place

Many Brits choose Spain and Portugal but another destination has topped a retirement ranking thanks to its affordable lifestyle, Golden Visa and Mediterranean climate

The world’s top retirement destination for 2026 has been unveiled, and it might not be where you’d expect. While many Brits dream of retiring to the sun-soaked towns of Spain or Portugal, a new contender has emerged.

The UK’s often dreary weather leaves many yearning for a change of scenery as they enter their golden years. But choosing where to spend your retirement isn’t just about finding a sunny spot – you also need to consider factors like cost of living, healthcare, housing, visas, climate and how easy it is to settle in.

Every year, International Living’s 2026 Annual Global Retirement Index takes all these factors into account to reveal the best place in the world to retire. And this year, a country has topped the list for the first time ever.

Greece has been crowned the ultimate retirement destination thanks to its affordable lifestyle, private healthcare, accessible visa options and enviable Mediterranean climate.

“Greece’s rise to number one marks a shift in Europe’s retirement landscape,” said Jennifer Stevens, Executive Editor of International Living. “For years, Portugal and Spain led the way, but recent visa changes and rising costs have retirees looking elsewhere.”, reports the Express.

“Greece now offers what many are seeking-a beautiful, welcoming, and affordable European base with accessible residency options and a lifestyle that feels rich in every sense.”

The Mediterranean nation scored highly across climate, healthcare and housing categories – essential factors for those seeking to settle abroad.

Greece’s Golden Visa scheme, which offers residency through property investment, stands out as one of Europe’s most straightforward options, especially following Portugal’s recent policy changes.

International Living’s Global Diversification Expert Ted Baumann said: “All in all, when it comes to Golden Visa options, I’d say Greece is more than the new Portugal… it may be even better.”

The publication’s Greece correspondent Leena Horner relocated to Corfu four years ago with her husband. The couple maintain a comfortable lifestyle on roughly €2,900-€3,000 monthly, approximately £2,600.

Coastal properties typically rent for €600 to €1,000 per month, whilst a meal for two with wine ranges from €30-€50, maxing out at around £44.

Reflecting on her relocation, Leena said: “Greece quietly transforms the way you live. It’s not just one thing; it’s the climate, the siga siga attitude of taking life slowly, the vibrant community, and the daily connection with nature.”

Greece features over 8,000 miles of coastline and enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine annually. European locations have dominated the 2026 rankings, with Greece, Portugal, Italy, France, and Spain all securing spots in the Top 10.

The Top 10 Retirement Destinations for 2026

1. Greece
2. Panama
3. Costa Rica
4. Portugal
5. Mexico
6. Italy
7. France
8. Spain
9. Thailand
10. Malaysia

The Trump administration is promising an even tougher anti-immigration agenda after an Afghan national was charged this week in the shooting of two National Guard members, with new restrictions targeting the tens of thousands of Afghans resettled in the U.S. and those seeking to come, many of whom served alongside American soldiers in the two-decade war.

But those still waiting to come were already facing stricter measures as part of President Trump’s sweeping crackdown on legal and illegal migration that began when he started his second term in January. And the Afghan immigrants living in the U.S. and now in the administration’s crosshairs were among the most extensively vetted, often undergoing years of security screening, experts and advocates say.

In its latest move, the Trump administration announced Friday that it will pause issuing visas for anyone traveling on an Afghan passport.

The suspected shooter, who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan war, “was vetted both before he landed, probably once he landed, once he applied for asylum,” said Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute. “But more importantly, he was almost certainly vetted extensively and much more by the CIA.”

Haris Tarin, a former U.S. official who worked on the Biden-era program that resettled Afghans, predicted that “as the investigation unfolds, you will see that this is not a failure of screening. This is a failure of us not being able to integrate — not just foreign intelligence and military personnel — but our own veterans, over the past 25 years.”

The program, Operations Allies Welcome, initially brought about 76,000 Afghans to the United States, many of whom had worked alongside American troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. The initiative was in place for around a year before shifting to a longer-term program called Operation Enduring Welcome. Almost 200,000 Afghans have been resettled in the U.S. under the programs.

Among those brought to the U.S. under the program was the suspected shooter, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who now faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of 20-year-old Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom. The other National Guard member who was shot, 24-year-old Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.

Those resettlements are now on hold. The State Department has temporarily stopped issuing visas for all people traveling on Afghan passports, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late Friday on X.

Anti-immigrant rhetoric

Trump and his allies have seized on the shooting to criticize gaps in the U.S. vetting process and the speed of admissions, even though some Republicans spent the months and years after the 2021 withdrawal criticizing the Biden administration for not moving fast enough to approve some applications from Afghan allies.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Lakanwal “should have never been allowed to come here.” Trump called lax migration policies “the single greatest national security threat facing our nation,” and Vice President JD Vance said Biden’s policy was “opening the floodgate to unvetted Afghan refugees.”

That rhetoric quickly turned into policy announcements, with Trump saying he would “permanently pause all migration” from a list of nearly 20 countries, “terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions,” and “remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States.” Many of these changes had already been set in motion through a series of executive orders over the last 10 months, including most recently in June.

“They are highlighting practices that were already going into place,” said Andrea Flores, a lawyer who was an immigration policy advisor in the Obama and Biden administrations.

Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his request was approved in April of this year — under the Trump administration — after undergoing a thorough vetting, according to #AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the war.

Flores said the system has worked across administrations: “You may hear people say, ‘Well, he was granted asylum under Trump. This is Trump’s problem.’ That’s not how our immigration system works. It relies on the same bedding. No asylum laws have really been changed by Congress.”

Afghans in the U.S. fearful for their status

Trump and other U.S. officials have used the attack to demand a reexamination of everyone who came to the U.S. from Afghanistan, a country he called “a hellhole on Earth” on Thursday.

“These policies were already creating widespread disruption and fear among lawfully admitted families. What’s new and deeply troubling is the attempt to retroactively tie all of this to one act of violence in a way that casts suspicion on entire nationalities, including Afghan allies who risked their lives to protect our troops,” Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, said in a statement Friday.

This has left the nearly 200,000 Afghans living across the U.S. in deep fear and shame over actions attributed to one person. Those in the U.S. are now worrying about their legal status being revoked, while others in the immigration pipeline here and abroad are waiting in limbo.

Nesar, a 22-year-old Afghan who arrived in the U.S. weeks after the fall of Kabul, said he had just begun to assimilate into life in the U.S. when the attack happened Wednesday. He agreed to speak to the Associated Press on condition that only his first name be used for fear of reprisals or targeting by immigration officials.

“Life was finally getting easier for me. I’ve learned to speak English. I found a better job,” he said. “But after this happened two days ago, I honestly went to the grocery store this morning, and I was feeling so uncomfortable among all of those people. I was like, maybe they’re now looking at me the same way as the shooter.”

Two days before the shooting, Nesar and his father, who worked for the Afghan president during the war, had received an interview date of Dec. 13 for their green card application, a moment he said they had been working toward for four years. He says it is now unclear if their application will move forward or whether their interview will take place.

Another Afghan national, who also spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal, said that after fearing for his life under Taliban rule, he felt a sense of peace and hope when he finally received a special immigrant visa to come to the U.S. two years ago.

He said he thought he could use his experience working as a defense attorney in Afghanistan to contribute to American society. But now, he said, he and other Afghans will once again face scrutiny because of the actions of an “extremist who, despite benefiting from the safety and livelihood provided by this country, ungratefully attacked two American soldiers.”

“It seems that whenever a terrorist commits a crime, its shadow falls upon me simply because I am from Afghanistan,” he added.

Cappelletti and Amiri write for the Associated Press. AP writer Renata Brito contributed to this report.

DES MOINES — Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucuses in January, with Mitt Romney a close second, but neither was the true winner this weekend when the delegates who actually will vote at the Republican National Convention were selected. That would be Ron Paul.

The congressman from Texas finished a distant third in the Iowa caucuses more than six months ago, but of the 28 delegates selected Friday and Saturday to head to the national convention, 23 are Paul supporters – and they are not bound to support the victor of the state’s first-in-the-nation voting contest.

It’s part of a quiet strategy by Paul and his backers to amass an army of supporters at the GOP gathering in August in Tampa, Fla., to push Paul’s views on liberty, states’ rights, the monetary system and foreign policy. By working arcane electoral rules and getting supporters into positions of power in local, county and state party operations, the strategy is paying dividends across the nation.

INTERACTIVE MAP: Iowa GOP caucuses

Paul has stopped actively campaigning and has conceded that Romney will be the GOP nominee. It’s unclear whether Paul’s name will be submitted for nomination; mathematically, he does not have the numbers to derail Romney. But his supporters can have an effect on the party in other ways.

“We want to have a real big voice on the platform; we want to influence the direction of the party more than anything else,” said Joel Kurtinitis, a Paul supporter who was pleased after the Saturday vote.

He was Paul’s state director in Iowa until Paul suspended his presidential bid in May, and he said that although he would love to see Paul awarded a prime speaking spot at the convention, his followers’ efforts are about more than one man.

“We’re going to hold up our values and we’re going to bring conservatism back to the mainline of the Republican Party. That’s where my hopes are at and that’s my hope for this convention more than seeing Ron Paul do X, Y and Z,” Kurtinitis said.

Romney and his campaign have treated Paul and his followers deferentially, perhaps mindful of not alienating his incredibly loyal supporters. At the Iowa GOP convention, a Romney staffer who flew in from Boston watched the proceedings but did not get involved. At the Romney table, workers distributed three fliers to conventioneers – a general brochure about his candidacy, an invitation to a rally in Davenport on Monday and a news release that touted Romney’s endorsement by Paul’s son, Rand Paul, and effusively lavished praise on the Kentucky senator who many believe is the heir apparent for Paul’s movement.

But others say the move by the Iowa GOP is a black eye for the state’s caucuses and for the presumptive GOP nominee.

“Embarrassment is the word that comes to my mind,” said Jamie Johnson, who served as Santorum’s state coalitions director in Iowa. The former senator from Pennsylvania, who narrowly won the caucuses but has endorsed Romney since ending his presidential bid in April, appears to have one solitary Iowa delegate who supported him heading to the convention.

“I believe that it seriously puts the Iowa caucuses’ first-in-the-nation status in jeopardy,” Johnson said. “It will be a major embarrassment to Gov. Romney if there is a strong Ron Paul vote from the floor on the night in which the votes are counted.”

Paul is counting on having 200 delegates on the floor who can vote for him, and a few hundred more who are bound to vote for Romney but are his supporters.

“While this total is not enough to win the nomination, it puts us in a tremendous position to grow our movement and shape the future of the GOP!” Paul wrote in an email to supporters last week. “I hope every one of you continues the fight we have advanced so well this year. I hope you will finish your local and state conventions, and, if you were selected as a national delegate, that you will head to Tampa in August to force the Republican Party to listen to the voice of liberty.

“We have never had this kind of opportunity. There will be hundreds of your fellow supporters in Tampa who will be ready and willing to push the Republican Party back to its limited government, liberty roots.”

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The Lakers made two announcements Tuesday, saying that center Deandre Ayton was out for the game against the Clippers at Cyrpto.com Arena because of a bruised right knee and that they had signed forward Drew Timme to a two-way contract.

The team also announced that it had waived two-way center Christian Koloko.

Timme had played for the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, and posted averages of 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 25.5 minutes during six games.

The 6-10 Timme played his college basketball at Gonzaga.

“I talked to [Lakers president of basketball operations] Rob [Pelinka] and everyone yesterday, last night and they told me,” Timme said after the Lakers’ shootaround Tuesday. “I was just super excited. It’s super cool.”

Jaxson Hayes will start at center in place of Ayton in the NBA Cup game.

Shohei Ohtani will once again represent Team Japan in next year’s World Baseball Classic.

Whether or not he pitches in the international tournament, however, remains unclear.

On Monday, Ohtani announced on Instagram he is planning to participate in the WBC for the second time in his career.

In the 2023 WBC, he won tournament MVP with a .435 batting average and 1.86 pitching ERA, helping Japan to that year’s title. He punctuated the event with his memorable strikeout of Mike Trout for the final out in the championship game.

“I’m happy to play again representing Japan,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese on Monday.

The question now is whether Ohtani will pitch in the event, which takes place in March, just five months removed from his heavy postseason workload during the Dodgers’ run to a second-consecutive World Series title.

At this point, no decision on that front has seemingly been made.

After spending the first half of the 2025 season limited only to designated hitting duties while completing his recovery from a 2023 Tommy John procedure, the 31-year-old Ohtani resumed his two-way role over the second half, making 14 pitching starts for the Dodgers from June to September while increasing his workload one inning at a time.

By the postseason, he was fully built up for full-length starts, and went on to throw 20⅓ innings over four playoff outings — including a 2⅓ inning appearance on shortened three days’ rest in Game 7 of the World Series.

Oftentimes, pitchers who are that heavily taxed during a deep playoff run will consider sitting out a WBC the following year because of the early ramp-up required to throw in the tournament takes place during spring training.

However, the WBC is of supreme importance in the Japanese baseball community; more significant even than the World Series. And Ohtani is the face of the county’s iconic Samurai Japan national team, which will be trying to win its fourth WBC title.

Shohei Ohtani celebrates with his teammates after striking out Mike Trout to secure Japan’s World Baseball Classic championship win over the United States in 2023.

(Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

Ohtani is expected to hit in the event, coming off a career-high 55-homer season that helped him earn a third-consecutive MVP Award and the fourth of his MLB career.

But there remains no indication about whether he will pitch, nor if such a decision has been made between him and the Dodgers (who can’t block Ohtani from participating in the event, but could request he either not pitch or follow strict usage rules given he missed the first half of last season on the mound).

It is unlikely that decision will be made until closer to the tournament.

The Dodgers’ two other Japanese pitchers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, face a similar dynamic leading into next year’s WBC.

Yamamoto made 30 starts in the 2025 regular season, the most of his MLB or Japanese career, then threw 37⅓ more innings in six outings during the playoffs — including his heroic back-to-back victories in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series.

Sasaki missed most of his rookie MLB season with a shoulder injury, but returned late in the year and became the team’s de facto closer in the playoffs. Next year, he is slated to return to the starting rotation.

Like Ohtani, they are both key cogs in the Dodgers’ 2026 pitching plans, which, as manager Dave Roberts alluded to during a promotional tour in Japan last week, could make the WBC something of a potential complication.

“We’ll support them,” Roberts told the Japanese media. “But I do think that the pitching, it’s a lot on the body, the arm. The rest will be beneficial for next year, for our season. But we understand how important the WBC is for these individual players and for the country of Japan.”

The Dodgers could choose to block Sasaki’s participation in the WBC, since he spent much of last year on the 60-day injured list, but have not yet given any indication about whether they would do so.

The club can’t do the same with Yamamoto, but could still try advocating for him to be used more conservatively in the tournament coming off his especially burdensome October performance.

For now, at least, what is known is that Ohtani will participate in some capacity.

But whether he, or his Japanese Dodgers teammates, will pitch in the tournament will remain a subplot as the offseason progresses.

Not that it’s a contest, but Santa Clarita did it first.

It was Hollywood before Hollywood. It had its own gold rush years before riches were found at Sutter’s Mill. And men were pulling oil from the ground there two decades before Texas dug its first well.

Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now.

Yet the rugged Santa Clarita Valley and the four communities it comprises — Newhall, Valencia, Canyon County and Saugus — are still something of a mystery to many who don’t live there. Or worse, the area remains misunderstood thanks to “The Santa Clarita Diet” and other pop culture portrayals.

The truth is far more interesting, if evasive. For decades, the Newhall Pass formed a natural barrier separating the valley from the Los Angeles Basin, allowing Santa Clarita to cultivate its own unique culture, one that’s woven into the fabric of Southern California.

“This was truly the Old Wild West out here,” said Alan Pollack, a doctor of internal medicine who moved to the valley in 1991 and quickly became steeped in its history. “There were gunfights, there were stagecoaches, all that sort of stuff.”

Santa Clarita was where many of the early westerns were shot, with real cowboys driving herds of cattle down the town’s dusty main street. Since then, the valley has become home to more than a dozen movie ranches, from the 22-acre Melody Ranch to the 400-acre Rancho Maria and Sable Ranch, as well as dozens of soundstages, earning the city the title “Hollywood North.”

“You can get any kind of look in Santa Clarita,” says Carol Rock, marketing director for the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. “Just drive around. You’re looking at the Amazon. You’re looking at the forest in different kinds of trees. And then you’ve got palm trees.” Pay attention and you’ll notice that the hills and canyons have provided the backdrop for everything from “The Lone Ranger” and “Gunsmoke” to “Oppenheimer,” “Star Trek” and “The Office.”

The city is also home to the sprawling Magic Mountain theme park, whose 19 roller coasters are the most in a single amusement park in the world. It holds more than 80 miles of some of Southern California’s best public hiking trails, fed by a 30-mile system of biking paths, walkways and bridges. (On one of those trails, you can view the site of the St. Francis Dam built by William Mulholland, whose aqueduct made Southern California’s suburban sprawl possible. The dam’s 1928 collapse that killed hundreds is still remembered as one of the worst U.S. civil engineering disasters of the 20th century.)

And then there’s CalArts, a private visual and performing school whose graduates — including filmmaker Tim Burton, Pixar’s John Lasseter and jazz musician Ravi Coltrane — have had an outsized influence on modern animation and pop music.

Through it all, Old Town Newhall, the core of what once was a railroad and ranching hub, remains the beating heart and soul of the area. You’ll find echos of the past on Main Street — the historic district is still lined with hitching posts, though they’re mainly decorative nowadays, and embedded with bronze stars and terrazzo tiles honoring the legends of western film, television and radio. And all over the community, the legacy of William S. Hart, Newhall’s original silent screen cowboy, lives on in the streets, schools, museums and parks that bear his name.

To see where it all began, spend a day in Santa Clarita, a place where you can discover cowboy history and sip a sophisticated Chardonnay at a wine bar all on an afternoon stroll.

Those who want to stay at the Rose Bowl describe the place as iconic, an ode to everything that’s great about college football. They say it oozes history and tradition. Just the sight of the glowing neon sign is enough to give them goosebumps.

Those who want to go call the place a dump. They say it’s old and decaying by the day, a shell of its former greatness. Why hold on so hard when a futuristic stadium in Inglewood could provide not only a home closer to campus but also an infusion of cash as part of a more favorable lease?

Going into what could be UCLA’s last home game ever at its century-old stadium Saturday night, some with deep ties to the school say they understand each of the dueling perspectives in the debate over a possible move to SoFi Stadium.

“The concern is, are you gonna lose part of your identity, which has been in peril lately already?” said Kris Farris, a former All-America offensive tackle with the Bruins who was among the more than half-dozen former greats and current recruits who spoke with The Times about the situation. “So it’s like you’re taking away another special part of UCLA, but of course everyone understands the upside financially and what the program needs to do in the arms race of college football right now.”

Officially, nothing has been decided. School officials have released two statements in recent weeks, both acknowledging the uncertainty of the situation. It’s believed that if UCLA decided to make a move to SoFi Stadium, the Bruins would want to do so before the 2026 season.

But the courts could have the final say. The Rose Bowl Operating Co. and the City of Pasadena have commenced a legal battle with hopes of forcing the team to stay. Having called the stadium home since moving in before the 1982 season under legendary coach Terry Donahue, UCLA committed to a lease that doesn’t expire until the summer of 2044.

“I just really feel if Terry was here, I think he’d say, ‘What’s the hurry?’ ” said Pat Donahue, one of the late coach’s brothers. “You have a lease, why don’t you underwrite what the issues are and if you feel you made a bad deal, go renegotiate. You know, I just don’t know what the hurry is and it seems to me that UCLA has a lot bigger football problems than the Rose Bowl, right? I mean, the building’s on fire and you wanna remodel the garden.”

Only one thing seems certain: UCLA will not play home games on campus, as so many have proposed over the years. A movement to build a football stadium on the spot now occupied by Drake Stadium died in 1965 amid opposition from students, political leaders and local homeowners. Not only did the University of California regents rebuff the stadium bid, they also decreed that no structure built on the Drake Stadium footprint could later be enlarged into a football stadium.

Thus the current dilemma. Does UCLA keep its word and fulfill a Rose Bowl lease in which it loses millions of dollars annually in opportunity costs because it does not take in suite or sponsorship revenue? Or do the Bruins head to SoFi Stadium for a new beginning flush with cash, if not tradition?

“In the long term, if you look at the UCLA program, SoFi makes a whole lot more sense whether you like it or not,” said former Bruins quarterback Gary Beban, who led the team to an upset of top-ranked Michigan State in the 1966 Rose Bowl and won the school’s only Heisman Trophy in 1967.

Beban played for UCLA teams that called the Coliseum home, long before the Bruins moved to the Rose Bowl. He said initially wasn’t a supporter of UCLA playing in Pasadena because of a 26.2-mile commute from campus, acknowledging the issue seemed to be largely offset by wild early success the team enjoyed while appearing in five Rose Bowl games between 1983 and 1999.

With the Bruins stuck in a decadelong funk, making that long commute has become more burdensome, leading to dwindling attendance at a stadium that’s roughly twice the distance from UCLA than SoFi Stadium.

“It’s a convenience issue for the people at the campus and over a longer period of time,” Beban said, “I think eventually SoFi just makes more sense than the Rose Bowl. … Right now, this is being looked at at a time when the program needs a lot of fresh air. Regardless of how big of a supporter you are, there are a list of things that need to be advanced and this is just one of them. Maybe it’s time to start all over in all directions and try to get going in the right direction.”

One of Beban’s teammates favors holding on more tightly to the past. Jim Colletto, co-captain of the 1966 Rose Bowl champions, said standing on that field makes one feel like he’s playing or coaching with the ghosts of legends.

Before his return to the Rose Bowl as UCLA’s offensive line coach in 2006, Colletto walked to the two-yard line, where former teammate Bob Stiles had made a goal-line stand 40 years earlier by stopping Michigan State fullback Bob Apisa on a potential game-tying two-point conversion.

“I closed my eyes,” Colletto said, “and it all came alive again.”

Which stadium do possible future UCLA players want to call home?

Kenneth Moore III, a wide receiver from St. Mary’s High in Stockton who has verbally committed to the Bruins, said he’d prefer to play at SoFi Stadium. As far as he’s concerned, the stadium that opened in 2020 is closer to campus and would create a better environment than the team has experienced at the Rose Bowl, where it’s averaging only 37,099 fans this season.

“I feel it’ll be more involvement from the fans after going to SoFi,” Moore said, “to have more packed-out stands.”

Cooper Javorsky has remained a constant presence at the Rose Bowl even after decommitting from UCLA in the wake of coach DeShaun Foster’s dismissal. The offensive lineman from San Juan Hills High who is still considering the Bruins has developed an affinity for the place based on his many weekends spent on the sideline watching games.

“I don’t think I’m really in a position to have an opinion,” Javorsky said, “but who wouldn’t think it’s cool to run out at the Rose Bowl on a Saturday?”

One widespread lament is the possible loss of unfettered tailgating on a sprawling golf course and surrounding parking lots. Farris said throwing a football on the grass and cooking food in an open space was the part of the gameday experience that his kids looked forward to most when they were younger.

“At SoFi, just having attended some professional games there, they just don’t have the tailgating experience,” Farris said. “The tailgating at the Rose Bowl is special, it’s unique. You know, it’s not a paved parking lot with a small little stall.”

Hearing that UCLA’s game against Washington on Saturday could be the team’s last one inside the stadium he once called home has motivated Farris to make the drive from Orange County. It could represent one final memory for someone who was part of the last Bruins team to play in a Rose Bowl game.

“There’s nothing like it,” Farris said of the place. “I’ve played in a lot of different stadiums and obviously the backdrop and the size and scale of the Rose Bowl, the history of the Rose Bowl, the energy coming from the fans and just the history in that building and to be able to call it your home as a program and that’s your home field and being able to dominate in that time like we were able to do as a team, I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”

Nearly everyone who weighed in the stadium debate agreed that winning would solve many of UCLA’s problems regardless of where it played, drawing more fans and revenue. But Dave Ball, a former Bruins All-America defensive end, said there was a caveat that should be attached to that sentiment.

“Yes, winning solves everything,” Ball said, “but it’s like to me, the resources are the thing, especially now, that are going to promote winning. It’s like, man, you need to have the players and to have the players you need big budgets and an environment that is like swooning over the kids and Ohio State has that, Alabama has that, a lot of the SEC schools have that, and so a great coach who starts to get the program going will instill more excitement and more money, but you do need a lot of the budget and the resources to get that top-tier coach and those top-tier athletes.

“This thing is a game of moving onto the next and what matters to everybody is, do you win football games, championships, bowl games or not?”

Vatican City is the world’s cheapest destination, where visitors can explore this tiny European country for an average of just £11 per person

If you’re looking to immerse yourself in a place steeped in history and culture, you might assume you’d need to set aside several days and a hefty budget. However, that’s not always the case.

While some destinations do demand more time, there’s one tiny city that can be fully explored in just a day. Even better, it’s the cheapest place to visit globally.

According to research by Safari company Go2Africa, Vatican City is one of the least expensive places to explore worldwide.

They analysed different countries’ total tourism receipts for the year and compared this figure with the total number of international visitors to find out where it was cheapest.

They discovered that visitors to the Vatican have an average spend of just £11 per visitor – the lowest in the world.

This is likely because Vatican City is so small that most of its sites can be seen within a few short hours, eliminating the need for overnight accommodation, reports the Express.

Vatican City is not only Europe’s smallest country but also holds the title for being the smallest in the world by size and population.

Just 501 people call this country home, yet it attracts millions of visitors every year.

If you fancy being one of them, there are some must-see sights during your visit.

One of the most famous is St Peter’s Basilica. Construction began in 1506 and was completed in 1615, making it one of the most renowned works of Renaissance architecture.

The basilica is a significant pilgrimage site, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. It’s also home to stunning works of art and intriguing religious relics.

Art enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that Vatican City houses Michelangelo’s renowned La Pietà sculpture, widely regarded as one of the most emotionally stirring sculptures ever crafted.

This marble masterpiece portrays the Virgin Mary holding the body of Christ after his crucifixion. Positioned at the entrance of the basilica, it’s one of the world’s most celebrated pieces of art.

On the drive up to the Rose Bowl’s front door, underneath the legendary glowing sign, toward the picturesque purple mountains, there stands the most impactful symbol of the school that plays there.

It is a statue of Jackie Robinson in a UCLA football uniform.

He is cradling the ball in his left hand and warding off impending tacklers with his right, a striking bronze symbol of a university’s resilience and strength. The most formidable figure in American sports history is standing where he grew up, where his team lives and where he forever will embody the epitome of the gutty Bruin.

Nobody represents the mission of UCLA more than Jackie Robinson.

UCLA fans cheer during the game against Penn State at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 4.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Nothing is more disgusting than the thought of UCLA leaving him in the dust.

The Bruins are trying to flee the Rose Bowl, did you hear? They’re trying to break a long-term lease and leave Pasadena on the next thing smokin’. Oh yeah, they’re all but gone, it’s all there in lawsuits and court filings and mounds of legal stuff that mask the real message.

UCLA values a quick buck over enduring integrity, fast cash over deep tradition and dollars over die-hards.

The Bruins want to leave the most storied stadium in America, a place where they have played for 43 years, a living monument to Bruins icons, a tailgating paradise with a postcard backdrop … for the shiny toy that is SoFi Stadium, an amazing professional football palace that has no business being the permanent home of a college football team.

This is no knock on SoFi. It’s Super Bowl cool. But it’s an NFL stadium with NFL vibes. It doesn’t work for a struggling university program that would be a third tenant viewed as a last resort.

The Bruins don’t want to move there for tradition. When it comes to college football, SoFi has none. UCLA played there once in a bowl game that drew what appeared to be a handful of fans, the quaint gathering dwarfed by the space-age surroundings.

They don’t want to go there for the increased convenience. There is none. You can’t sell me that 14 fewer miles going south on the 405 on a Saturday afternoon would be noticeably quicker than a longer trek going east on the 134. Especially if there also are events happening at the SoFi-adjacent Forum and Intuit Dome.

They don’t want to go for the game-day experience. There is none. They would be sacrificing lush Brookside tailgating for scarce parking lot tailgating, robbing UCLA fans of their one guaranteed victory every game.

Yes, SoFi has much better seats and bathrooms and amenities but, no, the Bruins want to go for one reason only, and we’ve known what that is from the moment they admitted their athletic department was in financial ruin.

UCLA offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel walks back to the sidelines after a timeout during a game against Nebraska at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 8.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

This is all about the money. UCLA long ago agreed to a lousy deal with the Rose Bowl from the outset — the school apparently sign leases like it hires football coaches — and thus the Bruins don’t receive any cut of suite or sponsorship deals, and get just a fraction of merchandise and parking. Some estimate they can make a few multiples of their current revenue by moving to SoFi, and that’s certainly a legitimate motivation, but it’s also the easy way out.

You know how else they could make more money? Win more football games! Did anybody think of that?

Since Terry Donahue retired in 1995, the UCLA football program frequently has dumped a steaming pile of garbage on Pasadena’s prettiest doorstep, and the poor decisions by the athletic department finally are catching up to it.

They’ve had losing records in seven of the last 10 years. They’ve gone through five coaches and endured countless disappointments. Not surprisingly, increasingly fewer fans want to devote their Saturdays to cheering for a team that too often finds itself plopping into a Brookside bunker.

The Bruins’ five worst attendance figures have come in the last five seasons not interrupted by COVID-19. They’ve ranked around the bottom of Big Ten attendance, and the hole just keeps getting deeper.

They’re averaging 37,099 this season entering the Saturday night’s home finale against Washington, a pace which would set the record for the lowest UCLA season attendance at the Rose Bowl.

And all this is the Rose Bowl’s fault? Not since Roy “Wrong Way” Riegels has someone in the Arroyo Seco been so misguided.

The City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Co. have lived up to their part of the lease, which still has 19 years remaining on it. Pasadena officials say taxpayers have invested more than $150 million in stadium renovations and they’re ready to write a check on an additional $130 million for improvements.

It shows. The Terry Donahue Pavilion is magnificent. The grounds are pristine. There are plans for a cool field club beyond the south end zone.

The Rose Bowl folks have done everything they agreed to do. That UCLA still is trying to walk out the front door smacks of an entitled, oafish spouse who demands their significant other improve themselves, then leaves anyway.

I’ve been covering UCLA games at the Rose Bowl for nearly 40 years, and I can confirm there’s no better place to watch college football in this country. It’s the Augusta National of football stadiums, a place where they should hold the national championship every year, with its breathtaking skyline and deep green surroundings and that crisp fall breeze that sneaks through the Arroyo Seco like an old friend reminding you of home.

UCLA tailback Derrick Williams celebrates with a cheerleader’s megaphone after defeating the USC 13-9 at the Rose Bowl on Dec. 2, 2006.

(Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)

No, it’s not on UCLA’s campus, but there’s no more room, that ship has sailed. And, no, UCLA doesn’t make an appropriate amount of money in the deal, but the school signed the lease, and those lost dollars can appear in other ways.

By playing at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins are paid in majestic beauty, timeless tradition and a sense of family that their alumni and fans can’t get anywhere else.

I was on the sidelines in the final seconds on that first Saturday in December 2006 for quite possibly UCLA’s greatest Rose Bowl moment. You remember. How could you forget?

The John David Booty drive, the Eric McNeal interception, the stunning 13-9 UCLA victory that denied USC a spot in the national championship game while giving the Bruins their only win over the Trojans in a 13-year span.

What stays with me from that afternoon is the deafening noise that seemed to fill every corner of Pasadena before morphing into arguably the loudest Eight Clap in Bruins history.

“U-C-L-A! Fight! Fight! Fight!”

The Rose Bowl was magical that day. Shame on UCLA for not believing it still can be.

The Rams, Super Bowl contenders riding a five-game winning streak, will navigate at least the next four games of the season without three veteran starters.

The Rams on Wednesday placed safety Quentin Lake, tight end Tyler Higbee and right tackle Rob Havenstein on injured reserve.

Lake, who had surgery Tuesday for a dislocated left elbow, Higbee (ankle) and Havenstein (knee/ankle) must sit out at least four games before they are eligible to return. The earliest return would be a Dec. 18 game against the Seahawks in Seattle.

“You don’t replace players like that,” McVay said of the experience and leadership that will be missing when the Rams play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. “You can’t expect others to be able to do that. You expect guys that are getting opportunities to step up to be the best versions of themselves.”

Lake, 26, was injured last Sunday in a victory over the Seattle Seahawks, a win that improved the Rams’ record to 8-2. McVay indicated that if Lake returns, it would possibly be for the playoffs.

Josh Wallace played in Lake’s place as a hybrid nickel corner/linebacker. McVay said the Rams would continue to evaluate and formulate a plan to replace Lake moving forward, but they are expected to consider utilizing a combination that includes safety Kam Kinchens, Wallace and cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Roger McCreary.

Higbee also was injured against the Seahawks.

The 10th-year pro has 20 receptions, including two for touchdowns, as the leader of a tight end group that includes Davis Allen, Colby Parkinson and rookie Terrance Ferguson, who is expected to get an increased role in Higbee’s absence.

Havenstein, an 11th year pro, played the first four games before he was sidelined for three games because of injuries. Third-year pro Warren McClendon played in his place.

Havenstein returned against the New Orleans Saints and has played the last three games, but McVay said time on injured reserve would enable him to work back to full strength.

“Both of those guys are obviously big-time leaders and catalysts on our team and our offense,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said of Higbee and Havenstein. “But we’ll just move forward with the guys that we have, and then hopefully those guys can heal up and be ready to go at some point.”

In corresponding moves, the Rams signed kicker Harrison Mevis to the active roster, claimed safety Chris Smith II off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders and signed cornerback Alex Johnson to the practice squad.

The shiny new Optus Stadium replaces the famous WACA – or Western Australian Cricket Association Ground – as the premier Test venue in Perth and will host the first Test of the 2025-26 series.

Perth has hosted plenty of memorable Ashes moments, with metal bats, blistering centuries and rare England wins all featuring in our quiz.

Annie Leibovitz strides onto the Wiltern stage to the thunderous cheers of 1,500 mostly female fans. She takes her place at the podium, a small, casually dressed figure on a big stage. On the screen behind her are images of the matching covers of her new two-book set, “Annie Leibovitz: Women.” Volume 1 is her 1999 collection. Volume 2 has 100 new photos captured in the 25 years since. Taken together, the slipcased set zooms in on the past quarter century of American womankind, rendered in 250 images of dancers, actors, astronauts, artists, politicians, farmers, writers, CEOs, philanthropists, soldiers, musicians, athletes, socialites and scientists.

“The book was Susan’s idea,” Leibovitz says on Tuesday, referring to writer Susan Sontag, her partner until Sontag’s death in 2004. “I thought doing a photo book about women was a bad idea, like going out and photographing the ocean. But then I heard what Hillary Clinton said at the U.N. Conference on Women in 1995 — ‘Women’s rights are human rights, and human rights are women’s rights’ — and I reconsidered.” Applause shakes the Wiltern rafters.

An image from Volume 2 appears, featuring a somber-looking Sontag. “This is the last formal portrait of Susan,” Leibovitz says. “You could think she’s projecting a sense of strength, but really, she was mad at me for making her go outside to take the picture.” The crowd roars with laughter.

Think of Leibovitz, and some legendary photographs spring to mind. Whoopi Goldberg submerged in a milk-filled bathtub on the cover of Vanity Fair, July 1984. Also on VF covers: Michael Jackson, fittingly clothed and shot in black-and-white, in 1989. Demi Moore, fully pregnant and fully naked, two years later. But the photo that remains Leibovitz’s most iconic to date is the January 1981 cover of Rolling Stone featuring a nude, fetal John Lennon wrapped around Yoko Ono. “John showed up naked,” Leibovitz tells the audience. “Yoko wanted to wear clothes, so she’s fully dressed.” Leibovitz took the Polaroid on Dec. 8, 1980 — a few steps away from, and a few hours before, Lennon was shot and killed by former fan Mark David Chapman.

Joan Baez in Woodside, Calif., in 2007, from “Annie Leibovitz: Women.”

(Annie Leibovitz)

In Volume 2, we find a barefoot Joan Baez sitting in a tree strumming her guitar; a pregnant Rihanna draped in jewels and fur; Billie Eilish dreaming over a journal with pencil in hand; Shonda Rhimes with her feet up on a desk as massive as her oeuvre; and an uninhibited Michelle Obama as we’ve never seen her before: chin raised, eyes closed, hair tossed back, T-shirt and jeans parted to reveal her midriff. “I was in shock,” Leibovitz says. “But the first lady’s assistant was standing next to me, shouting, ‘That’s my first lady!’”

Familiar faces dominate, but woven between them are portraits of “regular” American women. A botanist precedes Oprah Winfrey, a philanthropist and a rabbi surround the founder of a Skid Row nonprofit, the reproductive rights activists of Moms Demand Action share space with a nude Lady Gaga. “I told her to bring a slip,” Leibovitz comments. “I’d rather people keep their clothes on at this point in my life.”

Volume 2 includes one essay each from activist Gloria Steinem, Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Leibovitz herself. Steinem writes, “This book will help us to discover our adventurous true selves. … We are atoms whirling in place, affected by and affecting those near and far from where we are.”

Adichie agrees. “Taken as a whole,” she writes, “these photographs create a deeply moving experience, they refute the singular lens, they revel in plurality’s power, and because of — or perhaps in spite of — their wide range, they are infused with a spirit that is communal, collective, even unifying — and ultimately hopeful.”

Leibovitz concludes the second book. “For this volume I thought about issues that are important today,” she writes. In 2016, when she was beginning work on Volume 2, the notoriously cloistered Leibovitz told a New York Times reporter about the nationwide “talking circles” she and Steinem had organized, in which women shared their experiences with issues including sexual violence, technology and human rights. “Talking in groups like that, it brings me to tears,” Leibovitz told the reporter, adding that the new work she was making for Volume 2 was more “democratic.” Volume 2 is indeed more diverse, possibly in response to a widely discussed critique of Leibovitz’s photographs of Black women.

No celebrity survives fame without acquiring a layer or two of tarnish. In the decades between Volumes 1 and 2, Leibovitz’s representations of Black women painted Leibovitz with hers. A 2022 Guardian story was headlined, “Annie Leibovitz proves yet again: she can’t photograph Black women.”

“Leibovitz’s photographs are what happens when Blackness is seen through a white gaze incapable of capturing its true beauty,” contributor Tayo Bero wrote, referring to a list of Leibovitz subjects including Simone Biles, Viola Davis, Serena Williams and Rihanna. Bero wrote, “In all cases, she manages to make her subjects look dull, ashy, pained and sad, a far cry from the lively and graceful people that they usually are.”

Bero and others particularly criticized an image Leibovitz made for Vogue, depicting Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson at the Lincoln Memorial. In the photo, the snow-white marble statue takes center stage, overlooking Brown Jackson on the lower left. At the Wiltern, when that image appears, Leibovitz speaks of her own experience shooting it, not the controversy surrounding its publication. “I was skeptical about that idea,” Leibovitz says. “But she walked into the rotunda and she started reading Lincoln’s words that are engraved into the wall. It was such a moving moment.”

Two years later, the controversy was reawakened by Leibovitz’s depictions of Zendaya, also in Vogue. An April 2024 piece on the website Screenshot Media reiterated the photos’ failure to accurately reflect “the beauty of melanated skin tones, with poor lighting that often results in lackluster portrayals.”

In her introductory essay to Volume 2, Adichie, on the other hand, praises Leibovitz’s sensitivity. “The first time Annie photographed me, more than ten years ago at my home, she sensed my discomfort right away and knew it was not merely about my general awkwardness with being photographed. It was specifically about my belly, which was newly postpartum, although I would probably still have worried even if it wasn’t. … Annie’s sanguine reaction was a relief. There was no divisiveness, no judgment.”

Rihanna at the Ritz Hotel, Paris, in 2022, from “Annie Leibovitz: Women.”

(Annie Leibovitz)

Leibovitz, her representatives and her publisher, Phaidon Press, declined to comment on the critique. In an email interview with Phaidon Vice President Deborah Aaronson, who worked on four Leibovitz titles, Aaronson said, “‘Women’ reaffirms Annie Leibovitz’s place in the photographic canon. In the ‘Women’ series, she captures a breadth of experience and people who live and work in different spheres that’s unparallelled. I believe the series makes her the most important chronicler of women over the past 50 years.”

Annie Leibovitz entered the San Francisco Art Institute at 22, intending to be a painter. But a night photography class she took on a whim changed her medium, and her life. While still a student, manifesting the confidence that would characterize her career, Leibovitz pitched a Lennon shoot to Rolling Stone. Three years later, rendered immortal as the final photographer of Lennon and Ono, Leibovitz became Rolling Stone’s chief photographer.

In 1983, Leibovitz joined the staff of Vanity Fair, where her field of exploration, and her social sphere, expanded to include actors, athletes and politicians. In 1991, she became the first woman to have a solo show at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. She was designated a Library of Congress Living Legend in 2000.

In 2001, at age 52, Leibovitz gave birth to her first daughter, Sarah Cameron Leibovitz. Sontag was at her bedside. In May 2005, via surrogate, Leibovitz became the mother of twin daughters, Susan (named for her beloved painter sister) and Samuelle. In 2009, Leibovitz was commissioned to make the official portrait of the first family — President Barack Obama; his wife, Michelle; and their daughters, Sasha and Malia — continuing the relationship that began in 2004 when she photographed Obama in his run for the U.S. Senate.

“I want to photograph the White House,” Leibovitz says, “but I don’t think there will be much of it left when I get to it.” The evening ended as it began: with the enthusiastic applause of her audience.

WHAT do you get if you cross Dragons’ Den with ice swimming? Frozen assets? It was time to find out . . . 

I was in Oulu, on the north-west coast of Finland, which last year welcomed the return of televised event, Polar Bear Pitching.

Visitors pay to watch up-and-coming entrepreneurs pitch ideas to a row of cash-fuelled investors, just like the BBC show.

Except these hopefuls must do it from a frozen lake, their pitch lasting as long as they can withstand the freezing waters.

It gave me goosebumps, and not just because of the -20°C chill.

I may not have had any start-up ideas to pitch but that didn’t stop me plunging into the chilling waters while I was here.

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The Icebreaker experience is one I’ll never forget.

Dressed in a warm, waterproof bodysuit, I boarded a large boat which slowly made its way across the chilling sea, its hull carving a pathway as it broke through the ice.

We came to a halt and then it was time.

Hurling myself in, I bobbed between huge ice blocks in my floating suit, in awe of my surroundings.

This is an experience that will set you back a fair whack, but it’s absolutely something for the bucket list.

And with so many free things to do in the city, you can save your cash elsewhere.

Oulu is filled with wonderful traditions – so much so it’s been named the European Capital of Culture for 2026.

It’s calmer than Helsinki, with just 215,000 people, but no less fun.

The Frozen People Festival, a drum and bass-filled evening in the Pikisaari district, doesn’t cost a penny.

The event, traditionally held on a frozen lake, will take place on February 28 next year, with DJs, art installations and movies.

Due to climate change, we had to party on firm ground this year, but that didn’t stop me dancing the night away with a local cider in hand as snow fell.

Reindeer stew

Unfortunately, I missed out on the World Air Guitar Championships, a phenomenal spectacle that attracts contestants from all over the globe.

But this free event, held every August in the town’s square, is a fun must-see if you can make it.

With snow on the ground, it seemed only right to celebrate Christmas a little early with a trip to the Arkadia Reindeer Farm where Rudolph and his mates pulled me on a sleigh.

Later, I regressed into a giggling child when feeding them dinner.

Awkwardly, my dinner was a yummy reindeer stew served at the farm’s cosy cabin.

If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can head to the Arctic Foodlab, home to a collection of cafes, bakeries and breweries.

I sampled salmon soup and rossypottu, a potato, smoked pork and blood sausage stew.

Both are local delicacies and great for warming you through.

If you’re still not warm enough, pay a visit to the sauna — you’ll find one in most hotels in the city.

The Finnish proudly enter naked, but my English propriety won out, and I wore a swimsuit. I was willing to try one tradition, though – running out into the snow afterwards.

As I pelted into the powdery white, wearing just my cossie and Doc Martens, something stopped me in my tracks.

A flash of green flickered in the sky and several colours danced between the trees above.

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The final item on my bucket list had just been ticked off — seeing the Northern Lights.

Even the air’s bitter bite couldn’t distract me from that magical sight.

The town is known for being very clean and was recently voted the best place to live in the country. It is surrounded by mountains and islands, and has some great pubs

The UK boasts countless charming villages and towns. Indeed, if you’re seeking cobbled streets tucked into rolling countryside, clifftop whitewashed settlements, or picture-perfect cottages dotting a hillside, then you’re in one of the finest locations.

However, if you’re prepared to venture just a touch further, you can uncover towns of arguably Britain-surpassing calibre. Westport in County Mayo, Ireland, ranks amongst the absolute finest. Reaching there is straightforward enough, with Ryanair, British Airways, and Aer Lingus all operating flights to Knock, the nearest airport to Westport.

From there, it’s an hour’s journey west to the stretch of coastline where the designated Heritage Town is situated. En route, you’ll meander through increasingly striking landscapes as the Atlantic approaches and the peaks grow loftier.

Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s “Holy Mountain,” stands five miles from the town; its cone-shaped summit towering above Clew Bay. The mountain serves as a popular pilgrimage destination and tourist draw. On the final Sunday of July, faithful worshippers undertake a demanding ascent to the peak, where pilgrims visit a chapel, celebrate Mass, and frequently perform acts of penance, such as walking barefoot or on their knees.

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If that strikes you as rather too demanding for holiday pursuits, then worry not. There’s abundant entertainment within the town itself to occupy you. Westport features a Georgian town centre, and stone bridges connect the tree-lined walkway along the banks of the Carrowbeg River.

The standout feature about the place is that it’s spotless, and the quality of life is excellent. Westport claimed the Irish Tidy Towns Competition three times in 2001, 2006, and 2008, and in 2012 it secured the Best Place to Live in Ireland competition organised by The Irish Times.

As you’d anticipate, Westport isn’t lacking in pubs. Establishments like Matt Molloy’s, MacBride’s, Porter House, and JJ O’Malley’s are all excellent options and likely to host traditional bands during the evening.

When the weather’s pleasant, you can stroll along the Quay and then continue to The Point. “This is a fabulous place to meet locals on a nice day as they swim in the shallow waters of Clew Bay. I sat at a table and laughed as they chatted with each other, calling to friends who were not in the water. It was a kick to be a fly on the wall and witness friends and neighbours giving each other a hard time and laughing and gossiping,” writes the blogger Wander Your Way.

Numerous visitors to Westport for a holiday choose to discover areas beyond the town, venturing into the breathtaking magnificence of the surrounding landscape. There’s a well-known phrase in Clew Bay that there’s “an island for every day of the year.”

Actually, there are nearer to 120 named islands, with countless more smaller, submerged limestone drumlins emerging when the tide recedes. The largest of the genuine islands is Clare, whose magnificent outline emerges on the horizon like an enormous humpback whale.

You can catch the brief ferry journey from Roonagh Pier and spend the day enjoying beautiful walks and views. Clare is a big spot for birders, who come to spot kittiwakes, fulmars, peregrines, guillemots, and, cutest of all the birds, puffins.

If you’re willing to travel a little further out to sea, you’ll reach Inishturk, a “little piece of paradise,” according to the area’s tourist board. Highlights include the sandy beaches of Trá na nÚan and Curraun, Ireland’s only offshore-island natural lagoon, sea cliffs, and rare wild flora.

It is difficult to find a bad word said or written about Westport, which is widely considered to combine the best natural Ireland has to offer with a welcoming culture and streets that rarely get too busy.

“I am a huge fan of Westport and County Mayo, maybe because my wife’s cousin owns the Clew Bay Hotel and Madden’s Restaurant. I highly recommend both. Renting bikes in Westport and riding the Great Western Greenway is awesome, love it. It is a great little town with good restaurants and pubs,” one enthusiast recently wrote on Reddit.

Another added: “I second Westport! My wife and I had our honeymoon there (years ago, and in Clew Bay Hotel too! ) and frequently return. The people in the restaurants, bars, and shops are all so welcoming. If you don’t like the pubs (and the music), there are many interesting and easily accessible walks and cycle paths nearby. Can’t wait to return!”

A third wrote: “It really does seem magical out there, lots of outdoor activities and seems less busy with tourists.”

MY fearless six-year-old son, Alex, giggled as a large Asian brown owl landed on his gloved arm, just inches away from his face.

Neeka is so used to mingling with guests who visit the birds of prey aviary that she happily sat there for a few seconds, slowly twisting her neck, taking in the view.

And who can blame her, when the view is as stunning as this?

We were staying on the stunning Swinton Estate, set in the Yorkshire Dales within an incredible 20,000 acres of sprawling land made up of villages, farms and moorland.

At the centre of this is the Downton Abbey-style, ivy-clad ancestral stately home of Lord and Lady Masham which has been turned into a luxury hotel with 42 suites and bedrooms.

Despite its grandeur, I discovered it to be one of the most down to earth — and definitely the most child-friendly — places I’ve ever stayed in the UK.

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What’s more, visitors are on the doorstep of explorable market towns, as well as just a 10-minute drive from historic Jervaulx Abbey (one of Yorkshire’s most beautiful historic sites) and 20 minutes from Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park, home to mini rollercoasters, giant swings and a crazy golf course.

That’s if you can find the time to leave the estate.

Swinton has even more activities than overcrowded tourist traps such as Center Parcs — with comparable prices.

During our short stay, we enjoyed treasure hunts, children’s cookery courses, fishing, archery, escape rooms and cycling.

There are complimentary meditation classes, tea tasting, clay pigeon shooting, history tours, movie nights and a birds of prey show.

Falconer Mandy explained that most of the owls, hawks and falcons on site were hand reared.

They even go on “walks” through the estate, high above your head.

And what a great place for a stroll, it is. Our dog Layla certainly agreed.

Unlike many hotels, Layla wasn’t just tolerated here, she was adored.

She walked alongside us as we explored some of the 63 miles of footpaths as well as the play area, wild swimming lake, shop and the Country Club.

She even plodded into the reception with me while I booked an amazing £50 back, neck and shoulder massage.

Although, I did leave her with the others when it came to enjoying my treatment.

This meant I could take full advantage of the amenities, which include thermal suites, a heavenly relaxation room and two pools, both of which have select adults-only times so the grown-ups can properly de-stress.

OLD-WORLD CHARM

Even those with kids can get their downtime thanks to the on-site babysitting service, available from £15 an hour.

The Estate itself is a charming mix of contemporary design blended with grand antiques and historical paintings of the family that once owned it.

This old-world charm continues into the bedrooms and suites too.

Our room featured high ceilings and large low windows where Alex and Layla sat together watching the deer roam freely in the fields.

Every tiny detail has been considered here.

There were coats and umbrellas to borrow, dog biscuits, a teddy bear on the bed and soft, squishy towels and dressing gowns.

While Alex was grateful for the bowl of apples and pile of shortbread biscuits left on the side, I was more appreciative of the smart coffee machine and the Estate’s home-made sloe whisky.

Whisky is just one of many things that comes from the grounds.

Pretty much everything from vegetables and meat to herbs and fruit does, too.

I am a sucker for a good brekkie and thanks to the outstanding estate sausages, this was undoubtedly my favourite meal of the stay.

A freshly-cooked plate of breakfast goodies also helped to ease my slightly sore head after the excellent mixologists rustled me up one too many spicy margaritas the night before.

You don’t need to be an overnight guest to visit the Estate.

Those popping in during the winter months can experience a new winter light trail which will lead them through a sparkling woodland and around the pretty lakes — tickets are from £7.50 per child, while those under five go free.

If you do fancy checking in for the evening, however, now is the time to book.

On selected dates this winter, you can bag a suite with breakfast and a bottle of house wine for £275 in total.

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I am from Yorkshire originally, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually received such a Yorkshire welcome as I did here.

Even Neeka the owl was happy to see us.

This magical location in the UK is a woodland so bewitching and mysterious it appears to have been lifted straight out of a storybook — it’s the perfect destination for a weekend getaway.

There’s a pocket of Wales where time seems frozen, where the air is heavy with the fragrance of moss and drizzle, and mist dances through the trees like ghostly tendrils.

This magical location is the Rheidol Valley in Ceredigion, a woodland so bewitching and mysterious it appears lifted straight from a storybook.

The Rheidol Valley ranks highly on keen adventurers’ bucket lists, particularly the Vale of Rheidol Railway trip hailed amongst the globe’s premier destinations, with tourism specialists at Ski Vertigo proclaiming: “It’s one of the most magical landscapes in Britain, a hidden gem where waterfalls sparkle, trees whisper, and steam trains drift through the mist like something from a dream.”

The Rheidol Valley extends eastwards from Aberystwyth, following the winding River Rheidol as it travels 19 miles from the Nant-y-Moch Reservoir toward the shoreline. The deeper you explore, the more peaceful it grows, with only the sounds of tumbling water, rustling leaves, and distant bird calls. In some areas, sunlight barely filters through the tree cover, bathing moss-draped rocks in an otherworldly emerald light. The air feels fresh and damp, and every step appears to echo softly, as if the forest is listening in.

Mystical wonder of the Rheidol Valley

The woodlands around Devil’s Bridge overflow with mystery and magic. Towering oak trees curve over the pathways, while slender streams cascade down steep hillsides. Hidden amongst the lush greenery, cascades spring forth unexpectedly, their mist shimmering in the sunlight like a dusting of silver.

If you stop and listen closely, you might hear more than just the rush of water – a faint whisper carried on the wind or the creak of an old bridge swaying in the fog.

The Vale of Rheidol Railway, a charming steam train that seems plucked from a different time, chugs through the valley. It meanders leisurely through the forest, puffing out white clouds that drift among the trees. Locals say its whistle can be heard long before it comes into sight, a soft, ghostly sound echoing across the hills.

This train has been running since the Edwardian era, taking passengers past Aberffrwd, Rheidol Falls, Rhiwfron, and finally ending at Devil’s Bridge, a journey that feels like stepping back in time

Upon arrival at Devil’s Bridge, the story becomes even more magical. Three bridges are stacked one on top of the other, each built over centuries.

According to local lore, the first was built by the Devil himself, as the locals believed the gorge was too deep to cross. A deal was struck – the soul of the first creature to cross would belong to him.

But, as the legend goes, the cunning locals tricked the Devil by sending a dog across first, saving their own souls. However, when the wind howls through the bridge at dusk, some say it sounds like a low growl.

From the summit of the bridge, visitors can marvel at the Devil’s Bridge Falls, where the Mynach Falls cascade almost 300 feet into the gorge beneath. The atmosphere is fresh and damp, with the occasional delicate rainbow spanning across the rushing water. Some guests claim that the mist creates silhouettes that look like human faces, disappearing the moment you glance away.

Across the region, countless hiking trails guide you deeper into the valley’s heart. Some routes are short and easy, while others become difficult and hazardous after wet weather, reports Wales Online. The tracks meander past hidden pools, small waterfalls, and ancient stone walls covered in climbing ivy.

In spring, wildflowers blanket the woodland floor; in autumn, the leaves turn to burnished copper, washing the whole valley in warm tones.

How to get there

Travel experts describe the Rheidol Valley as a place that appears alive with “a forest full of secrets, where every path leads deeper into its story”.

The specialists recommend travelling by steam train as it offers the best method to experience the valley while you glide through mist-covered hills and over ancient viaducts – like following a forgotten adventure.

For the best visit, the professionals suggest taking the train from Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge, exploring the forest trails, and admiring the waterfalls before heading back.

Early morning or evening hours prove most magical, when the light is soft and the woods feel almost enchanted. Whether you’re drawn to the Rheidol Valley for its scenic walks, cascading waterfalls, or enchanting folklore, this magical place will linger in your memory long after you’ve left. It’s more than just a forest; it’s a living fairy tale.

It’s election night in Robert Icke’s “Oedipus,” a modern retelling of Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King” that must be the buzziest, if not the chicest, Broadway offering of the fall season.

The production, a prestigious London import that opened at Studio 54 on Thursday under Icke’s smart and sleek direction, stars a charismatic Mark Strong in the title role. His elegant and urbane Oedipus, a politician on the cusp of a momentous victory, prides himself on not playing by the old rules. A straight talker who has made transparency his calling card, he frequently veers off script in paroxysms of candor, to the chagrin of Creon (John Carroll Lynch), his brother-in-law who has been steering the campaign to what looks like a landslide victory.

But “count no mortal happy till / he has passed the final limit of his life secure from pain,” as the chorus intones at the end of Sophocles’ tragedy. There is no chorus in Icke’s version, but the sentiment holds, as Oedipus unravels the puzzle of his identity with the same relentlessness that has brought him to the brink of electoral triumph.

Anne Reid, left, and Olivia Reis in “Oedipus.”

(Julieta Cervantes)

A birther conspiracy has been raised by his political opponent, and Oedipus, speaking impromptu to reporters on-screen at the start of the play, promises to release his birth certificate and put an end to the controversy. What’s more, he vows to reopen an investigation into the death of Laius, the former leader who died 34 years ago under circumstances that have allowed rumor and innuendo to fester.

Oedipus calls himself Laius’ “successor, the inheritor of his legacy,” and in true Sophoclean fashion he speaks more than he knows. Jocasta (Lesley Manville in top form), Oedipus’ wife, was married to Laius, and so Oedipus is occupying his predecessor’s place in more ways than one.

In Sophocles’ play, Oedipus confronts a plague that has been laying waste to Thebes. In Icke’s drama, which had its premiere in Amsterdam in 2018, the pathogen is political. The civic body has fallen ill. Oedipus sees himself as an answer to the demagogic manipulation that has wrought havoc. The water is poisoned, economic inequality is out of control and immigrants have become an easy target. Sound familiar?

Icke’s Oedipus has an Obama-level of confidence in reason and reasonableness. His direct, pragmatic approach has seduced voters, but has it deluded him into thinking that he has all the answers? Oedipus is an ingenious problem solver. Puzzles entice his keen intellect, but he will have to learn the difference between a paradox and a riddle.

Mark Strong, left, and Samuel Brewer in “Oedipus.”

(Julieta Cervantes)

His daughter, Antigone (Olivia Reis), a scholar who has returned for her father’s big night, ventures to make the distinction: “One’s got a solution — one’s just something you have to live with?” But Oedipus is in no mood for academic hairsplitting.

A countdown clock marks the time until the election results will be announced. That hour, as audiences familiar with the original tragedy already know, is when Oedipus will discover his true identity.

Merope (Anne Reid), Oedipus’ mother, has unexpectedly turned up at campaign headquarters needing to speak to her son. Oedipus fears it has something to do with his dying father, but she tells him she just needs a few minutes alone with him. Thinking he has everything under control, he keeps putting her off, not knowing that she has come to warn him about revealing his birth certificate to the public.

The handling of this plot device, with the canny veteran Reid wandering in and out of the drama like an informational time bomb, is a little clumsy. There’s a prattling aspect to Icke’s delaying tactics. His “Oedipus” is more prose than poetry. The family dynamics are well drawn, though a tad overdone.

Mark Strong and the cast of “Oedipus.”

(Julieta Cervantes)

Reid’s Merope and Reis’ Antigone, ferocious in their different ways, refuse to play second fiddle to Manville’s Jocasta when it comes to Oedipus’ affections. Manville, who won an Olivier Award for her performance in “Oedipus,” delivers a performance as sublimely seething as her Oscar-nominated turn in “Phantom Thread.” Endowed with a formidable hauteur, her Jocasta acts graciously, but with an unmistakable note of condescension. As Oedipus’ wife, she assumes sexual pride of place, which only exacerbates tensions with Merope and Antigone.

Oedipus’ sons, Polyneices (James Wilbraham) and Eteocles (Jordan Scowen) are given personal backstories, but there is only so much domestic conflict that can be encompassed in a production that runs just under two hours without interruption. And Polyneices being gay and Eteocles being something of a philander would be of more interest in an “Oedipus” limited series.

When Sophocles’ tragedy is done right, it should resemble a mass more than a morality tale. Oedipus’ story has a ceremonial quality. The limits of human understanding are probed as a sacrificial figure challenges the inscrutable order of the universe. Icke, who views classics through a modern lens (“Hamlet,” “1984”), is perhaps more alert to the sociology than the metaphysics of the tragedy.

Oedipus’ flaws are writ large in his rash, heated dealings with anyone who stands in his way. Icke transforms Creon into a middle-of-the-road political strategist (embodied by Lynch with a combination of arrogance and long-suffering patience) and blind Teiresias (a stark Samuel Brewer) into a mendicant psychic too pathetic to be a pariah.

Mark Strong and Lesley Manville in “Oedipus.”

(Julieta Cervantes)

But Oedipus’ strengths — the keenness of his mind, his heroic commitment to truth and transparency — mustn’t be overlooked. Strong, who won an Olivier Award for his performance in Ivo van Hove’s revival of Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge,” exposes the boyish vulnerability within the sophisticated politician in his sympathetically beguiling portrayal.

Wojciech Dziedzic’s costumes remake the protagonist into a modern European man. Yet true to his Ancient Greek lineage, this Oedipus is nothing if not paradoxical, suavely enjoying his privilege while brandishing his egalitarian views.

The production takes place on a fishbowl office set, designed by Hildegard Bechtler with a clinical and wholly contemporary austerity. The furnishings are removed as the election night draws to its conclusion, leaving no place for the characters to hide from the unwelcome knowledge that will upend their lives.

What do they discover? That everything they thought they understood about themselves was built on a lie. For all his brilliance, Oedipus was unable to outrun his fate, which in Icke’s version has less to do with the gods and more to do with animal instincts and social forces.

When Oedipus and Jocasta learn who they are to each other, passion rushes in before shame calls them to account. Freud wouldn’t be shocked. But it’s not the psychosexual dimension of Icke’s drama that is most memorable.

The ending, impeded by a retrospective coda, diminishes the full cathartic impact. But what we’re left with is the astute understanding of a special kind of hubris that afflicts the more talented politicians — those who believe they have the answers to society’s problems without recognizing the ignorance that is our common lot.

De Minaur will be among those willing Alcaraz to victory after maintaining his interest in the season-ending competition despite opening with back-to-back defeats.

The 26-year-old was reluctant to trust the news that he would qualify with an Alcaraz win when he was initially informed in his post-match interview.

De Minaur had lost his past 16 matches against top 10 players, and each of the five matches he had previously played at the ATP Finals.

A painful defeat by Musetti on Tuesday, in which De Minaur held a 5-3 lead in the deciding set before losing four consecutive games to concede the match, had rocked his confidence.

But, against an opponent whom he had lost the two previous meetings, De Minaur reset mentally to produce an inspired display against Fritz.

“It means a lot. A couple of days ago I was in a pretty dark place,” De Minaur told Sky Sports.

“More than anything, I feel proud of my efforts. Not for just coming out and winning, but also the mindset. I made peace with what had happened and just committed.”

Speaking in his post-match interview, he said on court: “I’ve dealt with a fair bit of heartbreak recently.

“I’ve worked really hard, so it was good to get a positive reward for that.

“[The loss to Musetti] was a tough pill to swallow. I didn’t overthink today, I just went out and committed to what I needed to do. I continued to back myself and, whether it worked or it didn’t, I was going to leave it all out there today.”

FOR 21 years, Jasmine Harman has been finding Brits their dream home abroad on A Place in the Sun, and recently decided to take the plunge herself.

In an even bolder move, Jasmine and her family decided to renovate their own property on the Costa del Sol and documented it all on the Channel 4 show, Jasmine Harman’s Renovation in the Sun.

Talking to Sun Travel, Jasmine has revealed what her new life in Spain is like, and the renovation mishaps she wishes she knew sooner.

Having been advice on property since 2004., it was in October 2023that Jasmine and her family were relocated from the UK to Spain, buying a run-down villa to transform it into their dream home.

It took around one year to transform the casa, and for anyone who wants to do the same, Jasmine has some words of warning.

Jasmine said: “It’s not for the faint hearted. If anyone was considering taking on a renovation project, I’d say be prepared.

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“It’s going to be harder and more expensive than you think. There will be things that will come up that you weren’t expecting and you’ll need to leave yourself a financial and time buffer.

“We had rough figures that we were trying to stick to, but I reckon we ended up going over by around 50 per cent.”

Another huge challenge that Jasmine warned people against is living in the house whilst undergoing a renovation – especially during demolition.

Jasmine along with her husband, Jon, and their two children Joy and Albion, transformed the villa which wasn’t without its setbacks – including serious health scares.

The work however started long before the actual renovation when Jasmine and Jon had to choose exactly where to live.

For the family, Jasmine revealed that moving abroad to the Costa del Sol was also the only logical option.

She explained: “The Costa del Sol was a practical decision because we film A Place in the Sun here all year round.

“There would be no point in me moving abroad somewhere to be with my family more, which was the whole idea, and say we moved to Italy.

“When deciding whereabouts on the Costa del Sol, we chose the western side of Malaga. Then Estepona we chose mostly for the schools – I found one I thought my kids would be happy in.”

Now she and her family have been living in Estepona for some time and have really settled in.

Jasmine shared: “I love Estepona because of the vibe in the town. Where we are, the beaches are quiet all year round. It’s a lovely Spanish town – very authentic.

“Although there’s quite a big international community here, it still maintains its Spanish feel.”

As for what she loves most about her move to Spain, like most Brits would find, it’s the good weather.

In the summer season, Estepona has highs of 28C and even during the winter it can still be as mild as 17C.

Jasmine told us: “I know it’s a cliche, but the weather is so much better and more predictable and reliable.

“I had never really understood the pull of why people want to live by the sea, but I get it now. I love being this close to the sea, the mountains, and being able to see the horizon and that big, beautiful blue sky.”

Thanks to her new home being so close to the sea that they can see it from their home, Jasmine makes the most of it by taking regular dips in the ocean.

She and her children sometimes walk across the beach after school.

There are also plenty of spots for day trips from Tarifa where you can spot dolphins and whales, to Malaga City.

It’s not all sun and sand though; Jasmine is also very close to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Granada province.

Jasmine said: “For the last two years that we’ve lived here, we’ve driven to Sierra Nevada, which is a few hours away, to go for a little skiing weekend.

“We don’t have to fly there, we just chuck everything in the car.”

Jasmine Harman’s Renovation in the Sun continues on Thursday November 13, at 5 PM.

To catch up on previous episodes, head to Channel4.com.

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