Böcker av Caleb Gray

Leeds, United Kingdom. Travel and Tourism Guide. Just an hour south of the southern Dales and one of the fastest-growing cities in the UK, Leeds is the glitzy embodiment of rediscovered northern self-confidence. A decade and a half of redevelopment has transformed the city centre from a near-derelict mill town into a vision of 21st-century urban chic, with architecturally daring malls woven into the fabric of the city centre, a revitalised Victorian mill district and an innovative independent dining and drinking scene. People come from all over the north to indulge in shopping weekends, concert trips and the lively nightlife, giving the town a decidedly confident Yorkshire swagger. There's not much in the way of tourist sights except for the national Royal Armouries museum, but excellent transport links to the Dales, York, Harrogate, Manchester and Haworth (of Brontë literary fame) can make it a good base, without the touristy veneer of neighbouring York.

London Tour Guide, England. Travel and Tourism. One of the world's most visited cities, London has something for everyone: from history and culture to fine food and good times. Immersed in history, London's rich seams of eye-opening antiquity are everywhere. The city's buildings are striking milestones in a unique and beguiling biography, and a great many of them the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben are instantly recognisable landmarks. There's more than enough innovation (the Shard, the Tate Modern extension, the Sky Garden) to put a crackle in the air, but it never drowns out London's seasoned, centuries-old narrative. Architectural grandeur rises up all around you in the West End, ancient remains dot the City and charming pubs punctuate the historic quarters, leafy suburbs and river banks. Take your pick. Art & Culture: A tireless innovator of art and culture, London is a city of ideas and the imagination. Londoners have always been fiercely independent thinkers (and critics), but until not so long ago people were suspicious of anything they considered avant-garde. That's in the past now, and the city's creative milieu is streaked with left-field attitude, whether it's theatrical innovation, contemporary art, pioneering music, writing, poetry, architecture or design. Food is another creative arena that has become a tireless obsession in certain circles. Diversity: This city is deeply multicultural, with one in three Londoners foreign-born, representing 270 nationalities and 300 tongues. The UK may have voted for Brexit (although the majority of Londoners didn't), but for now London remains one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities, and diversity infuses daily life, food, music and fashion. It even penetrates intrinsically British institutions; the British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum have collections as varied as they are magnificent, while the flavours at centuries-old Borough Market run the full global gourmet spectrum. London is as much about wide-open vistas and leafy landscape escapes as it is high-density, sight-packed urban exploration. Central London is where the major museums, galleries and most iconic sights congregate, but visit Hampstead Heath or the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to flee the crowds and frolic in wide open green expanses. You can also venture further out to Kew Gardens, Richmond or Hampton Court Palace for beautiful panoramas of riverside London followed by a pint in a quiet waterside pub.

Lisbon Travel Guide, Portugal. Tourism Affordable prices and an alluring combination of sunny skies, glorious architecture, deep-rooted traditions, and thoroughly modern flair have made Lisbon into a top destination for travelers. Record numbers of cruise ships are now docking at the revamped port, and Lisbon has gained a reputation as one of the best spots on the continent for live music. from rock to jazz and classical. with many events held in the city's numerous leafy green spaces. Famously built on seven hills, Lisbon's terra-cotta-roofed homes, turreted castles and cathedrals, and gleaming white basilicas appear to tumble down the cobbled slopes towards the glimmering River Tagus, as visitors traverse the city on antique, rattling streetcars, modern tuk tuks, and Segways. Lisbon has embraced change without casting aside its much-loved heritage. Colorful murals on every corner make it one of the best cities in Europe to see street art, while white sheets flap from the windows of the tightly packed hillside homes of Moorish Alfama. Boutique hotels sit beside hole-in-the-wall bars where locals sip ginjinha and strong espresso as they nibble on the world's most irresistible custard tarts. The mournful sound of fado music still draws huge crowds of locals and visitors, even as hip bars and clubs move into formerly run-down areas of town. UNESCO World Heritage Sites sit proudly in the postcard-perfect suburb of Belém, the site from which Vasco da Gama and his fellow explorers set out during the much-celebrated Age of Discovery. Counting some of Europe's finest galleries, museums and cultural centers, and a vast aquarium among its indoor attractions, Lisbon has plenty to offer, even under rainy skies. An increasingly sophisticated dining scene is building on a growing appreciation for Portuguese food, with its abundant fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, and the astonishingly affordable wines that seem to accompany every meal. The relatively compact size of the city means it is possible to pack a lot into a short break, and visitors with the luxury of a longer stay can find fairy-tale mountain towns, rolling wine country, dolphin-filled bays, and long, white-sand beaches within less than an hour's reach. Despite the rising costs that have accompanied the tourism boom, prices for most goods and services are still lower than most other European countries. You can still find affordable places to eat and stay, and with distances between major sights fairly small, taxis are astonishingly cheap. All this means that Lisbon is not only a treasure chest of historical monuments, but also a place where you won't use up all your own hard-earned treasure.

New Delhi Tourism, India. Old City, New Town, South Delhi-A Travel Guide. Steeped in history yet overflowing with modern life, colourful, cacophonous Delhi pulsates with the relentless rhythms of humanity like few other cities on Earth. Old Delhi Mayhem: Honk-honk-beeeep! Welcome to Old Delhi. Love or hate it, it's impossible to ignore. Whether you make it your base, or just dip into it for shopping sprees or to see the Red Fort, you'll be hard pushed to ever forget your time in this wonderfully chaotic, and fabulously photogenic corner of the city. You'll be sharing its hectic streets and alleys with carts and cycle-rickshaws, with cows and monkeys, with shoppers and with beggars, with street-food sellers and market traders, and with cars, vans, scooters and autorickshaws; watch your back honk-honk-beeeep! A Fabulous Feast: As the capital city of one of the most delicious country's on Earth, Delhi tantalises your taste buds with its thali-like fusion of flavours from every corner of the subcontinent: Breakfast on South Indian idly; lunch on Punjabi kulchas; then, come evening, dine on rich Mughlai curries. But don't forget to leave room for some Dilli-ka-Chaat, Delhi's famously delicious street-food snacks; try sizzling kebabs for starters, then munch on aloo tikki (spiced potato patties) before getting your fingers sticky on jalebi (orange-coloured coils of deep-fried batter dunked in sugar syrup) or savouring some sumptuously creamy cardamon kheer (rice pudding). The Great Indian Bazaar: All the riches of India twinkle in Delhi's emporiums, so if you're regretting not buying that handmade kathputli (puppet) you saw in Rajasthan or that Madhubani painting you loved in Bihar, fear not; chances are you'll be able to find one here too. New Delhi's emporiums are multi-floor, gift-filled markets that are perfect for a last-minute souvenir binge before you fly home. Old Delhi's famously frenetic street bazaars, meanwhile, contain a mind-boggling array of clothes, slippers, shawls, handicrafts, food, electronics and more even if you're not buying anything, they're a joy to visit (and photograph). Eight Cities in One: Delhi is a city built upon cities. There are at least eight historical Delhis, each constructed on, or near, the ruins of its predecessor, leaving a modern-day citadel that's dotted with ancient monuments, many said to be haunted by djinns (spirits). Love history and you'll be left salivating as you trace your way through the eras, clambering across the ruined forts of Tughlaqabad, Siri, Purana Qila and Shajahanabad; exploring the magnificent tombs of eminent historical figures; and visiting the still-vibrant temples, mosques and shrines that throng with devotees today, as they have done for hundreds of years.

Lille Travel and Tourism, France. Guide to Lille Touristic sights. Capital of the Hauts-de-France région, Lille may be France's most underrated metropolis. Recent decades have seen the country's fourth-largest city (by greater urban area) transform from an industrial centre into a glittering cultural and commercial hub. Highlights include its enchanting old town with magnificent French and Flemish architecture, renowned art museums, stylish shopping, outstanding cuisine, a nightlife scene bolstered by 67,000 university students, and some 1600 designers in its environs. In 2020, Lille will become the World Design Capital (the first French city to do so), with design agencies and other creative enterprises opening their doors to the public, and exhibitions and festivities throughout the year. Thanks to the Eurostar and the TGV, Lille makes an easy, environmentally sustainable weekend destination from London, Paris, Brussels and beyond.

Leipzig, Germany. Tourism Information. The New Berlin', says just about everybody. Yes, Leipzig is Saxony's coolest city, a playground for nomadic young creatives who have been displaced by the fast-gentrifying German capital, but it's also a city of enormous history, a trade-fair centre and solidly in the sights of music lovers due to its intrinsic connection to the lives and work of Bach, Mendelssohn and Wagner. To this day, one of the world's top classical bands (the Gewandhausorchester) and oldest and finest boys' choirs (the 800-year-old Thomanerchor) continue to delight audiences. When it comes to art, the neo-realistic New Leipzig School has stirred up the international art world post-reunification with such protagonists as Neo Rauch and Tilo Baumgärtel. Leipzig is known as the Stadt der Helden (City of Heroes) for its leading role in the 1989 'Peaceful Revolution' that led to the reunification of Germany.