How we snagged a table at one of Venice’s best seafood restaurants without a reservation during high season.
Author: Liani Solari
Rail review: Italy’s ‘Red Arrow’ high-speed train
As an alternative to flying to Venice, the Frecciarossa ETR 600 train is not only fast but greener to boot. Time for the influencers to get on board.
Venice’s best-kept secret
You don’t have to be an opera buff to enjoy Musica a Palazzo’s performances in an atmospheric palazzo on the Grand Canal.
Owl encounter in the Cotswolds
Have a hoot in the English countryside handling birds of prey in a small group with Walks With Hawks.
Giving art the hurry-up in Glasgow
The popular Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum houses 8000 objects in 22 galleries. But what if you have only one hour?
Foynes: Flying boats and Irish coffee
At the Foynes Flying Boat Museum discover aviation firsts that put the Irish village on the map as ‘the centre of the world’.
Authentic sightseeing: Copy that
Not everything in your travel sights has to be original to be authentic. These eight reproductions could even surpass your expectations.
When in Rome: Turtles and tartufo
Largely undiscovered by tourists, terrace restaurant Caffè Ciampini is near the action yet out of the fray.
Around the Globe in London
Do a tour of William Shakespeare’s historical playhouse, attend a performance and glean fun facts about the Bard.
Window Seat photo prompt: Dracula’s Romania
Careening around these hairpin bends may have you reaching for some stomach-calming ginger. If you’re at all superstitious, you should pack garlic, too.
One perfect weekend on the Mary River floodplains
Following a dry Wet Season at Bamurru Plains, lodge guests discover there’s more to the Top End than barra fishing.
The Gardener’s Bucket List: Lord Howe Island
More than 240 indigenous plant species live in the rainforests, grasslands and other ecosystems of this biodiverse paradise.
Mumbai city guide
India’s most populous city – the backdrop to Slumdog Millionaire – pulsates with a cosmopolitan vibe and vital energy.
Daytripping with Dalí
Use Barcelona as your base to cross over to the “unsuspected and hallucinatory world of surrealism” in Figueres, Spain.
DIY royal visits in Scotland
You don’t need an invitation to have a right royal time at these residences of the British Royal Family that are open to the public.
David Bowie is
Is there anything that David Bowie isn’t? Well, yes, according to this V&A exhibition. David Bowie is not David Jones.
Window Seat photo prompt: Nockburra Creek, Murray River
As you navigate the turns of this slow, shallow creek, every oar stroke is a meditation on natural beauty.
Hawaii’s melting pot
Meet the people who are growing the culinary movement known as Hawaii Regional Cuisine and promoting Honolulu’s reputation as a fine-dining destination.
Island envy in Greece
Cruise to the less-visited Greek islands for an authentic, uncomplicated experience of the region’s highlights.
Camperdown Cemetery: A walk among the tombstones
Discover Napoleon’s harpist, the victims of Australia’s Titanic story and the real Miss Havisham on a guided tour of Sydney’s oldest existing European cemetery.
In good voice: Interview with k.d. lang
The Canadian singer-songwriter is enjoying the success of her first self-produced album, Watershed, and accompanying tour.
5 cultural experiences you shouldn’t miss in Venice
From ghost tours and two-euro gondola rides to immersive opera, here’s a handful of lesser-known Venetian experiences.
For the love of Sicily
On a first trip to the Mediterranean island, it’s immediately clear that Italy’s southernmost region turns it up to 11.
Counting her blessings: Interview with Frances O’Connor
The Australian actor, who plays a mother confronted with her worst nightmare in the film Blessed, reflects on real-life and onscreen motherhood.
Kitchen Confidential: Kimberley flair
Chef Jordan Smith explains the culinary logistics of feeding guests at a remote Kimberley camp.
Tech Talk: Interview with Michael Hooper
The Qantas Wallabies vice-captain admits he’s old-school about some technologies – yet he can’t wait for a completely wireless future.
Get back to nature on Lord Howe Island
This speck in the Tasman Sea hosts a remarkable rollcall of life forms found nowhere else.
Greek Islands: Gods behaving badly
The ancient dramas on Delos – the isle of Apollo, god of the sun – would put today’s island reality shows in the shade.
Restaurant review: Sydney’s new Turkish delight
Anason gets the party started as the first permanent restaurant on Barangaroo’s foreshore promenade.
Liani Solari 