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Riders don cost umes in Oristano, Sardinia, to take part in the town’s annual horse race, La Sartiglia. The race is part of a three-day traditional festival that is held in early February.
2 mins with… John Barrowman
From blasting aliens to releasing a standards album, you can’t keep John Barrowman down
INTERVIEW: SOPHY GRIMSHAW
Where do you holiday?
I love Paris and Mallorca. In Paris you get sunshine, lots of history, plus modern aspects like great nightlife and shopping. In Mallorca you can go to the town in Palma and do the tourist stuff, or you can drive up into the mountains.
Which was the last city you visited?
I went over to LA to promote Torchwood in the US. A bit like Victoria Beckham! I’m not as rich as her, but my husband [architect Scott Gill] is cuter.
What’s the secret to Torchwood’s success?
It’s a sister show to Dr. Who but also completely different from it. Children watch it, but it has some things for the older generation. As adults we want a little bit of sex, romance, violence and to be entertained.
What can you tell us about your new album?
I’m not trying to become a pop star. I’m singing songs that people have asked me to sing and that I love, some songs from movies and shows and some surprising covers. It’s a new direction in that it’s more contemporary, but I’ve been in musical theatre for 16 years.
What’s new for Torchwood in 2008?
You’ll see an even better Torchwood. We’ve found our feet. It’s still going to be exciting, it’s still going to be about relationships, and we’ve got some great guest stars. Alan Dale, from Ugly Betty, The O.C. and Neighbours, is a guest star. So is James Marsters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
You have an American accent, but you’re originally British?
I’m British, I was born here, but I was educated in the US and that’s why I speak with a funny accent. I’m totally grateful to the British public for allowing me to do what I do. They have made my dreams come true.
Inspect the gadgets
ATH-ANC7 QUIETPOINT
Audio-Technica may not be an instantly recognisable brand, but judging from the crystal clear quality of their mid-price, noise-cancelling headphones, it’s a brand we should all get to know a little better.£129.95 www.audio-technica.com
WIRELESS BABY MONITOR
The baby monitor has grown up. This 21st-century update of the classic parenting tool has a video screen as well as the standard microphone. It’s wireless so you can use it anywhere, including overseas, and it was a huge hit with the new parents we asked to trial it. £99.99 www.rimax.net
ITUBE VALVE DOCK
This is a funky take on old-school technology: a speaker that amplifies your iPod, or your TV, with the rich valve speaker sound of the past (ask your elders!). It’s a stylish piece of kit that almost looks worthy of its own club night.
£299.99 www.fat-man.co.uk
Webcrawl
www.wayn.com
Like Facebook for travel junkies, the increasingly popular Where Are You Now? website lets you share travel tips and photos and, of course, indulge in some online flirting with other members.
www.worldweather.org
Still reeling from last year’s wet British excuse for a summer? As you plan your holiday, check the likely seasonal temperatures in different countries at the World Weather Information Service.
www.walktalktour.com
A site where you can download quirky city guides directly to your iPod. Topics include ‘Things to do in London in the rain’ and ‘Things to do in Edinburgh on a day trip’. So get your headphones in, and get out there. Each guide costs £5.95.
Why is it that…
GETTING LOST ABROAD IS FUN
ASKS SOPHY GRIMSHAW
“Let’s get lost,” sang Chet Baker, and I am taking him up on the offer. If, like me, you have poor cognitive mapping skills (the academic term for not knowing where you’re going or remembering where you’ve been), you’ll have experienced the frustration of being unable to find a favourite shop or restaurant. But getting lost is not a liability, it’s a lifestyle. Wrestling with a map on holiday isn’t many people’s idea of a good time, but it can lead to some serendipitous experiences. Lost in Paris while looking for a small music venue, a friend and I stumbled into a bar in Montmartre called Zebra (38 Rue Lepic, www.unzebreamontmartre.com). The new season’s fruity beaujolais flowed all night thanks to the devastatingly beautiful bar staff. Hurrah. The next day, we found a great spot serving moules et frites, but only because we had failed to locate the falafel place we were supposed to eat in. A hang-out that you discover will always feel more special than one in the guide book. Heck, after 20 minutes of trying to ask for directions in a foreign language, you’re just glad to be sitting
somewhere with a glass in your hand. My most recent experience was on a balmy afternoon in Greece. I couldn’t remember where my hotel was, but I didn’t really care. I could feel the breeze on my skin and hair, and the warm rays on my shoulders. If you’re going to get lost, you might as well do it in paradise.
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