Temperature: 19°C high; 13°C low Season: spring Travel time from UK: 2 hours 35 minutes Time difference: GMT +1 Nothing brings a spring to the step quite like the sight of Italy's glorious Amalfi coast. Particularly in March, when its vertiginous twists are bathed in a daily average eight hours of sun. Cliffs plunge into the Tyrrhenian Sea, topped with grand palazzos and smart hotels. Narrow, Roman lanes are stuffed with limoncello stalls flogging the boozy spoils of Sorrento's famous fruit. Its snoozy air and pastel-coloured houses are pure Italian cinema: you might even swear you've seen a young Sophia Loren looking impossibly saucy by the quay. Do as the Italians do and spend the lazy, romantic days enjoying a long aperitivo . Don't miss fresh fritto misto at Marina Grande, the town's old fishing harbour, or Michelin-starred Il Buco in the cellars of an old monastery, where chef Peppe Aversa serves seasonal ingredients under a stone-hewn, vaulted ceiling. Th...
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From sandy beaches to the castle which inspired Ed Sheeran - Global Circulate
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OVER the last two years more of us have bought dogs than ever before – but they can prove an obstacle to a well-earned break.
Thankfully this increase in pet ownership has also fuelled a boom in the dog-friendly holiday market — and where better to explore the British countryside than rural Suffolk?
Ed Sheeran wrote a hit about Framlingham CastleCredit: Shutterstock
With rolling beaches, lakeside walks and acres of fields and woodlands with public footpaths, it's a dog-walker's paradise and there's no shortage of pubs and restaurants which welcome man's best friend when you want a meal break.
Stay
WOODFARM Barns in Stonham Aspal is surrounded by scenic villages and is well placed to make the most of the area.
The two thatched cottages and five converted barns, all but one of which come with a hot tub, have everything a pet owner would need, including a two-acre dog-walking meadow on the doorstep, plus a smaller enclosed space for nervous or less mobile dogs.
Dog treats were supplied and a dog bath station outside the door proved a godsend after a particularly mucky stroll.
We stayed at Woodfarm Cottage, a 500-year-old thatched home with a huge kitchen, beautiful beamed living room and charmingly wonky floorboards upstairs.
It also had a large dressing room and spacious bathroom.
On arrival we were greeted with a generous basket of local produce, including bread, eggs, bacon, tomatoes and milk for our tea and coffee, which was also provided.
Not surprisingly, while we were there, the small, friendly business won a prestigious VisitEngland Rose Award, which was well deserved.
Beaches
THE picturesque seaside town of Southwold is 50 minutes from the cottage by car, but well worth a visit, with quaint shops, welcoming pubs and a stunning beach lined by colourful huts.
Sadly, the main beach doesn't allow dogs from April to October but a short walk north will take you to the Denes beach, which does.
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Visit the colourful beach huts at the picturesque seaside town of SouthwoldCredit: Getty
Nearby, there's the pretty village of Walberswick, which has a much quieter, dog-friendly beach as well as a few pubs, restaurants and a smashing fish and chip shop.
The beach at Covehithe, to the south, involves a walk through fields and scrub, but our labradoodle, Friday, had a whale of a time there, splashing in the pools and running on the sand.
Walks
THERE are walks aplenty on the cottage doorstep.
Head to Needham Lake, just outside the nearby town of Needham Market, which was a great choice for the only wet day we had on our trip.
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A charming riverside home in the village of DedhamCredit: Shutterstock
Created in the 1970s, the pretty lake is home to plenty of wildlife, including ducks and swans, and it's next to a pretty meadow and small woods.
Just over the border, a 30-minute drive away in Essex, the incredibly picturesque village of Dedham boasts a riverside walk through meadows to Flatford, where John Constable painted The Hay Wain in the 1820s.
Make sure you stop for lunch at The Boathouse on the river.
Visit
THIS area is steeped in history and you can uncover it all at the many castles and stately homes nearby.
One gem is the imposing Framlingham Castle, 20 minutes from the barns, where dogs on leads are allowed both in the grounds and the castle itself.
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Walberswick has a dog-friendly beachCredit: Alamy
Interestingly, the 12th Century fortress is the subject of Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran, who grew up in Framlingham.
It also featured in the TV series The Tudors, as it is most famous for being the site where Mary I (or Bloody Mary) received the news that she had been proclaimed England's queen.
Eating out
A LOT of the pubs and restaurants allow dogs inside, and there are plenty more with outside space.
Our favourite was the Crown at Stowupland, a chocolate-box thatched pub which looks like a small house from the front but is surprisingly spacious inside.
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One of the homely Woodfarm Barns cottagesCredit: PR HANDOUT
We enjoyed a wonderful light lunch — my buffalo cauliflower, black onion seeds and yogurt dip was so delicious that we decided to return later in the week for the excellent stone-baked pizzas.
The appropriately named Dog at Grundisburgh is also a top spot.
You can eat outside, in the bar, or, for more of an upmarket dining experience, in the restaurant, where mains start at around £13.
GO: Suffolk
SEVEN of the eight barns and cottages at Woodfarm Barns have private hot tubs, and all welcome up to three dogs.
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Everything you need to know to have the best woodsy getaway in 2021. This camping cottage, as it's classified, can be found at French Creek State Park, just an hour outside Philadelphia. It's one example of cabins in Pennsylvania state parks. (Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania State Parks, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) With the warm weather upon us, you've probably been looking at your calendar, hoping to plan a getaway. I have a suggestion: Stay in one of many cabins in Pennsylvania. As my family has discovered over the past decade, the Pennsylvania state park system offers affordable cabin and yurt options that are comfortable, nostalgic and wonderfully woodsy. (Yes, you can bring your dog to some.) Plenty are within an easy drive of the Philadelphia area. And with high elevations, swimming lakes and waterfall hikes, there are plenty of options for cooling off. Here, a guide to how to do it best. PLANNING YOUR TRIP Where are these state parks? Pennsylvan...
Temperature: 19°C high; 13°C low Season: spring Travel time from UK: 2 hours 35 minutes Time difference: GMT +1 Nothing brings a spring to the step quite like the sight of Italy's glorious Amalfi coast. Particularly in March, when its vertiginous twists are bathed in a daily average eight hours of sun. Cliffs plunge into the Tyrrhenian Sea, topped with grand palazzos and smart hotels. Narrow, Roman lanes are stuffed with limoncello stalls flogging the boozy spoils of Sorrento's famous fruit. Its snoozy air and pastel-coloured houses are pure Italian cinema: you might even swear you've seen a young Sophia Loren looking impossibly saucy by the quay. Do as the Italians do and spend the lazy, romantic days enjoying a long aperitivo . Don't miss fresh fritto misto at Marina Grande, the town's old fishing harbour, or Michelin-starred Il Buco in the cellars of an old monastery, where chef Peppe Aversa serves seasonal ingredients under a stone-hewn, vaulted ceiling. Th...
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