It’s the Escape issue. I wish I could escape hayfever. The pollen has arrived with a terrifying ferocity; not only does it appear to be becoming more aggressive as time passes, it’s also arriving earlier each year. At fashion month in Paris, in early March, I became convinced I had succumbed to some mutant strain of Covid-19. Instead, I discovered a pollen bomb had been detonated across the city, rendering strong, healthy people snivelling weaklings overnight. I spent the week peddling antihistamines to editors, PRs and stylists, feeling like some sort of Zyrtec pimp. 

The allergies have now rolled into the summer and the season of The Grasses – perhaps the most unpleasant allergy of them all. No sitting on the ground for us poor sufferers, no rambling in the hayfields. The skin develops mysterious rashes. And the eyes, dear God, what is to be done about the eyes?

In the spirit of sharing, I offer you a short shopping list of solutions to help alleviate ophthalmic swelling. It begins with a giant bug-eyed, visor-shaped, pollen-repelling pair of sunglasses (I recommend the Bombé, a super-exaggerated aviator made by Phoebe Philo). Then drown your eyeballs in Optrex, or some other soothing eye drops, and mist your face regularly with Violette_FR’s Boum-Boum Milk. Lastly, invest in an “eye-wand”, a weird little gadget by Peep Club that uses red LEDs and heat tech to mimic the benefits of a hot compress. So addicted am I to the eye wand that I now carry it around in my handbag. It might elicit a few strange looks (it does look a bit like a sex toy), but it offers sweet relief.

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Anyway, public service broadcast completed, let’s focus on this week’s magazine, a compendium of boat trips, river cruises and canal stops, plus lake and beach adventures, which celebrates all things nautical. I am particularly taken by David Coggins and James Harvey-Kelly’s account of Libby Camps, a fishing utopia in remotest Maine. I’m also rather envious of James Perse’s concrete palace in Cabo San Lucas. Perse is the purveyor of my all-time favourite T-shirts. If his branded properties are as well made as his loungewear, I’m going all in. Elsewhere Nicola Neri and photographer Zac Bayly portray the beach styles and surfers of Victoria, Australia. And Kendall Hill makes the bold claim that Rote, Indonesia’s second-most southerly island, is becoming a worthy rival to Bali. Certainly his description of Rote’s emerging tourist industry makes a compelling story, although it’s hard not to feel a bit sorry for the pioneers who’ve been keeping their beach paradise a secret for some 20 years.

Discovery is a wonderful thing, and few feelings beat the sense you might have chanced upon a new “destination”. But it’s nice also to rediscover places as well. The Regent’s Canal in London has long been one of my favourite escapes: on a quiet day, this ancient trade route through the capital, with its chugging barges and gentle activity, is utterly transporting. But sanctuaries need upkeep, and much of the canal relies on volunteer help. Inès Cross meets some of the people who help maintain the public waterway and nurture a place sometimes called the UK’s “biggest village street”. I’ll be thanking them for all their efforts when I’m walking there this weekend, avoiding clouds of pollen, and dreaming of the beach. 

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THREE MORE STORIES TO READ THIS WEEK

An everyman’s guide to oysters in 2026 Fried, served with a burger-style garnish – there’s a dozen new ways to eat them Is cold-water swimming good for you, really? We ask the experts  The Maharaja of Jaipur talks taste Sawai Padmanabh Singh loves polo, ice packs and his pug, Marcel

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