Travel and restaurants
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Buoyed up
The world’s second largest container transporter, the Mediterranean Shipping Company, has managed to sidestep the global slump in trade by diversifying into pleasure cruises.
Northern IJ Bank
Canals to sail on, traditional wooden houses to choose from and a nearby creative hub are just some reasons to move to Northern IJ Bank. With planned developments, it’s an area to watch.
Gold bar
Panimo Bar is a secret bolthole for locals escaping the harsh Lappish weather. Don’t have cash for drinks? You can pay in gold dust found in the rivers in surrounding Saariselkä.
Pleasure as business
Since his appointment as CEO of MSC’s pleasure cruise business, Pierfrancesco Vago has seen passenger numbers rocket. He explains what makes his company revolutionary and outlines his predictions for economic recovery.
Observation
As we celebrate Monocle’s second anniversary, we have a special birthday wish. We spend a lot of time in the air and reckon it’s time for real change in airline service.
Variety show
Gumpendorferstrasse in Vienna’s Mariahilf area offers a diverse shopping experience. Let the late 19th- to mid-20th-century signage that crowns the shop windows be your guide on this stand-out street.
Travel
A welcome addition to airport retail, new routes to Colombia, and the essential addresses for your visit to Helsinki.
Expo 22: Ship wrecked
Viking Line’s ferries ply the route between Helsinki and Stockholm. The 48-hour round trip is used for one chief purpose: the intensive sale and consumption of tax-free alcohol on the Baltic booze cruise.
El Korba, Heliopolis
Amid Cairo's glorious chaos, this Heliopolis suburb offers elegant arcades, bookshops and flower stalls — proof that the Egyptian capital's charms reward those who look closer.
Travel
Russian Railways get a little help from Spain, Lufthsana passengers get a new Welcome Lounge, and Monocle gets excited about a new guide to Lebanon.
