Dijon has been the political center of the Burgundy region ever since the dukes of Burgundy moved their capital here from Beaune in the fourteenth century. At the heart of the city lies the Ducal Palace—a structure that has undergone several phases of reconstruction since the first Duke of Valois, also known as Philip the Good, began building the original palace on the site of an old Roman fortification in 1366.

Buckingham House was built originally for one of the dukes of Buckingham in 1703. George III acquired it in 1762 as a family home for himself and Queen Charlotte, away from the formality of his official St. James’s residence.

The Prince Bishops of Durham were almost kings in the north and the cathedral in its spectacular setting, towering up on its great rock above a wooded horseshoe bend of the River Wear, is an overwhelming statement of Norman power.

Dominating major east-west and north-south routes, this fortress’s strategic importance gave it a key role in Scottish history Standing 250 feet (76 m) higher than the surrounding terrain on the flat top of an ancient volcano and commanding excellent views in every direction, it was the principal royal stronghold of the Stuart kings from the time of Robert II. Whoever held Stirling, it was said, had the key to Scotland.

In 563, St. Columba sailed from his native Ireland for the island of lona with twelve companions on a mission to convert the pagan inhabitants of Scotland to Christianity. He landed on lona, where he founded a monastery as his base.

This is no run-of-the-mill plant nursery; Petersham is utterly and magically different whatever the weather. The restaurant is a wonderful, artfully bohemian collection of shabby-chic, gently restored Victorian greenhouses furnished with an eclectic mix of mismatched, rickety, zinc and painted tables.