Splash out at the biggest aquarium in Europe the Oceanographic Park at the City

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Splash out at the biggest aquarium in Europe, the Oceanographic Park at the City of Arts and Sciences, which is nothing less than a vast underwater city. For the perfect sunset spot, head out of town to the Nature Park of Albufera and watch the sun set over the lake. GB Airways (0845 773 3377; ) offers return flights from Heathrow from Â£139. The Melia Plaza Hotel (00 34 96 352 0612; ) offers b&b at €85 (Â£57) per double room per night on weekends. For further details about Valencia visit the tourist board's website, .. It is not easy choosing a holiday destination for you and your father, when you are already 40 years old. I was wondering if we might take a week in Greece, or Spain, in early summer.

Instead, we are going to Aachen, in Germany, by train, in the middle of the winter. "The first Holy Roman Emperor! The founder of European unity!"And so do things begin to make sense. My dad is the type who goes misty-eyed at the thought of the peoples of Europe coming together in harmony. He loves the Roman empire, the Mediterranean, sunshine, fresh fruit and wine. The trouble is that he doesn't like cold weather, sauerkraut or beer.I just have to hope for the best Anyway, it won't be a long trip We are going by Eurostar to Brussels, and then on to Aachen. To be on the safe side, although this is the nethermost of low seasons, my dad has gone to prodigious lengths to book his train tickets weeks in advance, visiting half the travel agents in southern England in the process.And although we are going only just beyond Belgium, when we meet at Waterloo I find him dressed for Siberia. "You're ready then?" I mumble, looking at his Russian fur hat and padded gloves and trench coat He could be a general in the Soviet army.

"The last time I went to Brussels," he reminds me, sternly, "was in 1938." He seems to be suggesting that it would be wise to be ready for any outcome.Off we go It is dark and wet. Our journey through the tunnel to Belgium seems normal to me, though my dad can't understand why we are being served a meal at 11 o'clock in the morning. "What do they think this is, lunch-time?" he exclaims indignantly, having dismissed, with some contempt, the offer of champagne. What's more we have only 20 minutes to make our connection to Aachen, and we look like being late into Brussels. In the event, we are obliged to run for it, which may be the first time my dad has does any kind of running since 1963.An hour later, though, he is beginning to cheer up We are reaching Germany. As we cross the border, somewhere between Li? and Aachen, the sky is almost pitch black, and he has begun recalling his last visit to this part of Germany – during that same trip in 1938.

"Yes, now let me see," he suddenly exclaims, trying to peer out into the darkness, "where are those famous German autobahns?"In Aachen itself, by the time we arrive, my dad seems contented It's a tidy, medium-sized provincial town He keeps marvelling at the nicely painted apartment blocks. The only trouble is that he can't help talking about the war in a loud voice wherever we go. "I don't know if we really needed to smash them so thoroughly," he muses, looking at the passers-by.Anyway, the main reason for our presence here is to visit the relics of Charlemagne, which we begin doing the next day. Under dark skies, we amble through the lanes in the centre of town, which are full of brightly lit shops selling gingerbread and tarts and cakes and biscuits.