Superb historical sights, rich Irish heritage, brainbox universities… if this is starting to sound like a holiday checklist for your parents, then think again. Once famed as a haunt for academics, Boston, Massachusetts has now evolved into a major city-break destination, with slick new hotels, mounds of seafood and cheap new flight routes all present….

We’ve had many elegant moments, but this is not one. Charlie lowers herself into the canoe first – an unsteady and unfamiliar combination of retro, crimson lifejacket, oversized designer handbag and wooden paddle. I’m next. Map in one hand, anorak in the other, I ease myself down to the bench as Nick gently pushes us…

Bored of expensive London hotels? Try spending a night on Osbert, an awesome canal-side ‘boatel’ that’s located in London’s very own Haggerston Riviera. Yep, that’s actually a real thing. The barge, which is docked in Gainsborough Wharf on Regent’s Canal (a 15-minute walk from Old Street and Angel underground stations), is a cool escape in…