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Have you ever been on a garden tour? Last weekend my aunt Tamara threw open the gate to this lovely big old Australian house she and my uncle George have renovated in Eaglehawk on the outskirts of Bendigo in the goldfields region of Victoria. It's the same house where Terry and I have been lucky to spend our time writing up the two Australian books over recent months (and where we finished writing the Cyprus and Italy books while we planned our Australian road trip last year); the same house with the rustic kitchen where Terry does so much cooking in the evenings to keep us sated and sane (the results of which you can see on his blog Wide angles, wine and wanderlust). So Tamara threw open the doors to a horticultural group - most of them quite elderly, some of them a little frail, many of them horticultural judges, all wearing hand-written name tags - so they could tour this splendid garden. She did the same last month, at the request of the president of the Eaglehawk Dahlia and Arts Festival, and she does the same every year. Two tour groups arrived that Saturday, as they did this last weekend - just to stroll the glorious garden here. They admired specific plants, and discussed whether they were 'native' or 'exotic', they appreciated the arrangement of things, pointing at one plant and then another, and they secretly snipped clippings to take home (of course I noticed) where I guess they hoped to achieve similar wondrous results. Tamara had spent a couple of days beforehand giving the garden a general tidy, pulling weeds, watering, and sweeping paths, and that morning we put the sign up the president had provided on display out front. I didn't see the need for a sign as the group were arriving on a bus organized for them. Perhaps it was simply to formalize the event? It was nothing more than an amble about a garden after all. But to the group it was obviously a special day. Tamara didn't do a lot to prepare the garden, as I said. She said they could accept it the way it was. And they did. They absolutely delighted in strolling the garden. And who wouldn't?

And it is an enchanting garden, in the style of those wild, romantic, 18th century, English cottage gardens that inspired the Italians to establish their elaborate, sprawling villa gardens on the Italian Lakes. From the front gate a path meanders up to the porch of the house, a pretty pond on one side that's home to frogs, a fountain and floating waterlilies, and on the other side a shimmery birch forest and beyond that another pond that's home to a handsome white duck called Ferdinand and an ever-expanding school of fish that magically appeared one day (a theory is that birds dropped the fish in on their flight past, but people in these parts always have theories). Another path leads by the side of the house, itself concealed by creeping vines, where there is another small birch forest and everywhere an abundance of greenery. Beyond this a terrace with a big glass table and charming wrought-iron chairs where we occasionally sit together and eat in the sun - generally only when there are guests and not nearly as much as we should. The whole garden is lush and leafy and fragrant, with plenty of places to sit scattered about, a bench here, chairs and tables there, a swinging seat in the corner - all made for sitting back with a glass of something to delight in this gorgeous garden. And of course, we seldom do that either. I remember being a child and playing in my grandparents' gardens, hiding beneath big hollow shrubs I'd turn into cubby houses where I could hold tea parties with my dolls, and I wished then that I'd had a garden like this with its secret spots seemingly created especially for 'hide and seek'. This garden must be heaven for small children. Just as it was to the older garden-lovers last weekend...

Do you regularly imagine a place where there’s a limitless air of elegance? Have you ever dreamed you’re once the handsome prince waiting for your Cinderella? Do you imagine yourself standing at the center of a ground and you’re surrounded with breathtaking walls and towers? If you answer yes to these series of questions, maybe it’s time for you to stop daydreaming and book a flight in Berkshire to see the 484,000 sq. ft. Windsor Castle.

Yes folks; the Windsor Castle is the answer to your deepest fantasy. This grand attraction help you realize that things you only see in animated films do really exists in real life. You see, the interior and exterior layout of this castle has evolved throughout the years. Lots of eye-watering landmarks are added but the positioning of most main features remained untouched.

So, what are these grand attractions you can see inside the Windsor Castle? Let’s start with the Round Tower. It’s called as such obviously because of its cylindrical and irregular round shape that cuts the castle into two sections, the Lower and the Upper Ward. You should be in the Lower Ward if you want to see the Baroque style of St. George Chapel. This chapel already looks so good at the outside with its meticulously-carved big windows. What more if you’re exploring the inside as you see the burial place of Henry VIII. 

The Upper Ward consists of the private royal apartments, the George’s Hall and more state rooms. There’s no need for you to doubt, living in those private apartments is a grand. All what you need and all what you want to eat are at grabs in an instant. All you probably need to do is ask.   

The St. George Hall is simply splendid. Entering this hall, you’ll be amazed with a very wide space and impressive set of high-quality furniture all around. The ceiling is decorated with coat of arms with those brave-hearted, Order of the Garter. The experience is a delight once you’re here, you can spontaneously say this area is without a doubt an ideal place for whatever dream event you have in mind.

The Royal Home Park is another must-see attraction inside this castle. The whole area is divided into two; one for parkland and the other area is for farms. If you are interested, you can schedule for a tour visit in Frogmore House and Gardens. Just by the name of the attraction, it sounds like it’s already a piece of paradise waiting to be explored.

There’s also a private school in the north part of the castle known as the St. George’s Windsor Castle. The purpose of erecting this school is to train students who want to be a part of a choir in the chapel.

There’s also this beautiful scene referred to as The Quadrangle, located in the Upper Ward from the North West. Taking a picture with you at the center of this vast ground is really a fantastic moment so hard to believe. Sad though, this place is not open for tourists.

In many cases when the Royal Family is in, anyone is not allowed to tour. So, it’s better to make an advanced reservation before visiting Winsdor Castle.

Check out our story on Australia's sultry 'Top End' city of Darwin on Viator. We spent a few weeks in this tropical town just before the Wet season started, using it as a base to explore Kakadu, Arnhem Land and Litchfield and we absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, for many travellers heading Down Under, Darwin isn't much more than a jumping-off point for adventures elsewhere, but we think its superb museums, buzzy markets, and multicultural vibe make it deserving of a few days stay. On Viator, we provide a more detailed itinerary for two days in the steamy city, but here's a taster:

DAY ONE
1. Check into lush lodgings - our picks are SkyCity, home to Darwin's best restaurant EVOO (pictured), and the luxurious tropical-style Moonshadow Villas, and their chic sister apartments in the CBD. Out of the many backpacker places, we liked the look of Melaleuca on Mitchell.
2. Get your bearings with a tour - no trip to Australia is complete without an Aboriginal-led tour, so we recommend experiencing Darwin through the eyes of an indigenous guide with Batji Tours.
3. Get a culture fix - this is a hot and humid city, so it's best to spend the warmest part of the day indoors and hit Darwin’s excellent Museum and Art Gallery of the NT which boasts a stunning Indigenous Art collection and a quirky exhibit on Darwin’s tragic destruction on Christmas Eve 1974 by Cyclone Tracy.
4. Smile at a crocodile (from a safe distance!) - the region is home to some terrifying salt-water crocs, so it's essential to learn as much as you can about them before heading bush. You can get as close as you'll ever want to get at Crocosaurus Cove (in the 'Cage of Death'!) or view croc feedings on guided tours at Crocodylus Park.
5. Hit the markets - for a small city, Darwin has two brilliant markets: Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, where during the Dry season you can enjoy sundowners from the sandy beach with the locals (who bring their fold-up chairs and beer-filled eskies along!) and delicious Asian food from the stalls over the dunes (Darwin is close to Indonesia and has a large Asian population); and the year-round Parap Village Market on Saturday mornings for more spicy Asian food, crafts, hippy clothes, and Aboriginal Art.
6. Tuck into some tasty Australia seafood by the sea - dinner by the water is a must-do in Darwin, whether it’s fish and chips washed down with beer at Stokes Hill Wharf or a moonlit meal from a restaurant table overlooking boats bobbing in the water at Cullen Bay Marina.

If you want to find out what else there is to do in Darwin, see part 2 of our taster, and the more detailed piece on Viator, where you can also book tours.

Here's a taster of the second day of our 2 Days in Tropical Darwin itinerary (see part 1 here) which we wrote for Viator. You can read and print our more comprehensive piece at Viator, where you can also book some of the tours we've mentioned:

DAY TWO
1. Take a walk in the park (or around town) - Darwin’s city centre is compact and first thing in the morning (before it heats up) is the best time for a stroll. The pedestrian-only Smith Street has Aboriginal art galleries and gift shops. On the Esplanade is gracious old Government House, the striking modern Parliament House, and leafy Bicentennial Park overlooking the turquoise sea.
2. Appreciate the devastation of Darwin in WWII - the continual bombing of Darwin by the Japanese (there were more bombs dropped here than Pearl Harbour) profoundly affected the city (and Australian psyche); you can learn about the damage, losses and resilience of the people at the fascinating East Point Military Museum and Aviation Heritage Centre.
3. Savour the sunset under some sails - the city enjoys some sublime sunsets, which can be best appreciated from the deck of an historic pearl lugger such as the 1959 Streeter, with a glass of champagne in hand.
4. Down a few drinks with some Darwinites - Darwin’s alcohol consumption is well above Australia's already heady national average, and buzzy Mitchell Street is where locals do much of their drinking, in boisterous bars such as Ducks Nuts and the Lizards Bar and Grill.

Pictured? That's the gorgeous Moonshadow Villa we stayed in, set within lush tropical gardens. If you want to find out more, visit Viator.

I'm kicking myself for only having now discovered Maira Kalman's enchanting and inspiring series of 'blogs' about American democracy, that are more like illustrated stories, in the New York Times. (Most of you might know Kalman for her beautifully illustrated covers for The New Yorker). Called And the Pursuit of Happiness, the 'posts' represent a delightfully-naive, obversation-rich documentation of sightseeing visits to Washington for Obama's inauguration (called The Inauguration. At Last), to Philadelphia for the Lincoln Archive (In Love with A Lincoln), to Vermont to observe a town meeting (So Moved), and to the Supreme Court (May It Please The Court). Part-travel journal, part-history lesson, and part-fashion/food/design notes, they're very much written and illustrated from the point of view of a woman traveller experiencing the (democratic) world (or, America) for the first time. I'm a huge fan of Kalman's book (un)fashion, which she produced with her husband Tibor Kalman (an influential designer himself who was creative director of Interview magazine, and editor-in-chief of Benetton's ground-breaking globally-aware Colors magazine in its early years; he died in 1999), and although this is quite a different project, you'll see a similarity between the fantastic portraits of people in both the book and the 'blogs'. Let me know what you think.