"Birmingham has reinvented itself," locals say.

It certainly needed to. An industrial mish-mash, exploited during Britain's industrial boom time, bombed by the Germans in WWII (the Jaguar factory had switched to manufacturing Spitfires, so you can see why), neglected for decades, Birmingham had never been on the tourist trail. Until recently.

When manufacturing waned in the 1970s the focus had to change. Just a couple of hours by train from London it has now reinvented itself as an important centre for conventions and exhibitions.

Near The Mailbox, a towering structure seen for miles around Birmingham (which despite its name, turns out to be a new and upmarket shopping centre) are narrowboats available to explore the 29 mile-long (47 km) Worcester and Birmingham Canal, opened in 1815, links the two cities, and passes through Bourneville, the home of Cadbury chocolate. Its 58 locks, including the 30 Tardebigge Locks, one of the largest lock flights in Europe, allows the canal to climb 428 feet (130 m) overall.You'll learn new words too. Birmingham residents are called Brummies, and when we pass someone on the tow-path or aboard another boat, we learn not to say good morning. It's "Orr-right?". Read more.....

Bristol is a major city (pop. 400,000), the largest in south-western England. A Saxon town, and a port for a thousand years, where the Avon and Frome Rivers converge, it lies across the mouth of the Severn from Cardiff, Wales. The width of the Severn at this point is around 20 kilometres. Not far, you think, until you realize that the English Channel is narrower in places. In fact, further south-west this gap between Wales and England is called the Bristol Channel.

It may be a little short on major landmarks - or indeed famous people - you should know that Bristol is where Concorde was built, and was also the birthplace of Cary Grant, heart throb film star of the 1930s and 1940s, born Archibald Leach in 1904. Bristol Zoo, which opened in 1836, is the fifth oldest zoo in the world and was recently named the best in Great Britain. This is also JK Rowling territory. She grew up outside Bristol, later moving to the Forest of Dean district in Gloucestershire. Did she, you wonder, base her bespectacled hero on some young Bristolian she knew as a child?

The Hotel du Vin is a meticulously restored Sugar House, previously a selection of Grade II listed warehouses dated back to the 1700's, but now houses 40 'loft style' bedrooms and suites all with superb beds, delicious Egyptian linen and those showers. Our suite also had a small adjoining terrace with a view of the city.

By way of trivia, Bristol has even entered the language. The term 'all ship-shape and Bristol fashion' comes from long ago when, apart from imports of tobacco, sherry, and chocolate, slave ships also entered the port. Fearing disease from them officials would not allow these ships into port until they were cleaned, tidied and carefully inspected and declared suitable for docking, Bristol fashion.

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The Blue Mountains, NSW. 

This is wild, untouched country.

It was here that a prehistoric tree, the Wollombi pine, was much later discovered - still growing and propagating - and it is here that there are still purported sightings of wild black panthers.

These mountains are also where you'll find small towns and places where you can linger over coffees and cake, browse crammed shops for souvenirs and antiques, or simply soak up the atmosphere. The more hardy lace on hiking boots and hit the bushwalking trails, but others see it as the place to come in summer when Sydney, a thousand metres below at sea level, is sweltering. In winter, the magnet is Yulefest, a northern-hemisphere seasonal celebration.

Butter. There's butter - and there's butter!

Pepe Saya has learned how to make cultured butter that is out of this world. See for yourself:

Pepe Saya Story.

Restaurant Butters.