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Some of the younger members of The Carter Company team visited Berlin recently. There are many reasons why we think it's a great city (we list a few of our insider tips below), but one thing that really struck us was how bike-friendly it is. Compared to London, it feels streets ahead. Berlin isn't really a walking city, as the distances are just that bit too far, so you see a lot of locals cycling around the place. This is the case of course in London too, but unlike London, there has clearly been a concerted effort (back by significant investment) to make cyclists feel safe. The bike lanes are generous in width; cyclists have priority on roundabouts; there are traffic lights and other road markings addressed specifically to those on two wheels.

As a tourist, it's incredibly easy and convenient to find bike hire shops; they seem to be dotted throughout the entire city. As is the case with most things in Berlin, it's also extremely good value for money. We hired some really comfortable, high quality bikes for €10/day. Most places ask you to leave a deposit though, so remember to take some spare cash with you.

Once on board, it's unbelievably easy to navigate around the city. If you do like to have a map on hand though, we recommend downloading a CityMapper onto your phone whilst still at home or over WiFi so you don't get stung with data roaming charges.

The other big bonus of cycling around Berlin (or anywhere in the world for that matter) is that you are travelling slow enough to see all the detail you would if you were on foot, but you don't find yourself completely exhausted after covering a few miles. Pottering around on your bike really lets you soak up the atmosphere and feel of a place, and you can usually visit several neighbourhoods in just a short amount of time, leaving you with a colourful patchwork of memories to take away with you.

The best things to see in Berlin by bike

1. Mauerpark Really fun and vibrant park in the Prenzlauer Berg district of Berlin. Visit on Sundays for impromptu, terrible (and hugely popular!) public karaoke performances. It really embodies the spirit of the city - laidback, all-embracing and not overly self-conscious. Buy a beer for €2, take a seat in the mini amphitheatre and get ready to clap along!

2. W Der Imbiss As vegetarians, Europe can be a tricky place. Berlin isn't as bad as Paris, but you can struggle to find good vegetarian places. However, this one is a real winner. Not only is it fantastic, fresh veggie and vegan food, it's also amazing value and serves a variety of dishes really well - so you can have a Mexican burrito or an Indian curry, and both are delicious (honest!) The meat lovers we were with gave it the thumbs up. Find it on Kastanienallee 49.

3. Clärchens Ballhaus Located on Auguststraße 24, this is a real gem. You can almost smell the history and the stories as you approach. It celebrated 100 years in 2013, and it's been a colourful hundred years at that. Recently it's changed ownership, but it continues to function as a dance and live music venue. Or you can just pop by for a drink or bite to eat - the garden is lovely on a sunny day. It's got that 'faded glory' feel to it, all crumbling but beautifully complimented by fairy lights, vintage garden furniture and a bright, kitsch interior.

4. Neues Museum If you only visit one museum in Berlin, we recommend this one. The building itself is a museum, let alone all the incredible Egyptian and other ancient treasures it houses in its permanent collections. The British architect David Chipperfield won a competition to restore the building after it was damaged severely during World War II, and work began in 2003. After painstaking and careful work, it reopened in 2009. The result is breathtaking - the scars of war have been carefully preserved (you can still see bullet marks on some of the facade and interior walls) - but it has been seamlessly updated at the same time. Hard to put in into words really - just go and see it! Find it on Museum Island, Bodestraße.

Biking vacations in Europe

Why not combine a visit to Germany with a cycling tour in another European country? We recommend a bike holiday in Spain if you're heading to Europe in autumn. It's cooler than in peak summer months and would offer a lovely antidote to a few days in a bustling city like Berlin.

Picture the scene...

After months of planning and suspended excitement, you're finally about to set off on your British biking vacation with The Carter Company (who else?). Having arrived at your hotel the previous night and enjoyed a delicious night's sleep, day one of your cycling tour looms large. You head down to the hotel breakfast and treat yourself to a filling and nutritious plate of food to fuel you up for the day. Once you've had your fill, the question then pops up: "What are we going to do for lunch?" Many of our customers like to stop off en route for elevenses and then a hearty lunch in a pub or other local establishment. We recommend this option of course - it's a great way to sample the produce and cuisine typical of your destination, meet some of the regulars and generally stop for a moment and absorb the atmosphere of the area. However, there are some instances in which...
- there are no places to stop and eat en route (particularly on some of our more remote tours like the Highlands and Hebrides guided cycling holiday)
- the scenery is just so breathtaking, that you prefer the idea of sitting outside and enjoying a picnic with nature as your companion

If this is the case, we've got you covered. All bikes on Carter Company cycling holidays come with panniers, so there's plenty of space to pack a picnic. The only dilemma that remains then, is what to put in it. Below, we share our tips on our favourite things to pack in our panniers for a scrumptious picnic.

1. PIMM'S
   No holiday in the UK, whether it's a cycling tour or not, would be complete without Pimm's. You don't get much more English than this. Head to Wimbledon during the Championships and every other person you see is sipping on a cool glass of fruity Pimm's. It's pretty much a part of English summer tradition. And even if the sun isn't out, things suddenly might look a bit better after a glass or two of Pimm's (NB. we do not advocate more than two glasses if you're planning on continuing your bike ride and following your route directions correctly!) Luckily your bike takes the weight of the panniers, so unlike a picnic in a backpack, you don't need to worry about a bottle of Pimm's and good quality lemonade being too heavy to carry.

2. SCOTCH EGGS
   The key with scotch eggs, another very British foodstuff, is to try and get your hands on fresh ones. If you're cycling past a farm shop or staying in a town overnight where there's a farmer's market, you might be in luck. If not, you have to settle for the shop-bought packaged variety, which aren't really the same thing, but better than nothing. We like the fresh ones because they're made that morning, and the yoke should still be runny, which takes them to a whole new level, trust us! You can also get some wonderfully creative varieties if you buy them fresh, like lentil, mushroom and tarragon, instead of the standard pork layer.

3. CUCUMBER SANDWICHES
   Supposedly invented by Lord Sandwich, the 'sarnie' as it's affectionately known by us Brits, is a real culinary institution. Last year, 1.69 BILLION were bought 'on the go' in the UK. And we're not talking about the baguette here. No, this is one area where we trump the French. Only 10% of our sandwiches sold are baguettes. We like a good pair of granary bread slices stuffed full with fillings and condiments. And nothing is more British than a cucumber sandwich. Keep them simple with good quality unsalted butter, sea salt, white pepper and organic cucumbers. This is what the recommend over at The Guardian, and we think they've hit the nail on the head.

4. STRAWBERRIES
   Firstly, try and buy your strawberries If you can, throw in a couple of fresh mint leaves and sprinkle a little icing sugar over your strawberries before setting off. By lunchtime, they will have marinated nicely in a sweet minty sauce which will be absolutely irresistible. There's no better way to finish off a picnic than with some fresh fruit. You'll be raring to get back on your bike and pedal through the gorgeous British countryside after this, rain or shine.

If all this talk of food is making you hungry, may we suggest taking your pannier packed full of goodies on our Kent cycling holiday for foodies, the ultimate dream trip for all the gluttons out there ;)

Carl Honoré is a man after our own heart. In his book 'In Praise of Slowness', he comments on the frantic pace of life which is now so prevalent in the Western World. The speed-obsessed society we live in doesn't do much for our health, nor our quality of life. Interestingly, he even argues that it is detrimental to our productivity levels - despite the assumptions we may make otherwise.

Notably though, there is a backlash to this perpetual 'fast-forward' state of play we seem to be stuck in - the slow movement. He defines this as "a cultural revolution against the notion that faster is always better. The slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Savoring the hours and minutes rather than just counting them."

Cycling tours inspired by the concept of slow travel

Here at The Carter Company, we are all about slow travel. Our European biking vacations and UK walking tours are very much inspired by the idea that if you take the time to slow down, you start to engage with the world around you with a fresh perspective. Suddenly you start to notice the subtle smells that perfume the countryside air, you spot the rare flowers you might otherwise miss, you hear the call of the sparrowhawks circling high above. The beauty is in the details! Our itineraries go easy on distance and stick to flat terrain, so that you can focus on enjoying the process itself of travelling, rather than it being just a means to an end - which it so often is these days. This also means we factor in plenty of time to allow you to stop and sample local produce; to sit on the grass and taking a moment to feel the earth beneath you. Choosing to travel with this mindset is often a big eye-opener. Many of our customers report back to us at the end of their walking tours or cycling holidays that they discovered hidden gems they would never have encountered otherwise; that they met and got to know real locals who shared their top tips for the best things to see and do in the area; that they were leaving feeling like they had got to know the real, authentic Britain or Europe, not the one that the busloads of tourists encounter.

The Carter Company team invite you to take Carl Honoré's lead, and "embrace your inner tortoise". You'll be joining a growing army. His TED talk entitled 'In Praise of Slowness has already been viewed by 1,138,382 people. His book is published in 30 languages and has been a bestseller in many countries.

For more information on easy cycling holidays in the UK and gentle biking vacations in Europe - a speciality of ours - check out our page dedicated to the theme of cycling for softies.

Broughton Castle is a stunning manor house with a fantastic moat near Banbury in Oxfordshire. Set in parkland and an absolutely delightful walled garden (see the photo above we took just the other day), it is built of the rich local Hornton stone, which gives it that quintessentially English - and more particularly Oxfordshire - feel to it.

In his book 'The Pattern of English Building', Alec Clifton-Taylor describes this stone as special inasmuch as "deep brown, tawny yellow, greenish and greyish-blue tints can be combined within a single block.” You can only imagine how incredible all these colours are combined with the amazing array of flowers and other flora which have been planted there.

Inside, Broughton offers a rare blend of incredible history and contemporary relevance... just ask your tour guide about the recent film productions that have taken place! We visited at the weekend and apparently Daniel Day Lewis had been shooting there only the day before. Famous films shot there in the past have included, to name a few, the recent Jane Eyre production, Shakespeare in Love (1998) and The Madness of King George (1994).

But the house has been inhabited since 1306, when it was built. Possibly its most famous moment in history is its role as a stronghold of opposition to Charles I. During the Battle of Edgehill in 1642 it was besieged and damaged. Amazingly though, the Castle has belonged to the same family since 1447 - the Fiennes. The 21st Lord and Lady Saye & Sele are the current residents.

We're not the only ones who think it's a fantastic house which is well worth a visit; Broughton was selected by Simon Jenkins as 1 of only 20 houses to be awarded 5* in his book 'England’s Thousand Best Houses'.

Our insider tip: check out the wallpaper hand-painted from China in about 1800 in The King's Chamber, where James I stayed in 1604 and Edward VII also spent the night in 1901.

Visit Broughton Castle on a tailor-made Oxford walking tour

Here at The Carter Company we specialise in bespoke itineraries. So whilst none of our tours currently pass right alongside Broughton Castle, we think it's such a gem that we'd recommend anyone who fancies visiting it for half a day to combine it with an Oxfordshire walking holiday tailor-made by us. As usual, we can also adapt one of our existing trips to include a visit to this wonderful historic house on request. Just ask!

Visit The Cirencester Hare Trail

The Cirencester Hare Trail is a sculpture trail of forty 5ft fantasy hares and over thirty life-sized hares, which are on display in and around Cirencester until September 2014. The hares are decorated by schools, celebrities, community groups and local businesses, adding a fun dash of colour to this lovely corner of England and some added interest for those treasure-hunt fanatics out there!

Why hares you say? Well, they have a special resonance in Cirencester. A hare mosaic was discovered in 1971 just below the road surface during archaeological excavations in Beeches Road close to the River Churn. It has now become the symbol of the award winning Corinium Museum where the original mosaic is housed.

At the start of October, the hares will all be sold at auction to spend their days as joyful pieces of art in offices, home and gardens. The hope is that some will remain in public spaces as well for everyone to enjoy. The money made from these sales will be used to help raise the £50,000 needed by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to begin to develop the Green Hare Churn Walkway around the River Churn in Cirencester. This new nature trail will involve schools and community groups and will have lasting benefits for residents and visitors alike.

The 'Hare Trail Map' on the official website of the Cirencester Hare Trail is easily accessible from any PC or smart phone, and offers the locations of all the hares currently on display at any one time - ideal if you're looking for a ready-made treasure hunt and a great family activity for a sunny day this summer. The website also has a 'Breaking News' section, which gives details of the newest additions to the sculpture trail and is the best place to keep up to date with all the latest happenings (plus any surprise events going on, and we know there are a few planned!)

Cycling tours that take in the Cirencester Hare Trail

We know for a fact (we've seen them with our own eyes when out and about with our customers) that there are a number of hares directly on the routes of some of our biking vacations. One features just outside The Fleece Hotel in Cirencester - which customers of 'The Grand Tour', one of our most popular luxury cycling holidays in The Cotswolds, stay in. The market town of Bibury also boasts its own hare, which you can spot (if you have keen eyes) at the entrance to Trout Farm from the front door of the hotel we use here, The Swan.

Walking holidays in The Cotswolds

Or if you're not mad keen about hopping on a bike, why not check out the colourful sculptures on the trail and combine with a walking tour of The Cotswolds? We have a number of Cotswold self-guided walking tours as well as organizing bespoke, tailor-made walking vacations in the Cotswolds on request. Drop us a line if you're interested and we'd be happy to tell you more.