January 2013

“It has been gradually slicing its way up London’s skyline for more than three years now, and The Shard - Renzo Piano's jagged glass monolith - finally welcomes its first tenants in 2013…”

"It was 200 years ago that explorer Johann Burckhardt discovered Petra. While trekking the desert between Syria and Egypt, he heard tales of an ancient city carved from sandstone..."

“There is no greater way to get to the heart of southern France than to cycle through its heart. Begin in the wine-growing town of Bordeaux and end in the cultural metropolis of Toulouse..."

"Spanning Peru, Bolivia and Chile, the Altiplano region features some of the most spectacular scenery in South America: thermal geysers, tall mountains, and the largest salt flat on earth..."

"Architect Riken Yamamoto believes airports should not merely be transport hubs, but multi-purpose centers for the world to share. And he's showing the way with The Circle in Zurich..."

“It seems like a bargain: £245,000 for a historic home that offers unrivaled views of the Devon coast. Yet this property measures just 23 by six feet. It's Britain's most expensive beach hut..."

“One of the first things you’ll notice about Wenceslas Square is that it isn’t much of a square at all - it is more like a long boulevard. In fact, the square only earned its current name in 1848..."

"Sunlight creeps into the cracks between the wooden stalls, and the Old Bazaar stirs into life. Shutters are slid open, shelves are straightened and scarves are suspended from ceilings..."

“Europe may be in the midst of its worse economic downturn in a century, but in Moscow you would be hard-pressed to notice. There have never been more luxe cars on Russian roads…”

"It's early morning and the sea is silent. Rolling fog wraps itself round the distant white-tipped volcanic peak; bald eagles swoop down on early-rising anglers in search of the first catch..."