Someone once said that happiness is the journey, not the destination. Ok, so perhaps that wise sage wasn’t necessarily making his journey with a screaming baby whose ears are popping from altitude changes or a restless toddler who doesn’t want to be strapped into his seat, but a ...

the journey on a long-haul flight, with a stopover in, say, Singapore en route to Australia. Research airlines that go the extra mile for children – Gulf Air, for example, has fantastic (and free) Sky Nannies to help parents with children’s meals

really can get off to a flying start.Of course, it would all be a whole lot easier if all airlines followed the initiative of Gulf Air, which introduced their award-winning free Sky Nanny service in 2005. Led by a dedicated team of Norland-trained nannies

family holiday this winter in Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains. As well as skiing and snowboarding, families will have time to visit a local observatory for a tour of the night sky or take in the phenomena of The Miracle Bridges – two beautiful marble bridges

that the colours I love come from Ireland,” she says. “My love for green, from moss to seaweed, the grey and browns of the huge skies and rolling landscapes, the mustard yellow of gorse bushes on the hills and the wild flowers by the roadside.”In her

, swimming pools galore, tennis, golf… There’s something for everyone.The sky was black by the time our party of three arrived on a balmy evening and made our way into the hotel’s foyer. Inside, the décor is pure boutique, with a colour scheme made up