Matildas versus Sweden: When are they playing? Where can I watch it? Your ultimate guide to the third-place Women’s World Cup playoff

By Andrew Prentice For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 23:31 EDT, 18 August 2023 | Updated: 23:53 EDT, 18 August 2023

Newt Gingrich served as the 50th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999

This is a Big Choice election for America.

There is no question that Republicans are poised to win races across the country in a red wave. But the magnitude of the victory and how it washes across the American political landscape will have profound implications for the parties, the major players, and the future of the country.

Here is what I will be watching and thinking about on election night, as the results roll in:

If the Democrats manage to hold on to control of the U.S. Senate and lose the U.S. House of Representatives by only a small number of seats, there will be a sense in the Biden White House – and among their left-wing allies – that things can continue as usual.

They will feel vindicated that despite everything that has gone wrong, the American people still trust them more than they trust Republicans. They will feel that their strategic decision to emphasize abortion, perceived threats to democracy, and the Jan. 6 riot have paid off.

If, as seems possible, the Democrats lose control of the House by a big margin, the Senate by a smaller but decisive margin – and also lose a number of key governorships – there will be a bitter battle for control inside the Democrat Party.

All the elements of the left will fight over what went wrong, who must pay for it, and what must be done to turn things around in time for the 2024 presidential and congressional elections.

With regard to the Republican side, two big questions need to be settled.

First, just how effective was President Donald Trump’s intervention in the nominating process?

No political leader in American history has had the kind of impact Trump has had on Republican nominations nationwide.

For a while, the media mantra was that Trump could nominate people, but his candidates would be too weak or extreme to win the general election. Liberal activist groups and even the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee meddled in the Republican Party primaries and supported Trump’s picks to prove the theory.

In the left-leaning media’s collective mind, this would solidify the idea that Trump might get the Republican nomination for president in 2024 – but would then lose the general election. However, there is a real likelihood that most of the Trump-supported nominees are going to win on Tuesday.

If that happens, the establishment media is going to have an impossible time turning the election results into a defeat for Trump. In fact, the stage will be set for a triumphant Trump to announce his run for president.

The second question is: Will Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis win his gubernatorial re-election by a margin so large that it will automatically make him a serious contender for president? And if Trump does not run, would DeSantis automatically become the frontrunner for the Republican nomination?

There is a real possibility Gov. DeSantis will carry Florida’s Miami-Dade County, which would be a remarkable show of strength.

For two decades, Miami-Dade, in the state’s southeast corner, has gone blue. Hillary Clinton won the country by 29 percentage points in her race against Trump.

But it looks like DeSantis will carry the Latino vote, which in Florida includes Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans, Colombians, Brazilians, and people from nearly every Latin American country.

If he does, it will be difficult to argue against the strength of his candidacy for president.

With these key questions, Americans are going to tune into election night with great anticipation.

The size and shape of the red wave will emerge early as the East Coast states begin to report the voting results.

Here are some key indicators I will be watching for – from north to south:

In New Hampshire, Gen. Don Bolduc is now polling ahead of Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, an incumbent that many assumed would be a safe seat for her party

Now with people in sticker shock over the cost of home heating oil (they are currently filling up their tanks for the winter) Bolduc is almost certainly going to win.

Bolduc is an interesting example of how different the Republican Party is becoming. He entered the U.S. Army as a private and served so effectively that he retired as a Brigadier General. If he wins, it is an early sign the Republican wave is real.

One of the most important races in the country is in New York between Rep. Lee Zeldin and Gov. Kathy Hochul.

During the one and only debate in that contest, Gov. Hochul got frustrated over the constant discussion about locking up criminals and turning to her opponent said, ‘I don’t know why that’s so important to you.’

This made her seem totally out-of-touch with average New Yorkers, who are horrified by historically high numbers of murders, rapes, robberies, and car jackings in their cities and state.

If Zeldin wins, this will be another clear signal of a big night for Republicans. In addition, it is likely that House Republicans will pick up a number of seats in New York State – another early indicator of the red wave.

Just south of New York state, in Pennsylvania, the race between Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz is one of the closest in the country.

Fetterman started with a huge lead in the summer, but it has been melting away day-by-day. Polls indicate Oz is pulling ahead. And if Oz wins this seat, a Republican majority in the Senate is virtually guaranteed.

In North Carolina, the Republican nominee, Rep. Ted Budd is pulling away and will almost certainly keep that open seat for the GOP. If he were to lose, that would be a bad sign for the party

The Georgia Senate race is one of the hottest races this cycle.

Herschel Walker, the greatest football player in University of Georgia history, did so well debating Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock that Walker is now the front-runner.

But Georgia requires candidates to winover 50 percent of the vote, raising the possibility of this race going to a run-off – a second election to determine the winner

With Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp likely winning in a landslide over Stacey Abrams (a once-rising Democrat star whois now fading) Kemp’s coattails may be enough to boost Walker above the 50 percent threshold to avoid the runoff.

However, there is a third-party candidate in the race. If that candidate peels enough votes away from Walker to keep him below the 50 percent mark, there will be a two-person contest, which almost everyone agrees Walker will win.

If Warnock were to somehow survive, that would be a big blow to the GOP’s Senate control.

Finally, in Florida there is going to be a huge victory for Gov. DeSantis – and an almost equally big victory for Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.

In addition, Florida is likely to elect four additional Republican House members. This will contribute to Rep. Kevin McCarthy becoming Speaker of the House in what will probably be a surprisingly large GOP majority.

The tide is surely in Republican’s favor.

These early reporting states will give you insight into how the wave is crashing, who and what it will wash away, and who it will leave standing.

For more commentary from Speaker Gingrich, visit Gingrich360.com.

The Glucose Goddess Method: Your Four-Week Guide to Cutting Cravings, Getting Your Energy Back, and Feeling Amazing

by Jessie Inchauspe (New River £22, 288pp)

Well, who wouldn’t want to feel amazing? Inchauspe is a French biochemist and author, and she certainly does look amazing. We all need blood sugar, but we need to manage it.

The folks who make sweets weren’t born yesterday, so managing our sugar is not as easy as it sounds. The core of this book is a four week, step-by-step plan to steady our blood sugar.

Inchauspe recommends a tablespoon of cider vinegar every day (for its blood-sugar levelling qualities) — any way you choose, but easiest stirred into a glass of water.

Then it should be: a savoury breakfast never a sweet one; a bowl of veggies before your main meal of the day, and make sure you move, for example by taking a ten-minute walk, afterwards. As an added bonus, there are more than 100 delicious looking recipes. Now where’s my cider vinegar?

Killing Thatcher

by Rory Carroll (Mudlark £25, 416pp)

Spoiler alert: the title’s wrong . . . the IRA never did kill Thatcher. But if you didn’t know that, this compelling book by the Guardian’s hugely respected Ireland correspondent might not be for you.

The IRA bomb, on a delayed timer, exploded in the middle of the night on October 12, 1984, at the Grand Hotel in Brighton. It was the last day of the Tory party conference. Rooms were destroyed, dozens of people injured and five killed.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was in her lounge when the explosion ripped through the hotel. Had she been just a few feet in another direction, she would have been cut to ribbons. As it was, she was unhurt. It was the most daring conspiracy since the Gunpowder Plot, and Carroll’s telling of it reads like a thriller: true crime is very big business these days, and you won’t find anything more gripping than this.

Outlive: the Science and Art of Longevity

by Dr Peter Attia with Bill Gifford (Vermilion £22, 496pp)

There’s no shortage of books these days encouraging us to live better, healthier and longer lives. And you will certainly need a long life for this humongous tome.

Peter Attia, a leading specialist in medicine and longevity, sets up this look at human health with the story of the hapless mythical Greek Tithonus, whose lover, the goddess Eos, asked Zeus to give him eternal life.

To his joy, his wish was granted but because Eos forgot to ask for eternal youth as well, his body continued to decay. Big problem.

What Dr Attia wants us to do is live a long, meaningful and fulfilling life based on physical, emotional and spiritual health. Ominously, it turns out that the blood and cholesterol tests we get from an annual health check may be ‘normal’, but we might still be unhealthy — because average is not the same as optimal. Above all, exercise is hugely beneficial: just a little bit of daily activity is better than nothing.

Going from zero exercise to just 90 minutes a week can reduce your risk of dying prematurely from all causes by 14 per cent. And as the author says — it’s very hard to find a drug that can do that. The book comes with a belting endorsement from actor Hugh Jackman — and he looks pretty good.

Selling Hitler: the Story of the Hitler Diaries

by Robert Harris (Penguin £10.99, 342pp)

Still as gripping as ever, even four decades after it was first published, this new edition, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the ‘Diaries’, also comes with a cleverly designed new cover suggesting an age-old forgery. Harris, one of Britain’s most successful novelists, is also a dab hand at non-fiction.

In April 1983, in a bank vault in Switzerland, the German magazine Stern offers to sell more than 50 volumes of Hitler’s secret diaries.

The price is £2.3 million. In Britain, the bidder was Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday Times. Behind the fraud are Gerd Heidemann a German journalist obsessed with collecting Nazi memorabilia (and not in a good way) and Konrad Kujau, a small-time forger of luncheon vouchers looking to, er, expand.

In the supporting cast are a collection of media magnates, editors, journalists, academics and experts — all unified by greed and gullibility, which blinded them to the obvious implausibilities of the banal collection. Specimens of Hitler’s handwriting were authenticated because they were compared to other examples of the forger’s work.

Hilarious and barely credible, it is still one of the best books you will ever read about British journalism.

I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was

by Ruby Wax (Viking £18.99, 224pp)

She may be famously depressive, but Ruby can write about depression without ever being depressing. Far from it: this is a fabulously entertaining read, despite encompassing a nervous breakdown, arduous inpatient treatment at a mental hospital and her husband’s prostate cancer.

Ruby is one of the funniest women around and fearsomely honest. She started this book as an account of travelling the world; it ended up as something very different.

There are some scarringly frank verbatim accounts of sessions with her shrink, but also wildly funny comic setpieces: like the time when, working part-time on the door at a strip club, she persuaded the bored strippers to put on a performance of Chekhov. The punters, however, were not impressed. She also has fascinating memories of the stars she has interviewed from OJ Simpson to Carrie Fisher.

A delightful book, endearingly chaotic and deeply moving, too: it is like spending a wild weekend with one of the funniest, smartest and most interesting people you will ever meet.

Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food . . . and Why Can’t We Stop?

by Chris van Tulleken (Cornerstone £22, 384pp)

Not a book to make you feel happy about your three meals a day.

Over the past 100-odd years we have entered a new age of eating, where most of our calories come from an entirely new set of substances — all skilfully engineered to drive excess consumption, with ultra-processed food (UPF) making up 60 per cent of the average diet in this country and in the U.S.

They are now the leading cause of early death around the world, though quite how that fact is calculated is slightly beyond me. So what is UPF?

There’s a long scientific definition, but what it boils down to is this: if it’s wrapped in plastic and has at least one ingredient that you wouldn’t find in your kitchen, it’s UPF. It’s what an older generation would have called ‘junk food’.

Van Tulleken, a garlanded doctor, scientist and journalist, tells the story with great wit, and no little anger, focusing on the rapid increase in obesity since the 1980s, largely due to UPF.

The multinational food corporations know what they’re doing, and they aim to make sure you will want (and buy) more. Very disturbing . . . and make sure you check your kitchen cabinets.

Giles and Mary: Country Life — a Story of Peaks and Troughs

by Giles Wood and Mary Killen (Ebury Spotlight £17.99, 256pp)

Giles Wood and Mary Killen are the ultra-posh couple from Channel 4’s Gogglebox, who have seemingly been delighting fans of the show since 2015 as they burble away on television to each other about television.

Now they have parlayed this fame into this, their second book (their first was about marriage).

Giles is an artist and gardener, while Mary is a journalist: the Spectator’s agony aunt no less. They moved into their cottage, near Marlborough in Wiltshire, some 30 years ago, after buying it from one of Mary’s chums on Tatler magazine — and extremely cosy the place looks, too.

This book feels like sitting in an agreeable, upscale country pub, with a G&T, eavesdropping on the likeable-looking couple at the next table, while they bang on about the ups and downs of country life: dogs and vets, what the Common Agricultural Policy did to the countryside (not much good), septic tanks, vicars, edible flowers, pub closures and planning horrors. And the rest.

And, as Giles remarks of his friends in South London, if you are one of those people who has to spend most of your life in a traffic jam moving at the pace of a horse and cart, there’s plenty in this book to muse on.

Built to Move

by Kelly and Juliet Starrett (Orion £18.99, 336pp)

We take it for granted that our bodies will just keep on going in (reasonably) good condition. But would you buy a Maserati and leave it sitting out in all weathers for months on end and then expect it to carry on working properly? The Starretts introduce us to a series of physical work-outs to counteract the effects of our sedentary, technology-dependent way of living.

The most ferocious — and most vital — challenge is the Sit-and-Rise Test. You cross one foot in front of the other and sit down on the floor cross legged. Then rise up with your arms outstretched.

This test measures our wellbeing and flexibility. Though most of us will find it staggeringly hard. Oh well, keep at it. It’s got to be good for us.

Colditz, Prisoners of the Castle

by Ben Macintyre (Penguin, £10.99, 384pp)

The latest page-turner from the seemingly inexhaustible keyboard of Macintyre, one of the most captivating of all World War II historians, doesn’t disappoint.

Colditz was the forbidding Gothic castle in the heart of Nazi Germany, used to house the most troublesome captives of the Third Reich, Allied prisoners of war who the Germans reckoned were always going to try to escape. Well, surprise surprise, that’s exactly what they did.

Compulsively readable, and told in Macintyre’s inimitable wry, humorous prose, this is a remarkable tale of rip-roaring derring-do, courage and extraordinary resourcefulness. With knotted sheets, secret tunnels and elaborate disguises, there were more attempted escapes from Colditz than any other camp.

But this immaculately-researched book also reveals a close-knit world sealed behind the prison’s massive walls, a place which included communists and women, aesthetes and philistines, spies, poets and traitors.

Half the population of the castle were German, and Macintyre paints a remarkable portrait of this crew, too — many cultured and humane and far removed from the brutal Nazi stereotype.

Some well-known figures take a knock to their reputation: Douglas Bader, the legless air ace, for example, was not wholly likeable. He was, says Macintyre, a total hero and at times a ‘complete bastard’. A superb book.

Set around a stretch of golden sandy bays and framed by three lush mountains, cities don’t come much prettier than Spain’s San Sebastian. 

But it’s the food that sets this coastal city apart; it is the birthplace of the pintxo (also known as pincho) after all, a bar snack that is a meal in miniature. 

And with bars dishing out wine from €2 and pinchos from €1.50, a holiday here doesn’t have to break the bank.

Where to eat and drink

Gandarias

Grab a table outside this standing room-only pinchos bar and eavesdrop on locals speaking in the ancient Basque language. The bar does the best solomillo — steak served on bread, topped with green pepper (restaurantegandarias.com).

Baztan

Fill out a paper order form while browsing the colourful pinchos displayed at the bar and pass it to a waiter. Pair food with the local txakoli, a fizzy, crisp white wine. Find some of the city’s best vegetarian and vegan pinchos here (barbaztan.com).

Bar Ganbara

This family-run pinchos bar in the Old Town uses the freshest ingredients (the simple but delicious plate of tomato and olive oil is testament to this). Sit at the bar and watch the staff dish out plates with impressive frequency. Ganbara’s speciality is spider crab tartlets (€3). Wine and beer from €2 (ganbarajatetxea.com).

Where to stay

Hotel Arbaso

Overlooking the cathedral, with valet parking and an excellent restaurant, Arbaso is a perfect city-centre hotel. Rooms have wooden floors, Marshall bluetooth speakers and Dyson hairdryers. Rooms from £99 (hotelarbaso.com).

Hotel de Londres

An imposing 19th-century building near the seafront. The bar is popular with locals. Doubles from £93 (hlondres.com).

Hotel Zinema7

In the un-touristy Amara neighbourhood, this cinema-turned-hotel has rooms themed on stars who have visited the San Sebastian film festival. Doubles from £67 (zinema7hotel.com).

Things to see & do

Take a dip at La Concha

Join the elderly Basque locals for a swim at La Concha, which stretches a mile from the Old Town to the suburb of Ondarreta and is one of Europe’s best urban beaches. Even in winter, the golden bay is busy with locals walking their fluffy dogs and children splashing about in the water. During summer, a floating platform moored offshore allows swimmers to escape the crowds.

Hike up Mount Urgull

Make room for yet more pinchos by working up an appetite on a hike up this mini mountain, which rises from the Old Town and the bobbing boats of the harbour.

The 30-minute walk is scattered with landmarks and viewing points, and topped with a 12th-century castle and 12-metre-high statue of Jesus Christ. At the top, watch the sunset while sampling a bottle or two of cider from one of the 42 cider houses on the outskirts of the city (buy six bottles from Essencia Wine in the Old Town for €18).

Join a pinchos tour

Pinchos-hopping is obligatory when in San Sebastian. The best way to pack the bars in is to join a txikiteo (the official word for a pinchos crawl), which will see you bounce from bar to bar in the Old Town and pair colourful, small bites with local wines and cider.

A word on etiquette: don’t overload your plate from the bar-top displays but, instead, sample one per drink, two if you must, then move on. Tours from £25 (viator.com).

Stroll around the cathedral

Made of sandstone and slate quarried from local mountains, charming Buen Pastor (the good shepherd) Cathedral was completed in 1897 at a time when the city was becoming a flourishing, aristocratic seaside resort.

The spire of the cathedral, set in a pretty square surrounded by tulips, can be seen from across the city. On a summer’s day, the sun shines brightly through the stained-glass windows, casting an array of dancing colours on its walls. Free entry.

How to get there

London Gatwick to Bilbao returns from £65 (vueling.com). Buses to San Sebastian take one hour (£15, pesa.net).

Make sure your trip to Australia is a confusion-free one, with this fascinating guide to quirky Aussie slang, from ‘chockers’ to ‘no wokkas’

By Ted Thornhill, Mailonline Travel Editor

Updated: 03:53 EDT, 27 June 2023

Big brand and expensive sunscreens may not offer the protection against skin damage they profess to on the label, it is claimed.

The alarming findings come from safety experts at Which?, who found a number of cheaper supermarket alternatives offer strong protection.

The consumer champion said that one Avon product ‘did not come close’ to hitting its claimed SPF30 protection in tests.

Most suncreams carry an SPF – Sun Protection Factor – and a UVA rating which are measures of protection against the rays associated with skin damage and cancer.

People rely on the information to guide them on how long they can safely stay out in the sun during heatwaves.

Which? tested 19 popular suncreams, with one being identified as a ‘don’t buy’ because it failed safety protection tests.

It said Avon’s Refreshing 3-in-1 Face and Body Sun Lotion SPF30 (£5.75/150ml) ‘did not come close to hitting its claimed SPF30 in tests’.

Which? said: ‘Consumers are advised to avoid this product. By not living up to its SPF claims, it does not offer adequate sun protection, meaning people using them could unwittingly put themselves at risk.

‘With parts of Britain in the grip of a heatwave, it is vital people protect themselves from harmful UVA and UVB rays that could lead to skin damage and cause skin cancer.’ 

The group said products with good protection do not have to break the bank.

For example, several of Asda’s products passed sun protection tests and earned a Which? Great Value badge for their low prices.

These included Asda Protect Moisturising Sun Lotion SPF30 at just £3 for 200ml. Testers said it was absorbed easily without being greasy or sticky and did not leave white marks on skin.

Among slightly more expensive spray products, testers found Asda’s Protect Refreshing Clear Sun Spray at £4 for 200ml was easy to apply, not tacky to touch and did not leave any visible residue. Most importantly, it gave the required SPF and UVA protection in lab tests.

The Asda products outshone premium Ultrasun Family SPF30, which was over seven times more expensive at £26 for 150ml. Both were highly effective against UV, however Ultrasun was not as easily absorbed.

Boots also fared well in the testing and earned a Which? Great Value badge for its low price. Its Soltan Protect & Moisturise Lotion (SPF30) at £4 for 200ml delivered all the protection required.

In the children’s category at products with an SPF of 50+, first place went to Asda’s Kids Sun Lotion Spray, at £3.60 for 200ml.

Another another great value option was Boots Soltan Kids Protect & Moisturise Lotion, at £4 for 200ml.

The Which? Head of Home Products and Services, Natalie Hitchens, said: ‘It is great to see cheaper sunscreen options available on the high street and in supermarkets at a time where consumers need affordable options.

‘However, it’s a concern to find a big brand product on the market that has failed our testing and did not offer the level of protection claimed on the packaging.

‘Our advice is to stick to a tried and tested suncream. Do not be fooled into thinking that paying a higher price will definitely mean a better or safer product as our testing proved a supermarket own brand product can do the job well.

‘We’ve found plenty of highly effective, cheap sunscreens available on the high street, so there’s no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun.’

Avon said it stands behind its product, but promised an investigation. It said: ‘The safety of our customers is our priority and that’s why our expert skincare team produces the most effective sun care formulas.

‘Upon hearing from Which? Avon has engaged its quality and research and development teams to investigate the specific batch of product that Which? tested.

‘Avon stands behind its data and that of the independent labs which conduct our testing.’

Not many people make it to the Czech Republic’s second city, yet its charm is irresistible.

While Prague is packed with stag dos and Irish pubs, Brno (pronounced ‘bruh-no’) has modern art galleries, higgledy-piggeldy narrow streets with historic buildings and endless restaurants serving traditional potato dumplings, goulash and local beers. It’s vibrant, affordable and compact — you’re never much more than a 20-minute walk from anywhere.

Where to stay

Grandezza

The hand-painted glass ceilings in the lobby of this former bank make a grand first impression. It’s now a boutique hotel with smart, cosy rooms as well as spa treatments and pleasant views across the market square. Doubles from £87 (grandezzahotel.com).

Anybody Hotel

Despite its name, this hotel may not be for everybody. A whirlwind of neon and storytelling, it describes itself as ‘20 per cent hotel, 80 per cent experience’ and has cinematic-themed rooms with iPads which narrate a story played on speakers. 

Rooms also have bubble machines, picnic baskets and swings. Doubles from £100, when quoting ‘Daily Mail’ (anybody.cz).

Avion Hotel

A short wander from Freedom Square, this Art Deco boutique hotel has spectacular views of Spilberk Castle and the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul on the Petrov hill, which can be seen from the terrace. Beds are comfortable, breakfast generous and the staff friendly. Doubles from £86 (avion-hotel.cz).

10-z Bunker

Built during World War II, this air raid shelter and unused nuclear bunker is now a 50-bed hostel near the city centre. It may be a rather peculiar place to stay on a weekend break, but its history and friendly staff make up for any austerity. B&B doubles from £55 (10-z.cz, booking.com).

What to see & do

Visit the castle

The history of Castle Spilberk is harrowing. Take a guided tour to learn all about its troubled past, including its use as a brutal prison in the 13th century and as a Nazi barracks during the World War II German occupation. Take a break at the castle’s hilltop café afterwards. Admission free; tours £3-£6, spilberk.cz.

Scary ossuary

Even more harrowing is the underground ossuary at the Church of St James, which was rediscovered in 2001. It contains the bones of more than 50,000 victims of plague, cholera and war. Entry £5, gotobrno.cz.

Feeling arty

The Museum of Applied Arts houses an architecture and design exhibition but also showcases a vast collection of art from the present back to the Middle Ages. Don’t miss the Robot Cafe which recreates a portrait of you in your cup of coffee. (moravska-galerie.cz).

Best views

Straddling the city’s most imposing square Namesti Svobody (Freedom Square) and the cabbage market, the Old Town Hall’s tower has the best views of the city. Entry costs £2.50 and it’s open until 10pm. Afterwards, take a wander through the cabbage market’s wooden chalets, which also sell artisanal crafts and street food. (gotobrno.cz).

Where to eat 

Lokal u Caipla

This restaurant is the place to sample giant portions of schnitzel for about £7 along with a local beer. Note the hungover diners if you visit on a Sunday. (lokal-ucaipla.ambi.cz).

Element Restaurant

A strong contender for the best restaurant in the whole of Brno, its menu focuses on a fusion of European and Asian cuisine.

Fine dining at a fantastic price, a three-course meal with a cocktail will set you back about £30. I suggest going for the tender pork belly followed by soft and warm chestnut cake. (elementbrno.com).

The Bar That Doesn’t Exist

More than 1,000 bottles of spirit perch proudly on the ceiling-high glass bar in this relaxed speakeasy. Packed with leather sofas, chandeliers and guests sipping on delicious cocktails for just £7. (barkteryneexistuje.cz).

Forky’s

This vegan bistro in the old part of the city will make you forget you’re eating only plant-based food. Head to the upstairs restaurant if you’re sitting in or grab and go downstairs. About £7.20 buys a range of delicious dishes like shwarma, rice bowls, burgers and curries. (forkys.eu).

Getting there

Return London-Brno flights are priced from £52 (ryanair.com). For more tourist information go to: visitczechrepublic.com.

Nimes is home to Roman ruins and a world-class collection of contemporary art and architecture. 

There’s an easily walkable old town with narrow streets and pleasant cafe-lined squares, making this southern French city appealing for a short break. 

Where to stay

Appart’City Nimes Arenes

Five minutes’ walk from Nimes Centre train station, this grand, 19th-century mansion — formerly the city’s post office — has been a comfortable apart-hotel since 2016. Rooms are decorated with contemporary furnishings — some have original features including fireplaces and parquet floors. All rooms have kitchenettes. Double rooms from £83 (appartcity.com).

Square Hotel

Apart from the fact that it’s spotlessly clean and has spacious rooms sleeping up to four people, the main attraction at this three-star hotel, on the east side of the old town, is its fourth-floor roof terrace.

It’s a great spot for breakfast or an evening drink, although you’ll have to bring your own booze because there’s no bar. Doubles from £57 (squarehotel-nimes.com).

Hotel des Tuileries

A homely hotel, run by a British couple, on a residential street around the corner from the Philippe Starck-designed Abribus bus stop. 

Ask for a room with a little balcony so you can sit outside to enjoy a craft beer or wine from the ground-floor bar. Breakfast bread and pastries come from the neighbouring bakery. Doubles from £65 (hoteldestuileries.com).

Hotel de l’Amphitheatre

This 11-room hotel near the Roman arena, created from two adjoining townhouses from the 17th and 18th century, has been renovated in a minimalist, southern-French style. There is no lift to reach the two upper floors, but at least you’ll work off the cooked-to-order breakfast. Double rooms from £78 (hoteldelamphitheatre.com).

What to see & do

Rome around

As a former Roman colony, Nimes has sights including Maison Carree, a well-preserved temple, and the amphitheatre (£11.40, arenes-nimes.com). For floor mosaics, head to the Musee de la Romanite (from £7.90; museedelaromanite.fr).

Delight in denim

The Musee du Vieux Nimes (£4.40; Place aux Herbes), has a display tracing the history of denim, which is thought to have originated in Nimes.

Great modern art

It’s the 30th anniversary of the Carre d’Art, designed by Norman Foster and housing a modern art collection (from £7, carreartmusee.com).

Marvel at the market

Les Halles de Nimes, a covered market, has stalls piled with enticing local produce (leshallesdenimes.fr).

Where to eat

Le Bistrot de Tatie Agnes

You have to be quick to grab one of the few tables at this lunch-only ‘hole in the wall’, down an alley just south of the Maison Carree. Try a salad: ‘La Nimes’ features tapenade (olive spread), anchoiade (anchovy dip) and brandade (salt cod mixed with olive oil and cream) for £9 (lebistrotdetatieagnes.eatbu.com).

Le Napo

This pistachio-coloured cafe, with a listed painted and moulded ceiling, has been a popular meeting place for locals since 1813. Drop in for a coffee (£3.25) and cake (£3.70) or for lunch or dinner. There’s a plat du jour for £9.50 and snacks such as terrine (coarse pâté) with bread from £5.70 (le-napo.fr).

Le Nicolas

Run by the same family for 62 years, this cosy restaurant with a beamed ceiling, stone walls and a brightly tiled floor, serves good-value regional dishes such as gardiane de taureau — bull meat slow cooked in red wine — from £13 (restaurant-nicolas-nimes.com).

Gard O Vin

Tucked away in Place du Marche, this wine bar is the place to go to sample the local AOC, Costieres de Nimes (from £3.50 per glass). It opens at 5pm. Settle on a sofa in the vaulted cellar or perch on a stool outside to munch on cheese and charcuterie; a plate of sausage slices comes in at £4.40.

Getting there

Flights from Stansted and Edinburgh from £12.99 one-way (ryanair.com). The shuttle bus between the airport and Nimes is £6 one way (tangobus.fr). Or take the train from London St Pancras, changing at Lille or Paris, from £75 one way (thetrainline.com).

A two-day Nimes City Pass (nimescitypass.com) gives you access to the main sights for £25.50 (nimes-tourisme.com).

It’s certainly food for thought.

Michelin inspectors have revealed how shocking mishaps can even occur in fine-dining restaurants, from cockroaches scampering across tables to being seated at a table of mannequins.

The tales emerged in a blog post on the Michelin Guide website after it asked some of its inspectors for ‘a few of their weird on-the-job moments that made them wonder, “what just happened?”‘ 

Birthday cake for one

One Michelin inspector recalled a solo visit to a restaurant where waiters surprised them with an erroneous birthday cake, leading to much embarrassment. 

The diner received an especially warm welcome when checking into the establishment, where staff would have been unaware that they were being critiqued.

The diner ‘didn’t think much of the well wishes’ until the birthday-cake dessert arrived, leaving them wanting to ‘sink through the floor’.

‘The restaurant was tiny, and tables turned and raised their glasses,’ they told The Michelin Guide website.

‘I immediately realised that everyone in that room must have thought I was alone on my birthday, celebrating with a tasting menu. I wanted to sink through the floor.’

Side of cockroach

An undercover Michelin inspector revealed being faced with an unwanted side dish – a cockroach, which scuttled across their table when the first course arrived.

Put off by the debacle, the diner decided to leave and cancelled the rest of their order.

But they said staff were ‘very nonchalant’, arguing that the cockroach must have come in through the door when the inspector arrived. What’s more, the inspector was expected to pay the full price.

‘The worst part was, I was headed to the airport directly from that meal, so I had to endure the entire flight desperate for a shower,’ they added. 

Remote working

In a twisted tale, a Michelin inspector said they feared ‘falling off the side of a mountain’ in their efforts to find a remote restaurant. 

The would-be diner recalled driving a rented station wagon along a ‘very windy mountainside road with a straight drop and no guard rail’ only to discover after 2.5km (1.5 miles) that their route had been blocked by a rockslide.

With no room to turn around, they were forced to drive back ‘in reverse’. 

‘All I could think about was falling off the side of this mountain, and [people] having no idea where to find me,’ they told The Michelin Guide.

Model diners

During the pandemic, one restaurant decided to place mannequins at empty tables to keep guests from feeling lonely while sticking to social distancing rules.

The Michelin inspector said they had ‘no objection’ to the creative approach until they were seated at a table alongside two mannequins for companions.

‘Making me sit at a table with them only made me more conspicuous and I felt like the butt of a joke,’ they told The Michelin Guide.

And the embarrassment did not end there. The inspector revealed that he normally orders ‘more than the average, single diner eats’. And the server tried to ‘gently suggest’ that the anonymous inspector had ‘over-ordered’.

‘I gestured to my dining companions and said, “well, this order is for three people.” They did not enjoy my jest,’ the diner added.

The Champagne bath 

One Michelin inspector revealed how shocking behaviour from staff even occurs at the very finest restaurants.

They recalled ordering a glass of Champagne at a ‘heralded Three Star’, which the server then knocked onto their lap. 

‘He cursed, stood the glass up, and gave me a new napkin. That was it,’ the diner told The Michelin Guide. 

They described further chaos when ‘nobody refilled the wine, removed the empty flute or even apologised that I would be eating with soaked pants’ for two hours.

‘And yet, I was still impressed by the cooking’, they added. 

The inspector joked how it taught them ‘early on’ in their career how ‘food really is the Michelin Guide’s only criteria’.

Visit The Michelin Guide to read the original version. To find Michelin-recommended hotels and restaurants visit www.viamichelin.co.uk. All illustrations by Cathy Mayer/@cthartica. Visit www.cathymayer.com.