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Booking a holiday in September can often be tempting, with cheaper prices and fewer crowds, but be careful as the weather isn’t always quite as it seems

September is often advertised as the perfect time for a getaway. The heat has eased up, the prices have dropped, and you can often pick up a package deal for a bit of a bargain. Many of the destinations are still geared up for your trip there, but without the masses of families from the school holidays, the thinned-out crowds can be a dream.

One place that sums this up perfectly is the island of Capri, just off the Italian coast near Naples. With stunning views of the Mediterranean, rugged cliffs, and plenty of lemon trees, it’s the perfect place to extend your summer for a few weeks.

However, for many recent visitors to the country this September, nature crashed the party. Across Italy, violent storms and unexpected downpours have left even the sun-soaked southern islands drenched, leaving visitors battling with flooded roads, power cuts, landslides, and ferry cancellations.

Tourists hoping to dodge the worst of high-season chaos have now been caught off guard by weather that is showing no mercy.

Capri, one of Italy’s most beloved jewels, has had its share of trouble. Storms of rain have hit, sometimes dumping more than 100 millimetres in an hour, turning streets into rivers.

But before they hit the island earlier this week, when one group of tourists booked that dreamy dinner terrace overlooking the sea, it seemed safe enough until the sky decided to open up.

Just as the antipasti arrived, rain hammered down, lightning flashed, and the storm forced diners inside, leaving their pizza on the soggier side.

Posting to TikTok, the dramatic scenes were all caught by one traveller, Karim TZ, who posted a video, “They told me, go to Capri at the end of summer, it’s wonderful,” followed by videos of violent rain and floods.

In one clip, a person sat outside a restaurant, and the water can be seen barrelling down a nearby path and running straight through the outdoor seats of a restaurant. Leaving everyone submerged up to at least their ankles.

Other locals seemed completely unfazed despite the deluge, happily sipping on an Aperol Spritz as the water floods behind them.

In another clip, the ferry back to Naples can be seen bouncing up and down on the waves as the rain continues to bellow down.

If there’s one lesson from this summer in Capri, it’s that when you try to beat peak prices by travelling late, you might just be trading one risk for another.

One commenter on the video even warned: “People remember you can enjoy Italy till the 10th of September. After that, this happens.”

The rain in September doesn’t seem to be a one-off experience either, as another person posted: “Hahahah I had the same tragedy last year in the same place.”

But for anyone still looking to see the stunning suits of Capri and the Amalfi coast, make sure you check the forecast, and don’t be scared to bring a brolly.

Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas is the world’s biggest cruise ship alongside sister ship Icon of the Seas and we got a first look onboard

The world’s biggest and newest cruise ship set sail on her maiden passenger voyage – and I was lucky enough to be on board. Star of the Seas is a giant floating city with 20 decks crammed with top-notch attractions for the whole family, including a water park, swimming pools, crazy golf, theatres, an ice skating rink, 14 shops and 40 bars and restaurants.

It is so big, it feels quite odd as it will take you a few days to find your way around this monster which set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday night. But after dashing around the decks, here’s a few highlights of the Royal Caribbean ship that you won’t want to miss. Thrill Island is the largest waterpark at sea with SIX record-breaking water slides.

The biggest is not for the faint-hearted but a must for the adventurous. One of its most daring features is Crown’s Edge, part skywalk and part ride 154ft above the ocean. Adrenaline-seekers navigate a suspended walkway and experience a controlled freefall before gliding down a zipline to the deck below. It is meant to test the bravery of the thrill-seeker – and it certainly does that. After all, it’s the sister ship to Icon of the Seas which is also a hit with adventurous holidaymakers.

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There’s no need to leave the ship if you fancy a bit of surfing, either. The Flow-rider is a wave machine which allows you to go “boogie boarding” and simulate real Surfing USA. Incredibly, 30,000 gallons of water a minute rush under the rider at 30mph creating a five-foot wave. Watch out for the height restrictions of 4ft 10in for stand-up surfing or 4ft 4in for boogie boarding.

If you’d rather chill than thrill head to the adults-only area at the rear of the ship – or the aft as we rookie seafarers call it. There you can relax in the suspended infinity pool and enjoy vast ocean views with a cocktail in hand while grooving to the beat of an Ibiza-style DJ. There’s also a shady bar nearby and a terrace with whirlpools.

Don’t worry about dashing to the bar for a refill. The efficient waiters will attend to your needs and keep your glasses well topped up. Chill Island is a three-deck area for holidaymakers to kick back at four pools, including the Royal Bay, the largest pool at sea. Guests can enjoy live bands while they sip on tropical cocktails from the swim-up bar called The Swim and Tonic.

The bags of entertainment for the kids and sporty types, including a spectacular mini golf course and a sports court offering five-a-side football and basketball on the top deck. Don’t worry about the ball going overboard, either, as it’s entirely covered by netting.

If you’re travelling with a young family, head for Surfside. It’s THE place to stay and play all day, however old the children are. Younger kids and toddlers will have great fun at Splashaway Bay and Baby Bay, while parents can relax nearby. There are plenty of lifeguards, constantly on full alert, so no reason to worry about their safety.

There’s a multi-level playground called Playscape, which includes a rock climbing wall, with safety harnesses provided. Just like Star of the Seas they can take cruising to another level.

You can find out more about Star on the Seas including rates and itineraries on royalcaribbean.com.

A WOMAN has revealed that she instantly fell in love with her step-brother after he moved in to the family home, and ended up pregnant with his baby.

Tookie and Krys first met as teenagers, when Krys moved back in with his mother, after years of separation.

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Tookie was already living with Krys’ mum, and was being raised as her step-daughter.

“When I first saw her I thought she was too good for me”, Krys told Love Don’t Judge.

“I didn’t talk to her because I was too nervous”.

However, Tookie was instantly attracted to Krys, describing his “nerdy” look as “sexy”.

The duo, who were 15 and 17 at the time soon grew close, and after Tookie initiated things, they began sleeping together.

“One thing led to another, and we made a baby”, Krys said.

The couple were able to keep their relationship under wraps until Tookie became pregnant.

Jamie, Krys’ mum, found out about the pregnancy after receiving a phone call from Tookie’s mum.

“I expected Tookie and Krys to behave to eachother like brother and sister”, Jamie said.

Krys had only just got back in contact with his mother when he got Tookie pregnant, and was worried their bond would become fractured again.

Jamie said she was hurt and disappointed by the actions of the pair, but still loves Tookie as a daughter.

The couple now share a daughter named Blu, who is 20 months old.

Despite his young age, Tookie said that Krys was a great help following her birth, and she didn’t have to lift a finger.

“I love the way he is, you’re a good father”, Tookie said to Krys.

Here’s why I love being a young mum

Tracy Kiss, who fell pregnant at 19, has revealed what she believes are the pros of being a young mother.

The personal trainer and blogger, from Buckinghamshire, believes women who give birth in their teens make BETTER mothers than those in their 30s.

She claims young mums snap back into shape quicker, have more energy and relate more easily to their children, meaning they’re better behaved and happier.

Tracy told Fabulous: “Women who become first-time mums in their teens make better parents than those in their 30s or 40s.

“I believe if I’d been 10 or so years older before becoming a mother then I wouldn’t have the relationship I have with my children now.

“For a start, being older I would have had less energy and therefore less patience.

“I wouldn’t be as enthusiastic to speak to people after months of sleepless nights as I was in my teens.

“My body snapped back to its pre-pregnancy size through fitness post-birth, which in turn gave me the confidence to date and find love again. I’ve never been happier than I am now at the age of 30 with two children.

“If I’d have been alone at 40 with a newborn baby I’d be more tired, less happy with my body, less energetic and far more stressed from the shock of living my life for myself instead of putting others first. Sometimes age and the innocence of ignorance is a good thing.

“As a teen mum I just got on with it, found my feet and became responsible and capable because at the time I didn’t know any different.”

The couple get lots of hate online for their unique relationship, but don’t let trolls get them down.

“If you’re still judging, then honestly, you’re miserable”, Krys said.

The Story Bridge in Brisbane is one of a handful in the world that you can climb – there’s one mistake I was warned not to make and yet instantly did it

I knew I should have listened the second I did it. “Don’t look down,” my friend advised, having just made the same mistake on our trip to Australia.

But it was too late, I was already gazing through the gaping slats 262ft (80m) down to the fast current of the river below, waves sloshing through the brown water that had me questioning why we’d opted for an activity holiday.

Head slightly spinning, I raised my eyes a little to the cars whizzing across the bridge I was precariously hanging from the top of. All very disconcerting but undeniably an experience of a lifetime. (After all, I’d already survived a kayaking trip through shark-infested waters).

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The Story Bridge in the city centre of Brisbane is one of only a few in the world that you’re able to safely climb over the top of. And while it felt precarious at the top I knew deep down I couldn’t possibly fall as I was firmly attached to a steel cable.

I just wish my head had been able to convince my pounding heart of the same. I’d been all bravado beforehand.

Living in London I’m very used to the sight of bridges so at first I didn’t worry too much – it didn’t look that high… When you’re standing at the bottom looking up at the 1,088 steps to the top however, it’s a different kettle of fish. But, after a thorough safety briefing and freshly kitted out in a very, erm, fetching jumpsuit and harness it was time to climb.

Attaching a rock-climbing style carabiner to the cable that runs the entire width of the bridge, my expert guide from the Story Bridge Adventure Climb assured us there was no chance of taking a tumble and plummeting to our deaths so, wobbly-legged, we set off up the stairs.

At first it’s hard not to just stare at the next step but soon the spectacular views begin to creep into your eyeline until after a few minutes you forget to worry and simply look around in awe.

The Brisbane river – known locally as the brown snake due to the colour from the silt at its base – can be seen winding its way through the skyscrapers of the city. And from the gantry at the pinnacle of the bridge our guide pointed out the main sights and recounted the history of the bridge itself.

Built from 1935 and originally known as the Jubilee Bridge in honour of King George V, it opened five years later to a crowd of 37,000 people. Its name was later changed to the Story Bridge in recognition of John Douglas Story who fought for it to be built to provide employment and a sense of community during the Great Depression.

It’s reasonably pricey at £75 for the two-hour tour but it’s one of remarkably few in the world that you can climb. The Sydney Harbour Bridge started the trend in 1998 and as well as the Story Bridge, you can also now climb the Matagarup Bridge in Perth, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Kobe, Japan, Auckland Bridge in New Zealand, Porto Bridge in Portugal and the bridge over the New River Gorge in West Virginia, USA (though that one goes under the bridge rather than over it).

As we headed back to more solid ground, there was a general air of elation. We had conquered our fears and done something extraordinary that we’d always remember.

You can find out more and book the Story Bridge Adventure Climb at storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au. For more information on Brisbane and Queensland visit www.queensland.com.

Do you have a story to tell us? Email us at [email protected].

I’ve used this makeup artist-approved brush cleaner for years now, and it’s the only one I’ll trust to clean my makeup tools – it works instantly and smells like summer holidays

As any beauty lover knows, the right tools can make a huge difference to your makeup, which is why keeping them in good condition is essential. As well as helping your brushes to perform better, cleaning them is also key to keeping them hygienic and safe to use – a dirty brush can be a breeding ground for bacteria, cause breakouts and leave your skin looking oily or patchy. Not to mention layers of different foundations, blushers and bronzers can affect the colour of your products when you apply them.

Although I generally find cleaning my makeup brushes to be an arduous task that I can almost never be bothered to do, discovering Isoclean’s Paradise Scented Make Up Brush Cleaner has absolutely changed the game for me. It’s easy to use, takes barely any time at all, and smells amazing, and – dare I say it – I’ve actually started to enjoy cleaning them?

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Unlike other cleaners which require copious bowls of water, cloths, and leaving them to drip dry for hours, the Isoclean spray top means I need nothing except the bottle and some paper towels. You can currently pick up a large 275ml bottle for £19.50, or a full size bottle and 275ml refill worth £35 for £31.15. In my experience the 275ml bottle lasts around four months with a weekly clean, although that obviously depends on how frequently you clean your brushes and how many brushes you clean.

To use it, you just need to spray the brushes with the cleaner, then rub them into some paper towels or tissues and the makeup comes straight off. Some more stubborn products (like full coverage foundation) might need a couple of goes, but generally I can have a brush fully cleaned in around 30 seconds.

If you do prefer a more traditional solid soap style cleaner, Zoeva (who makes some of my favourite makeup brushes of all time, FYI) has the Brush Shampoo Bar for £12, which deep cleans and nourishes the bristles, helping prolong their life span. You could also try the CLOMANA BEAUTY Chocolate Orange Brush & Sponge Cleanser, which is currently on sale down from £16 to £10.40 at Sephora, and smells like chocolate orange.

However personally I love the spray formula that Isoclean has. It means they dry almost instantly, so you can clean as you go or give them a quick clean before swapping between two different coloured products without muddying the shades. The Isoclean Paradise Scented Make Up Brush Cleaner also kills off all bacteria, keeping them safe to use.

The only real downside to the Isoclean Paradise Scented Make Up Brush Cleaner is that it can be tricky to make sure the bristles at the middle of your brush are fully saturated, especially on denser brushes like foundation ones. However a few repeat goes makes sure you get everything out and clean.

I’ve also found in the past that most brush cleaners tend to have quite a strong, harsh alcohol smell which can be off putting. However the Paradise Scented version of Isoclean’s cleaner quite honestly smells like a summer holiday. It has notes of salted caramel, vanilla, almond and pistachio, and the scent lingers on your brushes so you can still smell it next time you use them. Anything that makes me keep my makeup brushes clean with minimal effort is a winner in my book!

Bibury in the Cotswolds is rightly described as the most beautiful village in England – but the sheer number of tourists who visit every day is off-putting

William Morris once hailed Bibury as “the most beautiful village in England”. Given his expertise in aesthetics as the esteemed poet and artist who spearheaded the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain, I’m inclined to trust his judgement on such matters.

And he certainly wasn’t mistaken about this gem in the Cotswolds, a little north-east of Cirencester. Before my visit, I had seen numerous photos of Bibury and was half-convinced they were the result of some clever photographic manipulation — could it really be that beautiful in reality?

The answer is a resounding yes. Imagine the quintessential storybook British village with a dash of Harry Potter magic — even then you might not quite capture the sheer loveliness of the place. Bibury is enchanting, whimsical and could be considered the crowning glory of the Cotswolds, an area renowned for its beauty.

The tranquil river Coln meanders through the village centre, flanked by charming low stone bridges. Nearby, cows leisurely graze beside the road adjacent to the Swan Hotel, which looms over the village and boasts perhaps the prettiest beer garden in the country.

The Bibury Trout Farm nearby nurtures fish that grace the plates of restaurants throughout the Cotswolds, including those at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog, where I ate it — you can read what I thought here.

The true gem of Bibury is undoubtedly Arlington Row, a sequence of cottages initially constructed from the local stone in 1380 next to the River Coln as a monastic wool store, and later converted into weavers’ cottages in the 17th century. It’s probably the most photographed street in the Cotswolds — and potentially the entire country.

As you amble down the slender lane beside the cottages, having crossed a quaint stone bridge over the river to reach them, the weight of everyday life just seems to disappear. I strove to balance my respect for the privacy of residents with an irresistibly wide-eyed admiration for their astonishingly attractive homes. Hopefully, the people lucky enough to live here enjoy the fact that, like Buckingham Palace, thousands of people take pictures of their homes every day.

And that brings me to the one thing about Bibury that is a bit off-putting: the number of tourists here is way out of proportion to the size of the village and its ability to cope with them. The 600 or so people who live here are sharing these narrow lanes and pretty fields with coaches, tour groups and day-trippers every day — thousands of them.

One resident, Lynn Edward, who has lived in Bibury for six years, told The Guardian this year: “We have such a beautiful place that we want to share, but the level of tourism and the hordes of people that come has just made it entirely unpleasant, and the infrastructure doesn’t really cope with it.

“All they want to do is come and take a photograph. They don’t stay in the village. They don’t linger enough to really ingest the beauty and historic value of the place. It’s literally, I think, to take a selfie.”

I knew in advance that Bibury was a tourist attraction — and obviously I was here as a tourist. But I didn’t appreciate just how many people there would be on a random weekday afternoon.

But it was obvious even before I got to the village centre, with groups of tourists strolling in the middle of the road en route, long lines of parked cars beside the river, several different languages from all over the world to be heard and people of all nationalities standing on Bibury’s pretty stone bridges to grab a selfie. Some of them were not especially inclined to bother moving when it was clear others wanted to get across, instead taking their time to get that perfect shot for Instagram — and some claim the rocketing number of visitors to Bibury is down to the boom in travel and tourism influencers on social media.

There’s even a large car park on the outskirts of the village, where visitors are charged £5 to park before walking into the heart of the village. There is enough space for 300 cars but villagers say even this is not enough on some days, Express reports. The narrow lane between the car park and the village is a tight squeeze when trying to cope with two-way traffic as well as all the tourists on foot.

While you might assume that such a large number of tourists would also bring a significant economic benefit, people in the village don’t seem convinced. Victoria Summerley, a journalist and author who has lived here since 2012, says: “[The villagers] would say [the tourists] don’t put any money into the village.”

It is clearly a difficult balance. While tourism can bring benefits and people are often proud to share the beauty of where they live with visitors, it is understandable that villagers who call Bibury home are frustrated by the extent to which it has now become a tourist attraction. It is undoubtedly a staggeringly beautiful place, and lives up to its billing as “the most beautiful village in England”, even considering the amount of competition in the Cotswolds alone. So if you do visit, please try and be as respectful as possible of the people who live here.

Things to do in Bibury

Arlington Row

A row of cottages originally built of local stone in 1380, next to the River Coln, is probably the most photographed street in the Cotswolds, possibly even the country. A short circular route runs from the Swan Hotel to the cottages and back along a track to the hotel.

Bibury Trout Farm

Bibury Trout Farm is one of Britain’s oldest trout farms. Founded in 1902, you will find its trout on the menu in restaurants around the Cotswolds. It is open to the public while being a working trout farm producing hundreds of thousands of trout (brown, blue and rainbow) a year. It also has an on-site smokery. You can buy the trout on site and in the village shop. Entry to the farm costs £9 for adults.

Swan Hotel

The beautiful Swan Hotel is perhaps the most prominent building in Bibury, its walls covered in greenery. You can stay here or simply book a table for lunch or dinner. It also has arguably the most beautiful beer garden in Britain, with deckchairs set almost on an island surrounded by the tranquil River Coln.

Eleven Bibury

With interiors designed by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Eleven Bibury is a mixture of cafe, restaurant, art space and shared working space just across the main road from the river. Grab a brunch, a slice of cake or coffee and escape the crowds of tourists outside.

LIVERPOOL could be set to lose a second top star to a Madrid rival after Atletico Madrid reportedly made Andy Robertson their top target.

The Reds are already reeling from the loss of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid and could now be forced to deal with the loss of left-back Robertson in the same window.

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Sean Miller, a comedian from New York, is one of the participants of the new Travel Virgin Show, which takes people abroad for the first time. He touched down in London this week

A ‘travel virgin’ who had never been out of his country before has been shocked and delighted in equal measure by the UK.

Sean Millea is a 28-year-old living in New York City who had never been out of the US until earlier this week. He is in good company. By some estimates, around 23% of Americans have not traveled internationally, while a quarter of Britons have never boarded a plane or ferry to go on holiday abroad.

Whether it’s the cost and hassle of sorting out a passport (close to 50% of Americans don’t have one currently, according to the Apollo Academy) that is putting people off, or the fact that they’re quite happy at home, clearly travel is not for everyone.

Stand-up comedian Sean had been content exploring the US, until he was given the chance to hop across an international border for the first time by Jetpac. The travel eSim brand has chosen several ‘travel virgins’ to star in its docu-series, hosted by Love is Blind’s Benaiah. When it airs, it will see newbie travelers swept away on an all-expenses-paid journey to an exotic destination.

The Mirror spoke to Sean the day after his arrival in the UK. He was standing amidst the hustle and bustle of Borough Market, digesting a laden pudding from the viral Humble Crumble and reflecting on a deeply disappointing first brush with British pastry.

“The pork pie. My friend Marshall told me to get it. I didn’t love that. It was sort of tasteless and hard to eat, you really need to put in muscle to get it open. It looked like a little castle. I did, however, like the Humble Crumble,” Sean explained. “I also don’t like the candy here. American candy is full of chemicals, which is why it tastes delicious.”

Sean was not opposed to the idea of travelling abroad, but given the demanding nature of his comedy career, he had never found the right time to do so. “I don’t ever have money like that. I have been to Florida, California and Chicago, but I’m uncultured to anywhere outside of the US,” Sean said.

While he may have found the pork pies a little underwhelming, the American in London was excited to throw himself into the culture, having grown up on a string of British classics such as the Beatles, David Bowie and Shakespeare. Visits to the Globe and Abbey Road were ticked off on his first evening.

In terms of vibe, “London feels like New York if you’re not paying attention.”

When it comes to the actual travelling process, Sean found it to be a mixed bag. “I got a passport, a few months ago on a whim, and there was some visa thing I had to get. I ended up just tapping myself out of the airport, no questions asked. It was pretty smooth,” he explained. “I did get scammed at a currency exchange. I got half my money back.”

The first episode of The Travel Virgin Show will go live on June 30. The company argues now is the right time for it, given the steady rise in travel since the coronavirus lockdowns, when people were pent up, unable to get away and desperate to get back out on the road.

According to one recent poll, 76% of Gen Z and 72% of Millennials say they’re more interested in travel than they used to be. And passport applications have surged by up to 38% in key markets like the UK, suggesting the appetite for exploration is stronger than ever.

Aditya Goyal, CEO at Jetpac. “There’s a huge group of people who are only now taking their first step abroad—and we think they deserve the same tools as anyone else. Jetpac is here to make that first time seamless, empowering, and unforgettable.”