24 hours after the heartbreaking loss of Air India flight AI171, my reflections on the tragedy and what investigators will be looking for.

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I am in Palma, where I met up with an English chef who has made a name for himself – and his restaurant. Marc Fosh talks about Mallorca as an island of plenty, with all the ingredients for a feast – including outstanding wine.

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I’m on something of a personal campaign to persuade more people to add a day or two to their trip to visit one of my favourite Portuguese locations – Cascais, the port planted elegantly on the shoreline west of the capital, Lisbon, on what’s known as the Portuguese Riviera. It was settled in turn by Romans, Visigoths and Moors and today the centre of Cascais is an intriguing combination of sun-worn houses, cafés shops and smart hotels – including the Farol, whose sales director is Teresa Saramago.

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Eurostar promises a new Golden Age of rail with new direct links from London to Frankfurt and Geneva, as I've been hearing from the cross-Channel train operator's chief executive, Gwendoline Casenave.

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I'm talking to Lloyd Figgins of Travel Risk & Incident Prevention about a course designed for adventurers.

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I'm back in the USSR – or at least what was a small part of that vast and brutal empire.

Today, Lithuania is a modern, democratic nation and a member of the European Union. Its capital, Vilnius, shook off its communist chains 35 years ago.

As excellent tourist guide Ieva – from Vilnius With Locals – told me, the scars still run deep. But there is much to celebrate...

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Today I'm talking to Martin Johnson, chair of the Expedition Cruise Network, about the ships that take travellers to the ends of the world.

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I really enjoyed talking to Christine Shacklady, Managing Director of the TRIP Group – Travel Risk & Incident Prevention. She began with some top safety tips, and then the conversation veered off towards wonderful Venezuela.

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My excellent colleague, Natalie Wilson, has just returned from a short but intensive exploration of Sweden with Intrepid, and talks about the food, drink, coffee culture and beauty ... as well a welcome encounter with a moose.

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My friend Arvi has just returned from Uzbekistan, and – aged 80, having visited every country in the world, is now planning his next adventure. After a lifetime of travelling, Arvi has much to share with us.

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