A visit to two excellent art museums – the wonderfully intimate Museo Lázaro Galdiano in Madrid's Salamanca district and the world-class Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza.
Madrid: Museo Lázaro Galdiano and the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza
Madrid: Parque del Retiro, Real Jardín Botánico and the Prado museum
Madrid's central Jerónimos district is home to a trio of top sights – the elegant Parque del Retiro, the tranquil Real Jardín Botánico and the world-class Prado museum.
Krakow: Old Town
Centred around Rynek Glówny (Kraków's Main Market Square), the city's Old Town boasts grand architecture, striking churches and fabulous museums.
Porto travel guide
Hip, friendly Porto is a foodie's paradise boasting pretty tile-clad buildings, superb cafés and restaurants, and a plethora of interesting sights.
London: Holbein at the Tudor Court at The Queen’s Gallery
This fascinating and comprehensive exhibition charts artist Hans Holbein the Younger's journey to become one of Henry VIII's official court painters and his lasting influence on royal portrait painters.
Venice: Art, canals and churches
A brief tour of Venice's Cannaregio and Rialto districts, the Grand Canal, the Galleria del'Accademia and the Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
London: The Wallace Collection
Hidden among the grand squares and mansions of Marylebone, you'll find one of the best collections of art, porcelain and furnishings in London.
London: Cezanne at the Tate Modern
There's more to the French Post-Impressionist painter than still lives, as I found out at the Tate Modern's blockbuster exhibition.
Nantes
Chic, laid-back and welcoming, this historic French city and former Breton capital has been dubbed the 'city of the dukes of Brittany'.
Porto: Casa de Serralves and the Forte de São Francisco Xavier
Thanks to a contemporary art gallery and a 17th century fort on the Atlantic coast, it's worth venturing beyond the centre of Porto to explore the city's other sights.
Paris: Fondation Louis Vuitton
Situated in the Bois de Boulogne, this Frank Gehry-designed museum is a sight to behold. The art gallery and cultural centre resembles an enormous ship made of glass and concrete, and boasts 12 glass sails.
Paris: Musée de l’Orangerie
This small museum on the edge of the Jardin des Tuileries is home to eight of the most impressive of Claude Monet's series of Nymphéas (or Water Lillies) paintings.
Little Old World 