Come Fly With Me – To A Random Destination

The daily doldrums and drudgeries of the Great British Grind are so difficult when the winter weather gales are in full force. Gusts and grey are the name of the day – so it’s time to book a holiday.

Indeed, it’s the dream of many of us tea-sipping Brits to just choose a flight at random and luxuriate in the exotic mystery of the rest of the world.

So that’s exactly what we’ve done. Using Gatwick Airport as a base, we’ve picked a few destinations at random and jetted off – a burden we bear to report our findings back to you. So leave your car with the Gatwick meet and greet gang, head for the departure lounge and fly away with us to these magical locations.

Malaga, Spain

A municipality of the province of Andalusia, Malaga is one of Spain’s most beloved holiday destinations. In the twinkling sunlight of the beaches and the rugged beauty of the architecture, it’s easy to see why.

It’s not just a great beach holiday, however. To get those brain cells flowing, take a visit to the Picasso museum, where more than 200 paintings from the Cubist master can be enjoyed. Housed in a building almost 400 years old, the museum is a fascinating clash between modern Cubist expressionism and long forgotten tales of Moors and Arabia.

Once you’ve had your fill of art, fill your stomach to bursting point with the best cuisine Malaga has to offer. The old fishing districts let you sample freshly caught grilled fish, a mouth-watering delicacy that must be tasted.

Stockholm, Sweden

Sweden isn’t just the home to depressing films from Ingmar Bergman and jangly europop from Abba. In the supercool capital of Stockholm, the cosmopolitan atmosphere is brimming with more activities than you could ever hope to pack into a short break.

While it might suffer from particularly dark winters, the city is lit up with the wonders of the Royal Opera House, a flurry of museums (the Museum of Medieval Stockholm is particularly ace) and quaint architecture that maintains the region’s ye olde feel.

But if you’re visiting in the hope of hearing The Winner Takes it All, there’s also a museum dedicated solely to the life and times of every discerning pop fan’s favourite band.

Cairo, Egypt

Cairo can offer you all the tourist hallmarks – pyramids, camels, ramshackle market stalls – but it’s also a city in flux, embracing modernity with a growing rapidity.

The scorching sun still lights up the dust-strewn landscape, and the Egyptian Museum and various mosques still hearken back to the old days, but the Cairo Tower (the tallest structure in North Africa) and the grass-laden Al-Azhar Park reflect a city that is far from stuck in the past.

No matter where you head on your winter break, be safe and have a great time during your travels – at least, before you have to return to work!