For me the journey itself is all part of the travelling experience. By train from Birmingham there are two routes both with great views of the changing British countryside.

One takes you through the Lake District and the other past rolling Yorkshire dales and the Northumbrian coast - mental notes being made for places to visit in the future.

Edinburgh is not famous for its fine weather but we arrived with glorious late September sunshine putting a rosy glow on the cityscape of the Scottish capital.

We were based in the Fraser Suites a newly converted building in St Giles Street (Edinburgh's Fleet Street equivalent) just off the Royal Mile. What a perfect location. To the tune of a nearby set of bagpipes we entered the modern reception area with Toni immediately distracted by the stunning flower arrangements ('Can we get something similar for home?')

Each 'suite' has some form of kitchenette - our deluxe room included a full hob, microwave and dishwasher! There was also a separate lounge area with its own plasma TV and a well appointed bathroom.

The rooms and common areas are finished off to a higher standard than normal with just a few snags still to be sorted. The fine decor also applies to the 'Rucola' restaurant where breakfast is served.

From our large 'Old Town' sash windows we had a view of Princes Street (controversially being dug up for a new tram system); the strange (Sir Walter) Scott Monument and the illuminated-at-night Balmoral Hotel.

Just outside our window were the 'News Steps' one of the many steep pedestrian routes to the new town (occasionally we could hear the moans of people climbing the steps).
There is certainly no shortage of eating houses and pubs in the city although for the most popular you will still need to book (as we found out!)

All standard cuisines are available and the occasional literary extra is provided - such as being able to have a coffee in the Elephant House Cafe where J. K. Rowling wrote some of the first Harry Potter book. There is even a whole literary pub crawl on offer.

Rule Britannia!
Just a short tartan-seated bus ride away (£3.00 for an all day ticket) is the port of Leith where the Royal Yacht 'Britannia' is moored next to the huge Ocean Terminal shopping and entertainment centre. When the yacht was decommissioned in 1997 Leith won the right to host the ship.

An exhibition describes with a variety of photos and memorabilia how the yacht was used. Once aboard you are assisted by an audio guide (available in over 20 languages!) that describes each location as you make your way over five decks from bridge to engine room via the state apartments.

HMY Britannia was launched in 1953 and in many ways the decor and facilities had not changed much in forty years service. Apparently the Queen had wanted a homely rather than palatial effect and she certainly achieved it.

The royal bedrooms seemed particularly austere and old fashioned until we saw the quarters of the 300 crew members. But the state rooms were more impressive and you could easily see why a meal on the Royal Yacht was something that presidents and leaders across the world were keen to experience.

During the tour we were able to pause for tea in the 'Royal Deck Tea Room' (new for 2009) with views over the Firth of Forth.

Overall we thought the visit a relaxing, authentic and worthwhile experience.

Historic Castle
At the top of The Royal Mile the most visited tourist attraction in Scotland, Edinburgh Castle, dominates the city and provides fantastic panoramic views from its battlements.

As we entered the courtyard there was still evidence of the military tattoo that takes place on the esplanade during the August festival period.

Again an audio guide helped us get to grips with the castle's long and varied history. Toni and I try to synchronise the commentary so we can still enjoy the experience together rather than as two individuals.

The tour included the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots' son James IV (in not much more than a box room!); the emotionally charged Scottish National War Memorial and various regimental museums.

A definite highlight was the Scottish crown jewels displayed with the 'Stone of Destiny' and supported by an extensive exhibition.

Comedy Night Out
Taking full advantage of the Fraser Suites kitchen facilities we cooked a meal and relaxed in our own accommodation before we joined up with another lastminute.com globetrotter, Craig, to visit one of Edinburgh's top comedy venues - The Stand (5 York Place).

Although the Fringe Festival was over for this year it did not mean that we couldn't have a good laugh.

This intimate venue offers entertainment every night of the week which mean even though we arrived early it was just about 'standing room only'. Luckily we found some of the last remaining seats in a corner and had a good couple of hours of humour with a Scottish twist.

We've learned from previous experience not to sit too close to the stage or volunteer information unless you're prepared to get dragged into the act. Fortunately others in the audience were less reserved and endured the biting wit of the host Craig Hill with good grace (as if they had a choice!).

For our second weekend in London we were treated to a luxurious room at the prestigious and somewhat French 'Sofitel St James' on the corner of Waterloo Place and Pall Mall.

While I went off to park the car Toni unpacked and settled into the room (or more specifically the soft and cosy bed!)

We started our weekend with an aperitif in the bar - where we spotted Derek Thompson (a.k.a. Casualty's Charlie Fairhead) deep in conversation - we then transferred to the 'Brasserie Roux' in-house restaurant inspired by Albert Roux the famous chef, where we met up with another 'Lastminute.com' winner.

Toni's starter was crab soup whilst I preferred a roast beetroot salad with Roquefort cheese. We both chose rib-eye steak as our main and shared a chocolate ice cream filled mille-feuille (like a custard slice)

Super Saturday
The Hotel is very central and close to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and The Mall.

After breakfast we took a stroll through St James's Park, the oldest of London's royal parks, it has an amazing variety of birdlife (including descendants of pelicans presented to Charles II)

We wandered up to Buckingham Palace. During August and September (while the Queen is away) visits to parts of the palace are allowed but we didn't have time as we had to get ready for lunch.

Catching the Number 9 bus from hotel we were able to spot some familiar sights such as the Royal Albert Hall before getting off by Barkers Department store.

We were told that lunch had been booked for us at the Virgin Limited Edition 'Babylon' Restaurant at the Roof Gardens. There is no obvious sign for this place and we stumbled across the entrance when we went into what looked like an office reception. It was a bit like something out of an old fashioned spy movie with the password being 'We have a reservation'

On the 7th floor we were met by the restaurant's friendly staff and could hear that the place was really busy - so not such a well kept secret after all! Looking out from the terrace there are views across London but it is only when you look down one floor you realise what a special place this is.

High above Kensington High Street is Europe's largest roof garden complete with full grown trees, a water feature and (although we didn't see them) flamingos.

We were there on a Saturday so the gardens were reserved for a wedding party otherwise we could have had a look around.

The meal was great too. Mushroom risotto for both of us followed by grilled sea bass for Toni and haddock for me. We both chose the mango soufflé for dessert but unfortunately so did many others so we had to settle for panacotta. Good value all things considered and a place we will definitely bring others.

'Breakfast at Tiffany's'

As a further treat we had tickets for the newly opened 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' show at the Theatre Royal Haymarket conveniently just round the corner from the hotel.

Most of the offerings in the West End seem to be musicals or comedies these days. This is neither although there is a bit of singing and a couple of laughs.

Based on a novella by Trueman Capote made famous by the film starring Audrey Hepburn I knew little of the story before seeing this new stage adaptation (so I don't know how true to either it is)

A blonde Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) stars as Holly Golightly with Joseph Cross (Milk) as the male lead with a supporting cast. Set in New York in the 1940's it is a play about personality; relationships and the tensions between 'true love' and financial security. I found it interesting as a piece of theatre and visually stimulating (not just the nude scenes!) but for me the plot was neither relevant nor emotionally engaging enough.

Relaxed Sunday

The City had been given over to the cycle with a special event closing several roads whilst enthusiasts and families cycled round the city. There was a real party atmosphere celebrating the freedom of the roads. London may soon be adopting a cycle hire scheme like those we've seen in Barcelona and Paris.

Although there are many places to visit go we spent the day simply walking to a particular shop Toni wanted to look at. This sounds quite boring but in fact the whole area of St James and Mayfair (we seem to be collecting 'Monopoly' locations!) is full of great architecture; statues of famous people (such as Florence Nightingale) and other distractions. We spent a little while browsing through the produce on offer at Fortnum and Masons and saw preparations for the new Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Reflections on London
London as a tourist destination seems to get better and better. Although not necessarily cheap the range of restaurants; shows and attractions is easily the largest on offer with many free activities available too. We know that we have barely scratched the surface of things to do in the capital so we will no doubt be finding time to revisit in the future.

Arrival
There is no special announcement when the Eurostar train enters the 'chunnel' so when you arrive in Paris, just two and a quarter hours after leaving London, it takes a while to work out why everything is in French!

We were based in the 10th arrondissement at the three star 'Hotel Magenta' on the Boulevard de Magenta (guess what colour it was painted) A perfectly adequate tourist hotel conveniently near a Metro stop two down from the Gare du Nord international terminus.

In fact we used the Metro all the time as it is not only cheap (just over a pound for any journey length) but also the Paris system has many more stations per square kilometre than some other cities. Parisians also have the convenience of using rental bikes from communal racks in locations every 300m or so. Just 29 Euros for a whole year!
NRU

For our first meal we thought we would stay local. I had picked out a couple of suggestions from guide sites before leaving Birmingham but as I had lastminute.com's 'NRU' application on the iphone I tried this. Part compass, part guide book this nifty programme displays a selection of places near to your location (shown as an interactive 'radar' screen).

You can then click on any fetured place to read reviews, view a map and even book online using 'fonefood'. I liked the sound of 'Auberge Nicolas Flamel', 51 Rue De Montmorency, which claims to be the oldest restaurant in Paris (1407).

I was a bit sceptical of the ability of the NRU programme to book a table but it was easy to do and more amazingly when we arrived at the restaurant they were actually expecting us! The fixed price menu gave us starters and mains that were well presented but it was the desserts that were the most memorable.

The chocolate 'gold bar' is a speciality and makes reference to the original owner and alchemist Flamel.

Rock en Seine

Although on the outskirts of Paris, Pont de St Cloud was an ideal setting for the Rock en Seine festival. Not only was it remarkably easy to get to (loads of public transport options) but the organisation was smooth and the facilities plentiful (there was even a 'mini' festival section for 6 to 10 year olds)

The park had the River Seine as one boundary and a wooded hill as another making it feel quite secluded. On the relatively compact site three music stages had been constructed and I wondered whether there would be sound interference between them but this did not happen and actually the sound quality and staging of all of the acts was excellent.

The 'Grand Scène' was the main stage set at the bottom of a slope for easier viewing. We spent most of our time at the 'Scène de la Cascade' a slightly smaller stage but one that had the bands we wanted to see (or at least had heard of!) 'Scène de l'Industrie' was even smaller and featured an eclectic mix of new bands.

Toni and I were impressed by 'Keane' who were good value and the 'Yeah Yeah Yeahs' who didn't seem to know when to stop. It is quite strange to find the predominantly French crowd singing in English songs that you don't know yourself. But for us the real show stoppers were Madness - high energy from the start and finishing with a flurry of their hits. The big disappointments were 'Oasis' who failed to turn up after splitting (again) on the day they were due to appear.

There is no doubt that Toni and I were not the target audience for this sort of event but if the right bands were on I wouldn't be surprised to be back here again or recommending it to our sons.

Eiffel Tower and the Seine
It seems that wherever you are in Paris you want to know where the Eiffel Tower is and feel privileged when you can see it. So inevitably we were drawn to it. Whilst waiting underneath its four giant legs in the queue for the lifts I had time to read up on the 120 year history of the tower.

It is now, of course, the symbol of Paris, but when it was first built as a temporary structure for an 'exposition' there was an outcry saying that it was an eyesore. At 300m it was once the tallest building in the world and originally painted canary yellow! (At least it wasn't Magenta)

Once up the tower the views are stunning even though apart from basic compass directions there is nothing else to help you work out what you are seeing. The gift shop had some very strange items including the Eiffel Tower depicted as various animals (why a cow?)

From the Tower we spotted boat tours of the Seine nearby so, as it was a sunny day, we took a leisurely aquatic tour of famous landmarks such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Grand Palais.

The Louvre
We decided to rectify the fact that we had never seen the 'Mona Lisa' or the 'Venus de Milo' live. We did not know what to expect when we arrived at the museum but were amazed by the scale and scope of the Louvre complex.

There is no doubt that the Louvre houses one of the greatest art collections in the world but the rooms and the buildings themselves are very much part of the experience. I had thought that the recently added modern glass pyramid would look out of place but for me it brought the site to life by joining the various parts together.

The Sacré- Coeur
With a little time to spare before our return to the UK (and because we could see it from our hotel window) we visited the Sacré- Coeur an all white oddly-shaped church built on a hilltop in the Montmartre are. It rivals the slightly older Eiffel Tower as the highest tourist attraction in Paris.

To get there we used the funicular railway (part of the Metro system) rather than climb the steps. We spent time just sitting and looking at the architecture. We have learnt that when looking at anything you need to pause a while and then all of a sudden details become apparent.

A Mass was being held while we were there and I am afraid I have to confess that Toni and I were both reminded of 'Sister Act' as the choir of nuns started singing. Irreverent but true and once the thought is there what can you do?
Finale
It has been many years since we visited Paris but we found that the city has a lot to offer and plenty more to discover when we, no doubt, return.

Tunisia

Our BA flight time from Gatwick to Tunisia www.lastminute.com/tunisia was quite civilised avoiding 'crack of dawn start' and arriving at the hotel darkness. We try to regard journeys as part of the holiday so we treated the hour and a half air-conditioned taxi transfer from Tunis, the capital, to Port El Kantaoui as an opportunity to see the countryside. We saw olive groves and shepherds tending their flocks with the occasional rugged outcrop as we whizzed by on the motorway.

Friday

We started the weekend early at Imli's Indian Tapas restaurant in the heart of the West End. The restaurant, opened by the same group that own the award-winning 'Tamarind', was already filling with pre-show diners.

There were a variety of tastes and styles on offer with every dish a combination of harmonised spices and textures served in a way to encourage sharing.  For dessert the friendly staff insisted on us trying their 'Raspberry Black Salt Sorbet' - zing zing!

A short walk past famous-name offices and the Liberty shop (£65 for a hair band - I don't think so!) took us to our show theatre. The last time Toni sat at the London Palladium was to see 'Beat the Clock' and Frank ("I remember you-hoo!") Ifield! We had never been to a West End show before so were not sure what to expect. It was quite a treat. 'Sister Act' deserves its five-star rating.

The sound quality was excellent throughout - even with multiple voices; quality acting came from Sheila Hancock and Ian Lavender (who, incidentally, went to Bournville School like me!) and the choreography was tight throughout. Patina Miller's leading high-energy performance drew a deserved standing ovation at the end of the show (Was she in the Imli restaurant earlier?). But for me most amazing was the inventive staging. At one point I could almost believe in the recreation of an entire cathedral on stage.

Saturday

For this weekend we were based at the modern 'Park Plaza County Hall'. Our studio room provided plenty of space including a separate lounge, kitchenette and a great (but silent) view of the comings and goings at Waterloo station.

The hotel is conveniently positioned for access to the South Bank and we started our sightseeing by Thames Clipper river taxi round trip to the O2 Arena.

After lunch in the Tate Modern overlooking the Thames we viewed the free art exhibitions. We found it easy to pick out the Picassos following our recent trip to Barcelona and found that it pays to read the explanatory notes on the wall. Otherwise we would have missed the point of one of the most interesting exhibits - a recreation of ordinary objects in plastic sculpture that otherwise looked like a pile of junk.

I went on to explore 'Vinopolis' a wine and spirit tasting experience set in former wine vaults. There is a lot to be learnt about wine and spirit production from the knowledgeable staff, quirky exhibits and audio commentary from Oz Clarke (although I think much of this would have been lost on the hen parties visiting at the same time as me!)

London at night seems like a different place so, as it was perfect weather for a late evening stroll, we crossed the bridge to The Palace of Westminster up Whitehall and past Downing Street to Trafalgar Square. Here we managed to attract the attention of the person on top of the Anthony Gormley 'Forth Plinth' and were rewarded with a melted chocolate biscuit for our troubles.   

We were impressed by the cleanliness and order we found in a city coping well with hordes of tourists!

Sunday

Being so close to the London Eye we just had to take a 'flight' (pre-booked on the day by phone).

The stunning views reminded us that there is so much more to see in London that will have to wait for future visits. But we still had just enough time to squeeze in a quick tube trip to the Oxford Street shops before returning home.

Sunday

As always we tend to have a basic plan (without being too rigid). Today's was to visit the old town and specifically to go to the most visited museum in Barcelona - the Picasso Museum. But first breakfast from 'Forns del Pi' bakery sitting in Cathedral Square where there is a real Picasso in concrete on one of the modern buildings.

 There are fewer shops open on Sundays but no shortage of market stalls selling honey, cheeses and boiled sweets etc. We bought a mixed bag of sweets with alleged medicinal properties unfortunately we can't remember which one is which so I might be trying to cure bronchitis but stop flatulence instead.

Talented musicians can be found busking in the old town and we also stumbled across the courtyard to the cathedral - a peaceful home to thirteen geese said to be the protectors of Barcelona (like the Tower of London ravens)

We paid the 9€ entry for the Picasso Museum but if we had waited until after 3 pm we could have got in for free. There is a vast collection of paintings and pottery from the whole of Picasso's life. His early works are more plentiful and showed that he had great artistic potential even as a child. As you progress through his life's work the style changes are quite shocking even now.

We headed back for a final 'people watch' on La Rambla calling in at a shop selling masks used in the theatre and 'masked balls' and a specialist 'bomboneria' where locals were buying exquisite gift wrapped trays of sweets and cakes - we bought a meringue to share (funny how they never quite live up to expectations)

Barcelona, a city that first came to my attention when it won the right to host the 1992 Olympics (I have still got the Birmingham Olympic bid tie somewhere) it is now one of the few cities we might claim to know quite well but one we would jump at revisiting time after time.

Saturday

Just by our hotel was one of the largest department stores in Barcelona 'El Cortes Ingles'. We had a look around some of the floors but escaped with credit card intact!

There are a number of vantage points with views over the city - the Gaudi-landscaped Park Guell; the top of Gaudi's awesome, but still only half-built 'La Sagrada Familia' church and Tibidabo (a high hill accessed by an old tram) but we headed instead via metro, funicular railway and cable car to 'Montjuic' (Jewish Mountain).

The fort on top has a violent history although nowadays it is quite empty there are plans for future development. Incidentally, the cafe hidden away in the fort itself had great value meals on offer.

The area lower down the hillside has, over the years, been transformed with a series of museums; Olympic venues and other attractions that could keep you busy for days.

Although the sea is somehow always 'there' we had never actually sat on a Barcelona beach. So as the weather was still 'scorchio!' and having borrowed a couple of towels from the hotel, we took another cable car from Montjuic to the port.

The beach was crowded with weekenders and there was no shortage of hawkers (from massages to fresh coconut). Toni bravely took the plunge while I gallantly guarded our belongings. Although Barcelona is essentially very friendly like most hot spots there are unscrupulous people about.

In the evening we booked (a wise precaution) to eat at one of the most famous restaurants in Barcelona.

'Set Portes' or 'seven doors' has been in existence in various guises for 170 years. Near the sea front on the Passeig d'Isabel II it is almost hidden in an old-style cloistered building.

The bow-tied waiting staff, dark wood interior and black and white tiled floor all suggest a seriousness about food. But it is a child and tourist friendly place with helpful staff that try to prevent you from over-ordering. A salad starter for one was more than enough to share.

We had the famous Paella 'Parellada', named after a previous proprietor.

Also called the rich or lazy man's paella as all the bones and shells have been removed before cooking.

Over the remains of a reasonably priced house wine we could consider who might once have sat in our seats as the walls are lined with small brass plates commemorating famous diners such as Orson Welles, Joan Collins, Placido Domingo, Pele and Salvador Dali.

Saturday

Just by our hotel was one of the largest department stores in Barcelona 'El Cortes Ingles'. We had a look around some of the floors but escaped with credit card intact!

There are a number of vantage points with views over the city - the Gaudi-landscaped Park Guell; the top of Gaudi's awesome, but still only half-built 'La Sagrada Familia' church and Tibidabo (a high hill accessed by an old tram) but we headed instead via metro, funicular railway and cable car to 'Montjuic' (Jewish Mountain).

The fort on top has a violent history although nowadays it is quite empty there are plans for future development. Incidentally, the cafe hidden away in the fort itself had great value meals on offer.

The area lower down the hillside has, over the years, been transformed with a series of museums; Olympic venues and other attractions that could keep you busy for days.

Although the sea is somehow always 'there' we had never actually sat on a Barcelona beach. So as the weather was still 'scorchio!' and having borrowed a couple of towels from the hotel, we took another cable car from Montjuic to the port.

The beach was crowded with weekenders and there was no shortage of hawkers (from massages to fresh coconut). Toni bravely took the plunge while I gallantly guarded our belongings. Although Barcelona is essentially very friendly like most hot spots there are unscrupulous people about.

In the evening we booked (a wise precaution) to eat at one of the most famous restaurants in Barcelona. 'Set Portes' or 'seven doors' has been in existence in various guises for 170 years. Near the sea front on the Passeig d'Isabel II it is almost hidden in an old-style cloistered building.

The bow-tied waiting staff, dark wood interior and black and white tiled floor all suggest a seriousness about food. But it is a child and tourist friendly place with helpful staff that try to prevent you from over-ordering. A salad starter for one was more than enough to share.

We had the famous Paella 'Parellada', named after a previous proprietor. Also called the rich or lazy man's paella as all the bones and shells have been removed before cooking.

Over the remains of a reasonably priced house wine we could consider who might once have sat in our seats as the walls are lined with small brass plates commemorating famous diners such as Orson Welles, Joan Collins, Placido Domingo, Pele and Salvador Dali.

Like Birmingham, Barcelona is a 'second city' but it feels more like a capital. It has everything you could wish for and more - art, sport, culture, entertainment, shopping, architecture, the gothic 'old town', great food, sun, sea, sand and sangria.

It would be difficult to cram everything on offer into just a weekend so it is fortunate that Toni and I have been to this city before (celebrating our silver wedding anniversary).
Our hotel, was the four-star Atenea Aparthotel in the Les Corts area.

The location was out of the absolute centre, where it can get a bit noisy, and not far from Camp Nou home of FC Barcelona. However, we liked the fact that it was just a block from a metro station on the busy green line which meant that we could be whisked in air-conditioned carriages to the heart of the city in no time.

La Rambla is the most famous street in Barcelona and is a strange mixture of restaurants, souvenir shops, flower stalls, pet shops, artists and street entertainers. When abroad we tend to accumulate loose change so it is good to donate a few coins to the human statues and buskers that are plentiful here.

One diversion is to wander round the 'Mercat de la Boqueria' to admire the colourful fresh produce on display. There is something about food markets that attract tourists and this one with its modernist architecture always offers a little bit more.

The Spanish tend to eat late so as we were arriving at local peak time there was an hour wait for a table. Fortunately we could get served drinks and were able to soak in some of the manic atmosphere of the busy serving area in full flow.

Once seated in the bottle-lined restaurant we were not disappointed with the selection of tapas on offer which included goat's cheese on a bed of vegetables, cured ham and mini steaks. Toni and I made sure we left room to share a 'Crème Catalana' - Spanish crème brulee (or basically custard with burnt sugar on top!)

It is hardly believable that just a few days ago I was told that my application for the role of Globe Trotter for lastminute.com had been successful.

After recovering from the shock, my wife and I have been looking forward to a continuous programme of hotels, spas, city breaks, events and holidays every weekend from now until the middle of October. We couldn't wait.

We didn't have to travel very far for our first trip - Birmingham, although you realise you don't have to go far from home to enjoy yourself.