FEB
05

Discovering Turin

Discovering Turin
Turin, the capital of the Piedmont region in the northwestern corner of Italy, has enjoyed a brief moment basking in the international spotlight when it hosted the winter Olympics in 2006. But as often happens with these large events, the glory dims almost as quickly as the ritual flame is extinguished and the circus moves on. As the weeds grow on ...
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OCT
08

What's new in... Benidorm

What's new in... Benidorm
From a fishing village to a sprawling city with a skyline that rivals Hong Kong, perhaps one of the most enduring examples of how the package holiday business has changed not just Spain, but the whole of the Med. Benidorm has a particular reputation. Its fame is for being rather cheap and trashy; one of the main destinations for a certain...
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SEP
01

The Gay Weekender: Vienna

The Gay Weekender: Vienna
Vienna is one of Europe's most majestic cities, crafted to be the monumental capital of a wealthy and powerful empire that once stretched throughout the middle of the continent and then quickly disappeared after the First World War. Wandering through its grand boulevards and rich buildings you can still feel the echoes of this grand past and rather...
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AUG
28

Tangier. LGBT Playground of the Artists

Tangier. LGBT Playground of the Artists
Over the last couple of years a series of news headlines brought to the attention of the general public the increasing difficulties encountered by the LGBT community in Morocco. In 2014 Ray Cole, a British man was arrested in Marrakech together with his young Moroccan lover on suspicion of 'homosexual acts'. Cole later received a four months senten...
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AUG
23

Amsterdam Pride

Amsterdam Pride
What makes a Gay Pride really memorable? There are literally thousands of events in Europe alone, in itself a great sign of visibility and increased tolerance. All of them are different and worthy of attendance. All are also extremely important for the local LGBT communities. And yet, if one had to make a list what would be the most outstanding eve...
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AUG
19

Singapore's Gardens by the Bay: A Journey Through Nature

Singapore's Gardens by the Bay: A Journey Through Nature
Singapore is one of those places often associated with gleaming skyscrapers and a hectic and bustling life, but the Asian metropolis is also famous for being nicknamed the 'Garden City', because of its numerous, lush and manicured parks. It was exactly a decade ago - in 2006, that the local government decided that it was time to...
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AUG
18

Gay History of Vauxhall

Gay History of Vauxhall
The ever changing face of London is probably one of the most attractive qualities of the British Capital. London is one of those places that never seem to stop morphing, adapting, updating themselves. In many cities this perpetual transformation would be rejected, considered as lack of respect for tradition and history, but not in London....
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AUG
02

Coastal Treasures near Rome

Coastal Treasures near Rome
Who can resist the warm romance of Rome, its classic yet eternal elegance, the immense wealth of history and art treasures, its golden summer sunsets? And Naples, sitting in the shadow of ominous Mount Vesuvius, with its often chaotic but fascinating beauty, its warm and colourful people and the beautiful islands of Capri and Ischia just a short fe...
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JUL
08

Live Rome like a Local: Trastevere - Day & Night

Live Rome like a Local: Trastevere - Day & Night
Trastevere is one of the most picturesque districts of Rome, with its cobbled streets, colourful red and ochre buildings and thriving bohemian nightlife. At the same time, being on the left bank of the Tiber, it has always had its own very distinctive character, which it still maintains today. It is one of those neighbourhood where you can still fe...
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5233 Hits
JUN
30

London History - A Gay Map, 1726

London History - A Gay Map, 1726
London is without doubt one of the most accepting and tolerant cities for LGBT people today, though it's often easy to forget how the massive change in social attitudes and policies has only happened in the last fifty or so years. Before that, it was a pretty different world - a much more hostile one. In a previous post I examined Oscar Wilde 's Lo...
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MAY
10

Florence's Gay Renaissance

Florence's Gay Renaissance
A SPLENDID ARTISTIC TIME Florence's opulence and splendour during the Renaissance gave its inhabitants a relatively relaxed and comfortable lifestyle. Artists from all over Italy and beyond came to work in the city, trade and commerce prospered, writers and poets established themselves here. What many people don't know is that Florence at the time ...
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MAY
04

Brighton: Gay by the Seaside

Brighton: Gay by the Seaside
The seaside city of Brighton, on the south cost of England is today recognised as one of the LGBT hotspots in the UK. Its Pride is one of the most popular in the country and a recent survey has estimated that between 11 and 13% of the city's residents identify themselves as LGBT. The proximity to London, just about an hour away by train, means that...
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4193 Hits
MAY
02

Art, Underground - Six of the Best

Art, Underground - Six of the Best
​ Urban metro systems are the lifeblood of most cities; tens of thousands of locals and visitors alike use them on a daily basis. Travelling on often crowded trains can be unpleasant, but in many cases the experience is made more appealing by the fact that in many European cities the metro systems also double as art galleries, s...
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5021 Hits
APR
26

Best 5 Summertime City Oasis

Best 5 Summertime City Oasis
I am sure that at least once we have all found ourselves in the centre of a major city, in the middle of the summer, the tarmac melting under our feet and the searing heat radiating from the buildings wondering why the hell we didn't choose a better time to visit... But thankfully many cities boasts oasis where visitors and locals alike can sw...
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6653 Hits
APR
22

Celebrating Gay Villages (1)

Celebrating Gay Villages (1)
Some people may argue that the notion of 'gay village' is outdated today, in an age of increased acceptance of LGBT people. Do we actually need separate neighbourhoods to socialise, get together, have fun? And has the advent of social apps reduced our need for such spaces, or for opportunities where we can feel 'majority'? All open questions, ...
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3150 Hits
APR
09

Manchester - A city of Firsts

Manchester - A city of Firsts
​Manchester is a city of firsts: it saw the first canal of the industrial era, the Bridgewater Canal in 1761, the first public omnibus service in 1824, the first steam passenger railway in 1830, the first telephone exchange in the UK in 1879 - and we can go on. Manchester in the 18th and 19th century was the industrial powerhouse of the British Emp...
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APR
02

Columbia Road Flower Market

Columbia Road Flower Market
There is something special about markets: no visit is like the previous one. And this is even more so when it comes to the colourful and varied Columbia Road Flower Market, in London's East End. On any Sunday, come rain or shine this beautiful street market is a riot of colours and gorgeous scents, able to brighten even the dullest London winter da...
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APR
02

Barcelona - A Short History of the Eixample

Barcelona - A Short History of the Eixample
Barcelona's Eixample district is the city's main LGBT neighbourhood. Here locals and visitors alike find bars, clubs and shops catering for our community. Many gay & lesbian people have set residence in this area, which is famous for its long tree-lined streets and uniform blocks with chamfered corners, set in a strict grid pattern.  One o...
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APR
01

Girona, the Jewel of Catalunya

Girona, the Jewel of Catalunya
​Girona is often known as the gateway to the Costa Brava. During the summer months its small airport receives many scheduled and charter flights from across Europe, however the majority of the passengers flying here will never set foot in the town itself and instead proceed straight to the coast. But Girona is actually a gorgeous and picturesque to...
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MAR
30

Taormina, the first 'gay resort'

Taormina, the first 'gay resort'
In the 19th century attitudes towards gay people were generally hostile; homosexual behaviours - especially male on male - were usually sanctioned by law in many countries. However there was a steep divide between some northern European countries where homosexuality was severely punished with years of jail and/or forced labour and other countries, ...
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