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When planning  my recent day trip  to the Kent Coast, I had earmarked two new-to-me speciality coffee spots to visit: Forts in Margate...and its sister location in Broadstairs. Better still, I could walk from one Forts to the other by following the Viking Coastal Trail along the beach. And because good things come in threes, I was also excited to pay a visit to Curve Coffee Roasters , an old favourite of mine , which had moved to a new location since I was last in Margate. Forts Cafe I arrived in Broadstairs on the train from St Pancras and it was a pleasant 10-minute stroll along the High Street to get to my first Forts of the day. Owner Will Pitts opened the Margate original in June 2020 — an even more challenging time to open a speciality coffee shop than usual, for obvious reasons, but the Broadstairs cafe made its début just a year later, in summer 2021. Both cafes have a very relaxed vibe and welcoming and knowledgeable staff. I spotted the Broadstairs Forts' excess sea...

I made the most of the sunshine on Saturday by heading to the coast — more specifically, to the Kentish towns of Margate and Broadstairs. I was much too late to find any available accommodation in Margate ( Fort Road Hotel  would have been my top choice) but thanks to the high-speed trains, you can pack in a lot on a day trip. Read on for my one-day Margate and Broadstairs itinerary, including a walk along the Viking Coastal Trail and other things to do and places to eat, drink and shop. 10:00 Coffee stop and quick shop in Broadstairs I booked a return train ticket to Margate but hopped off one stop early in Broadstairs, arriving just before 10:00 am. My first priority was coffee and I made a beeline for  Forts Cafe , which is a stone's throw from the beach. As well as the house Tastyboi espresso, roasted by Origin , Will Pitts' colourful cafe and its sister location in Margate serve some excellent coffees from a range of guest roasters. I opted for a piccolo with a natural Rw...

The Portuguese island of Madeira — located some 500 miles southwest of the mainland, just over 400 miles west of Morocco — wasn't really on my radar until a few years ago. After a couple of friends had wonderful trips, it soared up my to-visit list.  With its semi-tropical climate, stunning natural features and wealth of outdoor activities, from hiking to dolphin watching, there's plenty to keep you busy for a week or more. And that's without the food, culture and history of the capital, Funchal. I could only take five days, taking advantage of this year's bonus UK bank holiday, but this girl definitely had a lot of fun(chal). THINGS TO DO Exploring the Zona Velha Funchal's historic city centre is easily explored on foot and there are lots of sights and things to do from  Quinta das Cruzes  (an old Madeiran manor house turned museum) and the  Madeira Photography Museum  to the Church Igreja do Colegio (with its wonderfully ornate interior) and the Sé Catedr...