Chinese opera is not all shrieks and bangs, as Edward Skidelsky discovers on a visit to Shanghai

The troubled history of the Finnish-Russian border has not hindered its tourist trade

William Cook on how the city of Antwerp helped him develop a love for a masterpiece by Rubens

Sue Hubbard finds magic in the ruins of an Irish village abandoned during the potato famine

PsychoGeography

Will Self Bloomsbury, 256pp, £17.99

Certain places just resonate with history, discovers Nicolette Jones as she traces the steps of Samu

Alyssa McDonald discovers a corner of Ukraine that has withstood empire, Stalin and 21st-century adv

As winter approaches, Tom de Castella finds that open-air swimming is the best way to beat the blues

After spending several weeks on the road supporting Runrig Malachy starts the long journey home from

The palmyras of Sri Lanka's Northern Province are symbolic of the region's troubles

Tuk Tuk to the Road

Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent and Jo Huxster The Friday Proje

Once called "the Paris of the east", Bucharest still bears the scars of dictatorship

In the wake of Byron and Leander, Victoria James takes on the challenge of swimming the Hellespont

Are poverty alleviation and human rights work worth the carbon cost?