Ponte Vecchio has shops because a medieval bridge could be more than a crossing. It could also continue the city’s commercial life above the river.
PerspectivesFlorence’s Porcellino: a wild boar, a market and a city ritual
Florence’s Porcellino is a wild boar, despite a nickname that makes it sound like a little pig. The bronze animal beside Mercato Nuovo connects a
PerspectivesWhy Florence has several Davids: the original, the square and the hill
Michelangelo’s original David is in Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia. The figure outside Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza della Signoria is a copy, while the bronze
RecommendationsWhat to book ahead in Florence: choose your priorities before filling the diary
Book ahead in Florence according to your priorities, not according to the length of a famous-attractions list. First identify the experience that would genuinely change
RecommendationsFlorence gardens and villas by arrangement: what to decide before setting out
A garden behind a wall or a villa outside central Florence can offer a very different experience from the major museum circuit. The visit may depend
RecommendationsFlorence without admission tickets: a day of squares, bridges and façades
You can spend a rewarding day in Florence without buying an attraction ticket. Let the cathedral square introduce the city’s ambition, Piazza della Signoria explain
RecommendationsFlorence with children: choose one shared interest and build a better day
For a family day in Florence, choose one subject your child actually wants to explore, make it the main event and keep the rest of the
PerspectivesHong Kong legends: Amah Rock, Lovers’ Rock and a pirate cave
Sometimes a place stays with us because of a story rather than its size or age. People recognise a woman carrying a child in a rocky
RecommendationsFlorence in the heat: a lighter day with time to enjoy the city
In hot weather, build a Florence day around a smaller area, a modest outdoor walk and one substantial visit that genuinely interests you. Leave a real