“In the winter, Venice is like an abandoned theater. The play is finished, but the echoes remain.”

1. London Boat Show 2012, the greatest boating event in London is perfect solution for all family. With a variety of exciting attractions and classic favourites, Tullett Prebon London Boat Show in Excel London has huge appeal. Tullett Prebon London Boat Show ’12 in Excel London has something for everyone, with activities and exhibits on, in and under water. For more information, please phone 01784 439678.

2.English National Ballet: Strictly Gershwin is wonderful perfomance with a live orchestra and special guests, this out there and up front homage to George Gershwin dazzles and delights. Think Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly and tap and wonder at the wonderful music and spellbinding lyrics of ‘An American in Paris’, ‘I Got Rhythm’ and ‘Summertime’ at English National Ballet: Strictly Gershwin in London Coliseum. For more information please phone 0845 401 5045.

By the way November means springtime in many countries where you can spend amazing time. For instance you can visit Argentina, to walk along beautiful Buenos Aires streets, to watch the professionals at a themed dinner show, or take a chance to learn tango at an authentic dance hall.

I love tango and just can’t say better as Stephen Brown did:

Tango is a dance in which is it easy to become obsessed with perfection. The taste of heaven that is found within tango may encourage some to seek perfection. Others may bring their own perfectionism to tango. But we should never confuse heaven and perfection. They are very different. The path of perfectionism often leads away from heaven — as we find ourselves accompanied and driven forward by demons that become all too familiar. If we pursue perfection in our practice, we are likely developing the demons that seek to keep us from effective dancing.

In tango, heaven is found through the simple gift of grace. That comes from getting out on the dance floor with the person that happens to be right for the moment, opening one’s heart and falling in love again. The times that this happens, one is just happy to be in the arms of another at the end of the tanda.

Afternoon London City Sightseeing Tour Why not take an afternoon tour of London, including a guided tour of St Paul’s Cathedral, a visit to the Tower of London & Crown Jewels and a Thames R

Afternoon The Royal London Tour A rare opportunity to visit the State Apartments at Buckingham Palace and the former home of Princess Diana, Kensington Palace.

Afternoon Windsor Castle and Runnymede Afternoon Tour to Windsor Castle, visiting the State Apartments, St George’s Chapel and historic Runnymede.

Big Bus London Tour A full day tour to the home of some of our best loved authors: Oxford, Stratford upon Avon and a scenic drive through the Cotswolds.

Full Day Royal London and Windsor Castle A truly Royal day out, see Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace in the morning then, to Windsor to visit the magnificent Windsor Castle.

Majestic London Sightseeing Tour Majestic London – A complete full day tour of London including St Paul’s Cathedral, Changing of the Guard, the Tower of London, Thames River Cruise

Morning London Essential Sightseeing Tour A morning tour of London, see the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Rock and Roll London Sightseeing Tour Discover monumental Rock Landmarks around London and hear the stories that make Rock ‘n Roll what it is.

Thames Rib Experience – Canary Wharf Experience London from the River Thames on an exhilarating RIB Speed Boat Trip from Embankment to the Thames Barrier.

Thames Rib Experience – Thames Barrier Experience London from the River Thames on an exhilarating RIB Speed Boat Trip from Embankment to the Thames Barrier.

The Original London Sightseeing Tour The Original London Sightseeing Tour is a great to see London on this popular hop on hop off London Tour Bus.

Electricity has installed free charging points at twelve Welcome Break service stations and seventeen more will follow.

Until now, electric cars have been confined to urban journeys because of the limited range they can travel before they need recharging. The new motorway charging network makes longer journeys more practical.

There are two choices of socket – depending on how quickly you want to charge your car. The 32A supply tops up a car’s charge in twenty minutes, via a seven-pin socket, and can fully charge a car in an hour. There’s also a 13A supply that has a three-pin socket and takes about 12 hours to charge a vehicle. Of course, the second option is only practical if you’re going to be spending the night at the service station in the middle of a long journey.

While this development of a charging network is good news for electric car drivers on the whole, at the moment not all electric vehicles are compatible with the 32A system.

Electric cars still cost more than conventional cars to purchase, as do hybrids. But UK drivers thinking about buying electric cars or plug-in hybrid vehicles should be aware that they currently qualify for a £5000 government subsidy towards the purchase. When the scheme launched in January 2011, there was only one subsidized model available to buy outright – the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. By 2012 this grant will be made available for purchase of up to ten different electric and plug-in hybrid models.

The new motorway network of charging points is another stepping stone towards eco-friendly motoring becoming more commonplace, as drivers of electric cars and other low emission cars are able to travel more freely in their greener vehicles.

Poland is very beaitiful country whith a deep history and rich culture. Who doesn’t know such famous names as Frederic Chopin or Nicolas Copernic? They are Polish people.

Although it was a hot day we both decided that it would be a sin to be in Italy and settle for a salad and so my husband decided to try the dish of the day, wild boar with juniper berries whilst I opted for the lasagne after narrowly deciding I’d prefer that over the spaghetti bolognese dish. I know it is sold in every supermarket and pasta joint at home but none of them could compare with what I was about to eat.

I realised that I had not made a lasagne at home for many years. In fact my last attempt had been in the days when you had to cook your lasagne first and a great hassle it was too. Nowadays you can buy lasagne which does not need to be pre-cooked making the cook’s job infinitely easier. I had no excuse not to try to recreate my Fiesole experience when I got home.

A quick look on the internet made me realise that there is an enormous number of lasagne recipes: lentil lasagne, tomato and goat’ s cheese lasagne, roasted vegetable lasagne, the rather esoteric leek, mushroom, fried egg and pangrattato lasagne and the rather delicious sounding scallop, wild mushroom and truffle lasagne. They all sounded interesting but would have to wait for another day.

I was also spoiled for choice by the number of recipes for traditional lasagne, including those offered by Schwartz, but after a lot of deliberation I opted for one that included not only beef mince but also pork mince for the ragu. It also included a bottle of red wine (so not a cheap dish), celery, carrot, onion, rosemary, tomatoes and beef stock. I impressed myself by making the béchamel sauce without a single lump, layered the ragu and white sauce with the pasta, and added some mozzarella and parmesan. Modesty prevents me from telling you just how good it was but the finished result more than justified the outlay in terms of cost and effort.

Toronto is the fifth most populous city in North America, with more than five million people living in the metropolitan area and some 2.5 million in the city itself.

Leading organisations rate it consistently within the top 10 of the most liveable cities in the world.

The city lies on the shore of Lake Ontario, so even though it’s not on either the Atlantic or Pacific coast, it boasts beaches.

Winter may not be the ideal time to visit Toronto, as wind chill makes the temperature feel very chilly. But for most of the year, the city benefits from a climate that, by Canadian standards, is moderate.

Even if you’ve never been to Toronto before, you might find some of the cityscape familiar from films. It’s cheaper to film in Canada than the United States, so a number of films and TV shows that are supposedly set in places like New York are actually filmed in Toronto.

Where New York boasts its Empire State Building, the structure that dominates the Toronto skyline is the CN Tower. The tallest tower in the western hemisphere, it is 553.33 metres tall and is one of the best places to dine, especially at night, because of its spectacular views.

Toronto boasts some outstanding hotels, including the Trump International and the Ritz-Carlton.

Fortunately for those who don’t have deep pockets, there are good holiday deals to be had in the city, combining flights from the UK with stays in well-located hotels.

Toronto has an excellent public transport system linking the city centre with the delightful neighbourhoods like Little Italy, Forest Hill and Corktown.

The city boasts plenty of options for those looking for entertainment or to watch sport, and comedy is a particular strength, so fans of comedians such as Vic Reeves will feel right at home.

So, if you fancy a city break that’s within an eight-hour flight from the UK, check out the sites specialising in discount flights like expedia.co.uk or lastminute.com.

- The Netherlands – wild camping is illegal and fines are heavy
- Scandinavia – there is no law against wild camping and what’s more it is also acceptable to pick berries and mushrooms. Fires are not permitted without permission and the usual courtesies apply, such as leaving no litter and not camping close to dwellings.
- France – the law governing wild camping is hazy but in practice it is usually OK with permission from the landowner. The lighting of fires is forbidden for obvious reasons.
- Spain – wild camping is illegal and various wild camping forums warn against migrant gangs targeting those who choose to ignore the law.
- Portugal – wild camping is illegal although forum members report that it is widely accepted
- Italy – wild camping is not allowed and police will wake you up during the night to tell you so!
- Croatia – wild camping is expressly forbidden and heavy fines apply. Ignorance of the law or pleading that you are a foreigner won’t wash with the Croatian police!
- Germany – wild camping is against the law.
- Greece – wild camping is illegal but judging by the numbers of people camping on the beaches the police seem to turn a blind eye.
- Estonia – wild camping is well tolerated but the Tourist Board recommends that you seek permission from the landowner. In some areas campers are positively welcomed by landowners.
- Austria – wild camping is illegal but tolerated so long as it is done out of sight.

If you are planning on sticking on the wild side, make sure you invest in very durable camping equipment and decent waterproof clothing. There’s no need to go crazy when purchasing clothing of this kind; just look around for second hand waterproof trousers and jackets.

The internet is all good and well for some purchases but there is nothing to compare with seeing a tent in the shop. Tents are often advertised as suitable for 4 to 6 people but when you see them in the flesh it is clear that they would only take 3 people plus their gear comfortably. As well as seeing the tent already erected, it is a good idea to ask to see it in its packed state. Some can take up a huge amount of boot space which could well be a consideration if you do not have a large car. Some sites limit the amount of space your tent can take up so bear this in mind too.

Don’t be tempted to buy a tent which is less tall inside than you are. Unless you are cycling or hiking and so trying to cut down on weight there is really no need to spend your precious holiday time bent double. You may well think that you will be out enjoying the great outdoors most of the time but a few rainy days could make you regret your decision. Other items you shouldn’t skimp on include walking boots. Just think of how often you’ll be wearing your shoes throughout a typical camping holiday and you’ll quickly realise why it’s crucial to invest in the best walking boots money can buy.

Always work out how many of you will be putting the tent up. There may well be two of you but if you are both engrossed in the intricacies of erecting the tent who is going to ensure that little Sophie doesn’t wander off towards that river that sounded such fun when you were choosing the site? Putting a tent up no longer requires a degree in engineering but if the instructions say it will take two to do it they are likely to be right.