Most tourists can't get out of Malaga fast enough. They take a cheap flight to the airport, hire a car and head for the Costa Del Sol. Cruise passengers hop off at the port, many on to a waiting tour bus, to take them on to Grenada.

Paris, as every woman knows, is synonymous with fashion.

The front page headline of the paper screams, "It's snow-go on Europe's dry ski runs".

So here's the conundrum: a chance arises to grab a much needed mini-break but my husband and I have conflicting wish lists. My perfect tick-box break has to include stunning architecture, an abundance of history, perhaps a dash of Jewish culture, the rattle and hum of a vibrant city. He wants a sun lounger with back support, decent weather and a sea view.

Mmm.

Isle of Eriska Spa & Golf

Where:
On the small, secluded Eriska island on the west coast of Scotland north of Oban. It nestles on a rift valley created by cataclysmic upheavals that took place 600 million years ago. The island is virtually a nature reserve, with nature trails and seals, otters, badgers and roe deer all around.

Accommodation:

Nothing unearths that feeling of being at one with the world more than a beautiful view, especially if that view has Jurassic origins.

For those seeking Jewish history, the story of the Jewish people has extended far and wide to touch many cultures and nations.

● DAYTONA 500 - Florida, USA

When: February

Why go: Remember Days of Thunder, or Disney's CARS? Well that's NASCAR - the good ol' boys getting down and dirty in packs of 30 at a mere 200mph.

The Daytona 500 in February is NASCAR's jewel in the crown.

For a land protected by the cosmic spirit of the Blue Dragon, this is a developing country and a booming destination in Asia.

Photo journalist Alice Nower captured her journey around North Vietnam from its heady metropolis of Hanoi to the paddy fields that carpet the landscape of Sapa further north.

Hanoi, located in the Red River Delta, is Vietnam's cultural heart and soul and it is the cap

Throughout my youth and childhood, I must have watched countless repeats of the Sound of Music.