And if the children get bored you can take them down to the Pier where there’s an aquarium a viewing

And if the children get bored, you can take them down to the Pier, where there’s an aquarium, a viewing platform and lots of opportunities to buy candy floss and ice cream and other things that make holes in parental bank balances.What about a bit of fresh air after all this sightseeing?We joined Captain Stefan on one of the dolphin-watching tours that operate around Tampa Bay, taking a day trip to Egmont Key, which houses an abandoned fort and a colony of wild tortoises. We took a packed lunch and, although there were a handful of other people on the boat, it seemed as if we had the island to ourselves as we picnicked in the shade of the fort and watched the lizards darting in the sun. The St Petersburg/Clearwater area of Florida offers miles of walks and hikes in a variety of nature reserves and state parks, on islands and on the mainland. There are armadillos and raccoons as well as wading birds such as ibises and cranes.You’ve sold it to me. How do I get there?We booked a package with Thomson A La Carte (to request a brochure or check availability, call 0870 550 2550), which included return flights, b&b accommodation and one week’s car hire.

Virgin Atlantic (01293 747747, ) flies daily to Orlando from £306 return plus tax. For further information on the Don CeSar, go to or call 001 800 637 7200 Rates start at around $288 per night for room only.. Turin is a surprise, one of Italy’s well-kept secrets. Perhaps it’s to be expected that a country that boasts Florence, Rome and Venice will have other cities overlooked, but this former capital of Piedmont, where the royal house of Savoy once held court, deserves to be better known.

It is a feast for the eye, with opulent buildings, sumptuous churches and stunning baroque architecture

Turin is a surprise, one of Italy’s well-kept secrets. Head off at this time of year and you will catch the “white diamond of cuisine”, the truffle.”Do you know Turin?” asked Nietzsche “It is a city after my own heart … a princely residence of the 17th century, which has only one taste giving command to everything, the court and its nobility. Aristocratic calm is preserved in everything: there are no nasty suburbs.” Well, the nasty suburbs have arrived, thanks to the Fiat dynasty and its car plants. But in the city centre, you can forget the Agnelli family and its Lancias and Alfa Romeos. The tree-lined avenues are still surprisingly calm and a delight.Turin is easy to get around, thanks to its grid-like plan. Its central street, Via Roma, is lined with splendid designer boutiques.

For a quiet and cheap drink, the caf?of Piazza San Carlo are a must; here you can people-watch and enjoy a vermouth (the aperitif with 13 ingredients was invented in this city) and canap? Piazza San Carlo has the best of Turin street architecture – porticoed, honey-coloured buildings, stylish caf?and statues of its past heroes. Its entrance is guarded by the twin churches of San Carlo and Santa Cristina.The city centre still reflects its elegant past, with a host of fine palaces reminding you that it was once dominated by the court of Savoy. After Italy was unified and the new country’s capital was established in Rome, Turin became a backwater, but a prosperous one It was also a revolutionary one. Antonio Gramsci led occupations of the Fiat factory and founded the Communist Party here, while the Red Brigade was born on Fiat’s factory floors.This is a city to walk around, with 18km of arcades, dating back to the 18th century. They were built for the convenience of courtiers, and today they are ideal for strolling and window-shopping, regardless of the weather. You can find haute couture and jewellery in the Via Roma, Subalpina and San Federico galleries, as well as antique shops and restoration workshops in Via Maria Vittoria.There’s plenty of choice if you want something a little cheaper – but just as delightful – for a Christmas present.