Barney Ronay, Paolo Bandini, and Simon Burnton join James Richardson for an international round-up on the latest Football Weekly.

We start with England, who got their qualification campaign for Euro 2012 off to a fine start with a 4-0 win against Bulgaria. Next up for Fabio Capello and his team is Switzerland, and Kieron O’Conner – aka the Swiss Rambler – gives us the lowdown.

Also in the podcast, Ewan Murray tries to raise a smile about the state of Scottish football after Craig Levein’s side could only manage a 0-0 draw in Lithuania.

Finally, we discuss Wayne Rooney; wonder what Aston Villa fans have in store with the potential appointment of Gérard Houllier as the club’s new manager; and ask, what’s the best film about Greco-Roman wrestling (is it this one?)

Let us know what you think on the blog below, follow us on Twitter, and make sure you sign up to our daily email, The Fiver.

Thanks to all of you who’ve bought tickets to our live show in Liverpool in October – it’s now sold out.

Travellers to France face transport disruption over the coming days as workers
prepare to take industrial action over proposed pension reforms.

There is no reception, no bar, no restaurant and no room service, but Berge, at the foot of the Bavarian Alps, is the ultimate mountain retreat

It’s been raining for days. The sky is a murky grey and the mountains, rising steeply just a few hundred metres away, are a blur. After a 90-minute train journey from Munich, I am standing outside the tiny station of Aschau, at the foot of the Bavarian Alps, waiting for Nils Holger Moormann, the celebrated and somewhat eccentric furniture designer, to pick me up.

I’m here to visit Berge, his unique Alpine lodge. Despite the fact that Berge (which means mountains) offers nothing in the way of a reception area, service, internet, telephone, television, breakfast or restaurant, Elle Decoration named it “the most beautiful lodge in the mountains”.

Finally, an ancient 4×4 pulls up and the passenger door swings open to reveal Moormann’s smiling face. We head first to his huge design studio, located across the road from the lodge, literally beneath Hohenaschau Schloss, a medieval castle that dominates the landscape.

“It’s not a luxury hotel. It’s not a design or art hotel,” he replies. “It’s a kind of a well-organised shelter.”

About four years ago, Moormann was on the verge of bankruptcy. Displaying a characteristic disdain for long-term planning, he had invested his future in the decrepit building across from his studio, with the aim of using it for storage and as a “logistics” centre. His idea, however, met with opposition from a small number of Aschau residents (even though 98% of his workforce are locals and he uses almost exclusively local materials for his designs). Planning permission was refused and he slithered towards financial meltdown.

The building dates from 1671, and over the centuries has been used as a court bakery, guesthouse and youth hostel, before being abandoned and left to rot. Considering the surfeit of Alpine lodges across the region, Moormann’s new proposal to turn it into a mountain retreat was deemed by some to be an even bigger mistake than buying it in the first place. As it turns out, it was a stroke of genius.

In contrast to the legions of lodges promising “dream holidays”, an utter lack of hyperbole is key to understanding not only Berge but Moormann’s design ethos. There is no invigorating spa or wellness programme, detox regime or fitness trainer. There is no prescription for a better, healthier lifestyle. What you see really is what you get: innovative design, an invitation to be self-sufficient and a genuine opportunity for relaxation surrounded by nature. “You can have a five-course meal. If you cook it yourself!” says the website.

Moormann’s design plays with typical Bavarian clichés, as with the lodge’s Janus-faced exterior. The roadside facade with neat, square windows is not dissimilar from the ubiquitous mountain lodges that scatter the Bavarian and Austrian Alps, while its mountain-facing façade is a harsher, darker grey interrupted by a series of rectangular windows with single shutters. “It’s a wonderful game,” is how he describes it, “with the Alps and the Bavarian baroque set against the minimalist design.”

The entrance corridor is reminiscent of a minor medieval church: plain, uneven white walls traversed by numerous vault-like arches. Exposed red brickwork adds to the rustic appearance.

“There was no real plan,” says Moormann. “It’s trial and error. People have asked me whether I can build something similar for them in South Tyrol, or wherever. It doesn’t work like that. We play with Berge. We go three steps forward and two steps back. It’s not good for the nerves; everything is ‘under construction’, but it means you are closer to the [creative] process.”

At first, Berge seems to have an air of being “not quite finished”. But don’t be fooled: quality, attention to detail and skilled craftsmanship pervade throughout. Moormann has invested €2.7m in the project, made possible only by what he calls “a perfect run for the company over the past four years”: the steady expansion in sales of his furniture, examples of which are scattered throughout the lodge, from his angular Bookinist chair to his array of lamps and pared-down tables.

After the tour, we head back outside to the entrance, and I open a metal box to get my room key. There are 16 individually designed apartments, all with names related to the mountains or the locality. Kampenblick, for instance, is named after the nearby 1,668m Kampenwand mountain, which is accessible via a cable car. Moormann leads me to Bergfried (”keep”, as in the castle variety), and hands me a bottle of organic red wine.

With no clutter, my room, which is bigger than many in five-star hotels, is more than adequate for two adults. On the right is the kitchen area containing Moormann-designed cutlery and crockery. Ahead are two windows, one narrow and stretching obliquely from just above the floor to the ceiling, leading the eye to the keep of the castle outside, hence the room’s name. There are no wardrobes, just coat hangers dangling from an old ladder, and a small wooden table with benches. The bedroom area is on a “second floor”, above the small bathroom, accessed by a metal ladder. Before he leaves, I ask him about the most important thing guests should bring for a stay here.

“Themselves!” he shoots back. Then adds: “My personal tip is to bring a small notebook. Here you have time. You have the opportunity to calm down, to reflect a little and write a few pages… And when the weather’s fine, nature pulls you outside.”

After he leaves, I give some half-hearted thought to the possibility of finding an internet connection, but once I realise I am wasting my time, I start to relax. Reading becomes a joy.

“Berge is not a luxury hotel,” Moormann had stressed earlier. “It’s a modern translation of how to stay in the mountains.” He is right, but Berge is also a luxury. Just of a different kind.

How to get there and what you need to know

Deutsche Bahn trains run from Munich to Aschau (bahn.com) and Berge is a 10-minute walk from the station. Rail Europe (0844 848 4070; raileurope.co.uk) has fares from London to Munich from £161 return. Easyjet (easyjet.com) flies to Munich from London Stansted and Gatwick from £29.99 each way. Berge, Kampenwand strasse 85, D-83229 Aschau im (moormann-berge.de). Based on two sharing, prices range from €120-€260 a night (€30 surcharge for one-night stay). The Große Stube can be booked for group events (chef Hans Blösl, can also be booked).

Nature watch: five other remote lodges in superb settings, by Nicola Iseard

1. THE ROOZEN RESIDENCE, MARGARET RIVER, WEST AUSTRALIA Visitors to the Margaret River wine region, three hours south of Perth, can bed down in a stunning three-bedroom architect-designed beach house, which is the iconic holiday home of local artist and surfer, Ron Roozen. Sleek and minimalist, the open-plan, concrete, copper and glass building sits low on a secluded hillside, above the crashing surf of Prevelly Beach, offering 180-degree vistas of the coastline from all its rooms, as well as its huge balcony. From $550 (£317) per night (0061 407 479 004; ronroozen.com.au). Qantas (qantas.com.au) flies from London Heathrow to Perth from £794 return.

2. THE WINGED HOUSE, TASMANIA Rising from the hillside like a silver bird with wings spread wide, this award-winning house is located above Table Cape, on Tasmania’s rugged northwest coast. Designed by an artist and architect, it has two bedrooms, a Japanese-style bathroom and an open-plan lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views across the Bass Strait – all filled with the designer’s artwork. From $350 (£201) per night (0061 9906 3224; thewingedhouse.com.au). Virgin Atlantic (virgin.com) flies from London Heathrow to Sydney from £848 return. Virgin Blue (virginblue.com.au) flies from Sydney to Hobart from $176 (£101) return. Hire a car to drive five hours north to Table Cape (europcar.com.au).

3. HOTEL FURILLEN, GOTLAND, SWEDEN Located on the tiny islet of Furillen, off Gotland Island – 90km east of the Swedish mainland – this limestone-factory-turned-hotel is one of Sweden’s furthest-flung hotels. It has 15 double bedrooms in the main house, but it’s the four timber cabins hidden among the woods you want to go for, with sheepskin rugs, handcrafted furniture and roaring fires. The hotel has its own restaurant, too. From 1,950 SEK (£169) per room per night, including breakfast (0046 498 22 30 40; furillen.nu). Get there SAS (flysas.com) flies from London Heathrow to Stockholm from £141 return. Take a high-speed ferry to Visby on Gotland from Nynashamn, 57km south of Stockholm, with Destination Gotland (destinationgotland.se) from 152 SEK (£13) one-way.

4. ANTTOLANHOVI ART & DESIGN VILLAS, FINLAND Individually designed by not one but nine Finnish artists, these 19 eco villas are located on the shores of Lake Saimaa in southeast Finland. Built from birch, stone and glass, some are right on the shore front, others tucked in the hills, all with lake views. The villas sleep between four and six. A beautician and masseuse are on call for pampering whims. From €690 per night (00358 207 57 5200; anttolanhovi.fi). Easyjet (easyJet.com) flies from London Gatwick and Manchester to Helsinki from £46 return. From Helsinki, take the train to Mikkeli (2 hours 30 minutes), near Anttola. Go to see vr.fi for times and fares.

5. 360° LETI, HIMALAYAS Surrounded by mountain wilderness at 8,000ft in Uttaranchal in the Himalayas, about an hour’s walk from the nearest road, this retreat is as remote as they get. It has four ensuite cabins, built from stone and decked out in woollen rugs and wooden furniture, fronted on two sides by glass – perfect for lapping up those mountain vistas. Dinners are served in the restaurant. Three nights from £1,231 per person, including all meals, a guide and return road transfers (seven hours) from Kathgodam train station (020 3151 5177; shaktihimalaya.com). Get there British Airways (ba.com) flies from London Heathrow to Delhi from £512 return. Shakti Himalay a can organise the overnight sleeper from Delhi to Kathgodam, prices on inquiry.

Visit guardian.co.uk/travel for more advice and travel suggestions

Contingency plans ready as London Underground workers get set to walk out over job cuts

Transport bosses and the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said yesterday they would “pull out all the stops” to help commuters during the planned strike by London Underground workers on Monday.

Johnson said contingency plans would include an extra 100 buses, escorted bike rides, marshalled taxi ranks and capacity for 10,000 extra journeys on the river Thames boats.

Union leaders said they intended to go ahead with the strike after talks broke down yesterday. Thousands of tube workers plan to walk out for 24 hours from 5pm on Monday over plans to cut 800 jobs.

“Londoners are a hardy bunch and I am sure a tube strike will not deter us from getting around,” Johnson said. “I have asked Transport for London to pull out all the stops, but we must be clear that the [unions] RMT and TSSA plan to inconvenience Londoners for no good reason.

“The extra measures we have put in place call for a team effort and people will need to consider buses, boats or bikes as an alternative to their usual journeys. This planned action will cause disruption for millions of Londoners and I call on the unions to get round the table and show common sense.” He said volunteers would be drafted in to hand out maps and other information.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said London Underground had failed to remove the threat of cuts to safety and safe staffing levels that would have allowed for “meaningful discussions”.

But the TfL commissioner, Peter Hendy, said: “There is no need for any action, as the changes we are introducing come with no compulsory redundancies and stations will remain staffed at all times and every station with a ticket office will continue to have one.” He added: “We regret that Londoners will be disrupted if the strike goes ahead. However, the RMT and TSSA leadership will not stop LU from moving with the times. Due to the success of Oyster, just one journey in 20 now involves a ticket office.” Up to 200 tube maintenance workers will also strike on Sunday in a separate row over pay and conditions.

Gitta Jarant and her step-daughter Anke Anusic will not be charged after they
tried to board an easyJet flight with Curt Willi Jarant, 91, who was dead.

Spanish airline Iberia has revealed that it is to begin new flights from two Spanish cities to London's City Airport. Offering residents of the UK's capital a quick escape to the sunnier climes of the Mediterranean, the move has come about due to Iberia's code share agreement with British Airways (BA) and will increase London City as a favourable departure location for many.

Acting under a code share with BA subsidiary CityFlyer, Iberia will offer flights to both Barcelona and Madrid. Whilst Iberia already provides 13 daily services between London Heathrow and Madrid, the newest additions will offer city slickers a quick and stress free way of getting out of the metropolis and into the sun of Spain. Putting its IB code on two daily flights from Madrid's Terminal 4 hub, Iberia will provide extra services throughout the week apart from Sunday. Meanwhile an additional daily flight with the IB stamp will fly between Barcelona's Terminal 1 and London City.

The move will increase the services between London and Spain even more, offering tourists and business travellers a range of alternative travel times and flights. In addition to the existing Madrid flights London Heathrow already hosts seven daily flights to Barcelona. But as London City Airport becomes increasingly popular for urban dwellers, the latest additional services will no doubt prove highly poplar with those wanting a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2010 – Just The Flight

Spanish airline Iberia has revealed that it is to begin new flights from two Spanish cities to London's City Airport. Offering residents of the UK's capital a quick escape to the sunnier climes of the Mediterranean, the move has come about due to Iberia's code share agreement with British Airways (BA) and will increase London City as a favourable departure location for many.

Acting under a code share with BA subsidiary CityFlyer, Iberia will offer flights to both Barcelona and Madrid. Whilst Iberia already provides 13 daily services between London Heathrow and Madrid, the newest additions will offer city slickers a quick and stress free way of getting out of the metropolis and into the sun of Spain. Putting its IB code on two daily flights from Madrid's Terminal 4 hub, Iberia will provide extra services throughout the week apart from Sunday. Meanwhile an additional daily flight with the IB stamp will fly between Barcelona's Terminal 1 and London City.

The move will increase the services between London and Spain even more, offering tourists and business travellers a range of alternative travel times and flights. In addition to the existing Madrid flights London Heathrow already hosts seven daily flights to Barcelona. But as London City Airport becomes increasingly popular for urban dwellers, the latest additional services will no doubt prove highly poplar with those wanting a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2010 – Just The Flight

Ferries have ceased from Britain to Scandinavia, but Debbie Lawson takes an alternative slow route north on a camping road trip along Norway’s stunning south coast

When the last direct ferry between Britain and Norway set sail in 2008, severing a historic maritime link between the two countries, it also called time on Norway’s popular Newcastle booze cruise, and forced holidaymakers into the air. But for those who still hanker after the romance of slow travel – and the convenience of arriving in one of the most expensive countries in Europe with a car full of beer and provisions from one of the cheapest – there is another way.

Lured by the image of pristine sandy beaches backed by forest and nature reserves, we set off from London to the south coast of Norway by car: a round trip of 1,390 miles by road, plus sea crossings. Having our own wheels meant we could take as much camping gear as we liked; Norway’s accommodation costs are notoriously high, but its campsites and log cabins are cheap and plentiful – and in the best locations. The trip would start on an overnight ferry to the Hook of Holland, followed by a leisurely jaunt to the German border, a frantic dash up the autobahn to Denmark and finally, at the tip of continental Europe, a short ferry ride across the Skagerrak strait to the southernmost point of Norway. On the way back we’d treat ourselves to a luxurious overnight sea crossing from Esbjerg (half-way down Denmark) to Harwich, only two hours’ drive from home. In the process we would take six ferries, stay in some of northern Europe’s most dramatically situated campsites and make use of Scandinavia’s highly recommended breakdown and recovery services.

The summer season in Norway is short and intense, and the southern coast, which enjoys the country’s longest hours of sunshine, is a popular holiday destination among Norwegians, though little known to outsiders. Most foreign visitors head straight for the fjords to the north, passing over some spectacular coastal scenery, where clear sparkling water laps the shores of deserted boulder-strewn beaches dotted with crooked pine and spruce trees, shaped and worn by glaciation and the harsh winter winds.

“Expect to see a pair of BMW headlights up your arse all the way through Germany,” I was warned. This turned out to be no exaggeration. But by comparison, the roads of southern Norway are a gentle cruise. Single-lane motorways with a top speed of 80kmph are flanked by gentle mountain slopes and small wooden lakeside houses. The comfortable Color Line ferry makes the three-hour crossing from Hirtshals in Denmark to Norway 11 times a day in summer, depositing travellers in the seaside resort of Kristiansand. In the onboard duty-free shop, along with bottles of vodka and gin, passengers can buy joints of ham and large chicken portions from big freezer compartments – a sign if ever there was one that your pound isn’t going to go far when you reach dry land. From Kristiansand you can drive east towards Oslo or west to Stavanger. It’s not an easy decision: you could spend a whole fortnight just campsite-hopping along the stunning coast between here and the capital.

We do just that and head north-east. At Hove Camping, one of the many sites along this coast – Norway’s very own riviera – the dilapidated caravans and tents parked under the trees on the island of Tromoy, just off the mainland, are surrounded by sea, weird windswept copses and wild flowers. Knackered old mobile homes come alive in August, when city dwellers decamp here from Oslo, dusting off their barbecues and reacquainting themselves with old friends, some of whom have been coming here for 20 years despite long ago emigrating to Spain and Portugal. Most of the campsites hire out huts – cosy wooden chalets offering basic accommodation for up to six people, with cooking facilities and flowery curtains, an outside standpipe and a deck where you can sit and watch the nuthatches while enjoying the Danish beer you bought on the way.

Hove is known among music lovers for its festival, held each June, where 10,000 people gather to hear bands such as Florence and the Machine, Muse and Vampire Weekend belting out their songs in an old military encampment next to the nature reserve. Festivals seem to be a way of life here, especially in July and August. There are horse festivals, Viking festivals, even accordion festivals. At Arendal, a few miles up the coast, there’s a slow food festival. Unni Ramsvatn, one of the originators of the slow food movement in Norway, runs Bjellandstrand Gard, a bakery and restaurant set in a rose garden and small orchard on the north-east side of Tromoy, just up from Hove Camping. Built on foundations laid by occupying German forces during the second world war, this former farm building turned watering hole is a labour of love for Unni and her husband, Jon, who serve up healthy salmon and couscous salads, bread from their wood-fired oven and vast slices of cake to weekend visitors. “It was almost impossible to buy a cup of coffee before on this island,” says Jon.

In Arendal, there is no shortage of coffee shops. The old town, with its whitewashed wooden houses and harbourside boutiques, also has a fish market and restaurant and, according to Monica at the tourist office there, a very nice boat trip to the island of Merdo, where you can camp for up to two days. In fact that was exactly where we were headed before a mechanical fault brought us to an unscheduled stop. Still, there are worse places to break down than coastal Norway – especially if you have your own onboard stocks and a mobile phone. After a few running repairs we waved the empty tow truck off and headed back west along the coast to Mandal, the other side of Kristiansand, taking in the famous towns of Grimstad, home to the Ibsen museum, and Lillesand – a tidy little waterside settlement not unlike Henley on Thames, with cobbled streets, white picket fences and carefully trimmed lawns stretching right down to the sea.

Mandal is famous for Sjosanden beach: 800m of perfect sand at the edge of Furulunden Nature Park. There’s a handful of campsites near Mandal, but the beachside Sjosanden Holiday Centre is hard to beat. Roe deer graze among the tents, and the accommodation ranges from wooden cabins to a small “motel” arranged around a flower-filled courtyard. It has a whiff of the holiday camp about it, but the low-key Scandinavian architecture ensures that the site remains in keeping with its natural setting. We explored some of the paths into the surrounding woods on foot and by bikes hired from the tourist office, then took the long, twisty road to Lindesnes Fyr, a red and white cast iron lighthouse built on the site of the first lighthouse beacon in Norway, at its remote and windswept southernmost point. In the rugged grounds, the small cafe prides itself on its rhubarb muffins, made using fruit from the lighthouse garden.

Local skipper Magnus Midling-Jenssen’s boat-hire business offers visitors a great way to take in the local sights, including an old herring factory, the Spangereid Canal and rows of 17th-century houses in the historic coastal village of Svinor. Magnus is the archetypal salty old seadog. Full of stories and local lore, he operates his empire from a little yellow hut – “my crisis centre” – next to the house he built on the edge of the land. The water is heaving with salmon and cod, he says, and for about £20 a day you get world-class fishing.

Leaving the beach behind, we took the old winding coastal road – the famous Highway 44 – towards Stavanger, passing through countryside of dazzling green, by farms and lighthouses and cows grazing in boulder fields right next to the sea. A string of interesting villages along the coast include otherworldly Brusand, which has its own international art gallery, Nordisk Kunst Plattform. Just an hour to the north of Stavanger are mountains and the start of the fjords. Campers are spoilt for choice here, and a network of ferries whisks you and your car into the undulating countryside, and forests of giant fir trees where moose roam – though the only one you’re likely to see is the one on the ubiquitous bumper sticker.

Stavanger itself feels like a city that has everything but is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand. Vast cruise ships fill the horizon and around every corner is something to explore: quirky shops and cafes, smart seafood restaurants, a stately old town and museums celebrating the city’s glorious past as herring capital and centre of the oil industry. As we surveyed this prosperous scene from a harbourside bar, a group of Norwegian financiers pointed out that when the sea border was drawn between the UK and Norway, it clipped the oil fields. A smidgen the other way and all this could have been ours.

Getting there

FERRIES

Harwich to the Hook of Holland: Crossings from £61 single for a car and two adults. Cabins start from £11pp on day crossings or £18.50pp overnight (two-berth cabins, based on two sharing); stenaline.co.uk.

Esbjerg to Harwich: crossings from £232 for a car and two adults, including ensuite cabin; dfdsseaways.co.uk.

Hirtshals to Kristiansand: economy car packages from £45 one way; colorline.com.

CAMPING

Hove Camping, Tromoy; hovecamping.no, +47 37 08 54 79. Tents NOK 180 (£19) per night plus electricity, caravans Nok 210 per night plus electricity, four-bed cabins from NOK 400 per night.

Sjosanden Holiday Centre, 4504 Mandal; sjosanden-feriesenter.no, +47 38 26 10 94. Tents NOK 110 per night, caravan NOK 170; motel NOK 700 for doubles/twins in summer, cabins NOK 1,200 in summer (sleeping up to six).

FURTHER INFORMATION

Bjellandstrand Gard: Bjelland, 4818 Færevik (near Arendal); +47 37 09 44 49, visitnorway.com. Lunch buffet of local homemade food for £14 per person.

Lindesnes Fyr: 4521 Spangereid; +47 38 25 54 20, lindesnesfyr.no. Entry fee: £4.50 per adult, children under 12 go free.

Magnus Midling-Jenssen has holiday houses and apartments for rental in the Mandal and Lindesnes area as well as boat trips and sea fishing; norges-ferie.no, +47 38 25 60 88.

Nordisk Kunst Plattform is at Brusand Togstasjon (train station); nkplattform.no

Australian airline operator Qantas have revealed that having implemented premium economy classed seats in 2008 they are to roll out the scheme on further flights. With travellers from London already able to book this award winning service, Qantas flights to Frankfurt and Tokyo will now also offer the experience.

Fitting an additional 40 premium economy seats into two Boeing 747s, Qantas's new arrangements will primarily benefit those flying out of Australia to Japan and Germany. However, with many British tourists choosing to break flights between the UK and Down Under, not only to avoid excessive flying times but also to experience new destinations, many travellers could upgrade to the new conditions.

Already on flights between London and Melbourne, passengers can expect extended legroom and space, in addition to a full nine inches of seat recline. Seats are wider than those in economy, measuring 19.5 inches across, and have adjustable and cushioned headrests. Services also differ for those flying in premium economy, with travellers offered orange juice, water or even champagne before takeoff. Meanwhile a self service bar offers refreshments throughout the journey, whilst meals inspired by Australian chef Neil Perry and premium wines provide an added attraction.

The extended service means that those who prefer to fly with Qantas will be able to maintain their premium economy preference across an increased number of flights. And with the service winning the World's Best Premium Economy Seat in the Skytrax World Airlines Awards earlier this year, travellers can be assured of a luxurious experience.

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2010 – Just The Flight

Alfresco clubbing in Helsinki, a rare open-air drinking haunt in Dublin, and island hopping out of Oslo – all in this month’s instalment of tips from blog network Spotted by Locals

Glasgow: Pakistani Cafe – feast of colour and flavour

Spotted by Paulo Cruz

Pakistani Cafe is a very small, eccentric restaurant that serves “good Punjabi cooking [with] no artificial rubbish”.

The menu (handwritten) is not as extensive as elsewhere, but what is on offer (and there is comparatively quite a lot for vegetarians) is exceptionally tasty and good value.

Anyone wishing to enhance the subtle spiciness of most dishes should try “Ahmed’s Pickle Mix”, while those wishing to put out any fires, should have some Gulab Jamun with ice-cream.

The cafe is a “bring your own bottle” sort of place, although they have the usual selection of soft drinks, lassies and hot drinks (e.g. Lahori Chai with cream and almonds).

Colourfully decorated, it has bunting flags on the ceiling, poems painted on the walls, books on shelves, CDs hanging from hooks on the service counter walls and a random selection of music blaring from its stereo (e.g. opera and the Cardigans played back to back).

A meal at Pakistani Cafe is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace that matches the relaxed service. As it’s a small place, popular with the locals, it’s worth booking in advance (particularly on weekends). Oh, yes, bring cash.

• Pakistani Cafe, 607 Pollokshaws Road; +44 (0)141 423 5791. Main, desert and drink £11. Open 1-10pm daily. View on map

Helsinki: Kuningassoundi – the most laid-back summer club

Spotted by Nea Barman

A translation of Kuningassoundi means king sound. There is no entry fee, but the acts are still the best on the Finnish music scene. The main outdoor area has a good-size dance floor and bar space. Or you can relax on the nearby green – where you can still hear the music. On some Fridays there are more than 500 people enjoying the beats.

The music is live Finnish hip-hop and reggae. But even if you don’t understand the language, you can still enjoy the feeling, the people and the relaxed beats. You don’t need fancy club clothing – just come as you are.

• Kuningassoundi, Viikintie 1. Main performer starts at 7pm. See on map.

Dublin: The Pavilion Bar – drinking in the sunshine

Spotted by Damian Byrne

The Pav is a bar situated at the back of the sports grounds in Trinity College.

Now, if you are over a certain age, sitting outside a cricket pavillion surrounded by students knocking back cans of cheap, nasty lager may be your idea of hell. Bear with me on this one, however.

The fact is that there are remarkably few places in Dublin to sit outside and enjoy an alcoholic drink on a sunny day (and we do get the odd one). Foreign visitors to the city in the summer time must be bemused by this. Our government is addicted to banning, regulating and controlling public behaviour, so having a drink in the park or any other public space is a complete no-no. The few pubs that have outside seating areas fill up quickly, and are usually in the shade anyway.

This is what makes the Pav a real Dublin institution, even for people like me who never went to Trinity. There is simply nowhere else to stretch out on the grass on a sunny day and enjoy a cool beer without incurring the wrath of the Nanny State.

Even the Pav experience itself has been spoilt somewhat in recent years by a far heavier security presence. Given the lack of alternatives, however, it’s still a great spot. As an added bonus, the cans of beer and cider are wonderfully cheap by Dublin standards, and you get to feel like you are 19 again. Almost.

• The Pavilion Bar, Trinity College, South city centre. Four cans of beer €8. Opening times vary. See on map.

Oslo: Hovedøya – island hopping in the city fjord

Spotted by Kaja Marie Lereng Kvernbakken

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, stick your toe in the water or just sleep in the sun, then Hovedøya is for you.

Hovedøya is one of the many islands in the inner Oslo Fjord, very close to the city centre. Walk or take bus number 60 to Vippetangen, and from there take a boat using a regular public transportation ticket. If you get on the fastest boat, you’ll be out on the island within 10 minutes.

The island has a main beach if you walk across the island from the dock. This is a popular place for families, since the water is quite shallow – which also means the water can be a bit murky. But you can also find lots of secluded places where you can lay in peace and the water is clear. Be aware that there can be red jellyfish around. These sting, so don’t get too close.

Apart from the Hovedøya, Langøyene and Gressholmen are also nice places to go, while Bleikøya, Lindøya and Nakholmen have private cabins and are only accessible if you want to go for walks.

• Hovedøya. 24-hour public transport ticket NOK 70. Open all year around, but boats run more frequently in the summer months. See on map.

Lisbon: Tempero de Minas restaurant

Spotted by Cláudio Carneiro

First, a warning: this is not a restaurant for those who are on a diet. Second warning: expect to eat more than you ever thought you could, because I for one find it humanly impossible to hold back from trying every delicious recipe they serve here.

The dishes are mostly from a region of Brazil called Minas Gerais, mainly known for its exquisite flavouring, which uses a lot of onions, garlic, green pepper and parsley. You will also find black beans, meat, chicken, fish and vegetables. And when you have had the most delicious meal, then comes the dessert buffet with all sorts of gluttonous treats.

What I mean, by all this enthusiastic exaggeration, is that everything you eat there is not just good, but delicious.

Then, of course, you can taste the famous “caipirinhas”, the tropical Brazilian juices and enjoy the good mood and service of the restaurant staff and owners.

• Tempero de Minas, Av. Luis Bivar, 83, Avenidas; +35 (0)121355 5038. Buffet €10. Open Mon-Sat 8am-11pm, Sun 8am-4pm. See on map.