As happy as I am with my life in Germany, I would be lying if I said I hadn’t experienced the famous German arrogance. Indeed, in the decade or so I have spent here, my daily existence has been peppered with such encounters. To some extent, being rendered practically invisible in bars and restaurants, and summarily snubbed and snapped at by staff at post offices, train stations and even shops, is regarded as part of life in Berlin – but could also be said to be part of the ‘German experience’, regardless of which part of the country you’re in. The experience got me thinking recently, about how culturally specific arrogance really is? Even a cursory inspection of the phenomenon reveals it’s hardly an exclusively German trait – the British and French suffer the exact same stereotypes, to name just two. To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only … [Read more...] about The truth about German arrogance
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My great African love affair that has outlasted all others
To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week Register for free We’re glad you’re enjoying The Telegraph Register or subscribe to continue readingAlready a subscriber? Log in Register Free One free Premium article per week Newsletters and daily briefings Register Subscribe 30 days free, then £2 per week Unlimited access to Premium articles Subscriber-only newsletters Exclusive subscriber events and rewards The daily newspaper on your smartphone or tablet Start free trial Want to learn more? View subscription options The first time is with a boy who doesn’t love me. Like most visitors to De Hoop in the Nineties, we camp, erecting our tents under a gnarled milkwood overlooking the vlei, alive with birds my city tongue … [Read more...] about My great African love affair that has outlasted all others
In praise of England’s most misunderstood county
Derided, undersold and misunderstood, there is far more to London’s north-easterly neighbour than the caricatures of Essex Girl and Basildon Man. It’s time to have another look and challenge the clichés Most people judge Essex through a car or train window, passing by on their way to Stansted Airport, Norfolk or Suffolk. Or from TOWIE. On screen or in the landscape, there’s hardly time to distinguish where the outskirts of London end and the actual county begins before it’s gone. Essex may be extremely close to London but it quickly turns remote. In days gone by it has been a good place to disappear, whether you were a loyal supporter of Charles I when royalists were out of favour, or a thinker... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium … [Read more...] about In praise of England’s most misunderstood county
Beautiful and uncrowded corners of the Caribbean
Big all-inclusive hotels, jam-packed beaches, thousands of day trippers disgorging from cruise ships... Many parts of the Caribbean are developed and thoroughly discovered. But not everywhere. Tranquil and unspoiled idylls await too. In many cases these take the form of islands to which you can’t fly direct, so involve the trouble and additional expense of a short inter-island hop on a small plane after your transatlantic flight to a main island. But popular islands such as Barbados and Jamaica also have very appealing corners that haven’t succumbed to mainstream tourism. Below, I’ve picked out a selection of these spots. Unless otherwise stated, prices given are per person for seven nights... Register for free to read this article, or log in to your Telegraph account Register Log in … [Read more...] about Beautiful and uncrowded corners of the Caribbean
The best Caribbean islands – our expert’s ultimate guide
From the unspoilt Out Islands of the Bahamas, to the bustling salsa bars of Havana, the Caribbean has a destination to delight everyone. Here we highlight the best islands appropriate for every taste, pocket and circumstance. Unless otherwise stated, package prices are per person for seven nights in early December (low season), based on two sharing the cheapest accommodation, and including economy flights and transfers. Best for families Antigua They say: Even when the hotels are full and cruise ships are calling, you can still find stretches of beach where your family can muck around without being overlooked. Ffryes, Darkwood and Johnson’s Point in the south-west, are among the best as they’re... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week … [Read more...] about The best Caribbean islands – our expert’s ultimate guide