In this edition: Berlin's tourist boom, the Harbour Bar in the Irish town of Bray, animal photographer Tim Flach, Armagnac brandy, and top-end exercise machines.Boomtown BerlinBerlin has become Europe's third-most-visited city after Paris and London. In 2010 the German capital registered twenty million overnight stays -- double the number of just six years ago. New hotels cater to all budgets, and visitors are coming from all over the world.The Harbour Bar in Bray, IrelandThe Harbour Bar in Bray, just outside the Irish capital Dublin, has been named the best bar in the world by the Lonely Planet travel guide series. The traditional pub boasts a 200 year history and has attracted a number of famous visitors. On many evenings bands treat the regulars and guests to live music.Animal Photographer Tim FlachTim Flach is a photographer who is based in London. He receives commissions from advertising clients the world over. His works regularly win awards at international festivals. Flach has a studio in London's Shoreditch district where he photographs not just dogs, but also crocodiles and kangaroos.French Specialty -- ArmagnacArmagnac is the oldest brandy distilled in France and is said to have been made for the first time seven hundred years ago. Traditionally, Armagnac is distilled at the end of the year, on wine-growing estates and in small distilleries in the region of the same name in southwest France.Top-End Exercise MachinesAfter the holidays, there's always a run on gyms - with many people making New Year's resolutions or just wanting to work off the pounds they put on over the holidays. But many new members quickly run out of willpower and only make a couple of visits. Our reporter Hendrik Welling has some alternatives for keeping fit without having to become a gym member.

• published: 02 Jan 2011
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