One, called 'Norway in a Nutshell' is a five-night break cross-country through the mountains and fjords, starting at Euro769 per person sharing.

The six-night version of this includes travel on the longest fjord in the world, the Sognefjord, starting at Euro849. Both options can be extended with stopovers in any of the villages along the way.

It's a good year to visit Norway - with this being the centenary of the composer Edward Grieg, many events are beinng organised to celebrate it. Visit ww. projecttravel. ie or call 01 210 8391.

Middle ground Images of Lebanon have been determined by the war there - we're accustomed to seeing the destruction and despair. But a new exhibition at the Galway Arts Centre offers the opportunity to see the everyday lives of Lebanese people.

Lebanon: Image In All the People aims to depict what normality might be in troubled times and uses a moving mix of photographs from disposable cameras, mobile phones and family albums.

It runs until 12 May at 47 Dominick Street, Galway.

Opening hours Monday to Saturday, 10am-6pm. Admission is free.

The secret island It's not often that a tourist guidebook will appeal to a native as much as a visitor, but The Hidden Places of Ireland does just that. Focusing in the main on historical sites and interesting places to visit, it's obviously been exhaustively researched - and no small village or town has been omitted. The book also dedicates a respectable amount of coverage to the counties that are often neglected in guide books - Cavan, or Laois for example - making it quite the little resource.

The grand tour The Grace Kelly name still has immense power, as Mika's hit song clearly indicates, while Hermes called one of their iconic bags after her.

Now a Princess Grace Trail allows you to discover the Principality of Monaco through news eyes, leading eventually to an exhibition called The Grace Kelly Years, Princess of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco from 12 July 12 to 9 September.

The itinerary includes 25 stages with commentary in five languages and takes in many of Monaco's best-loved tourist sites. For more information visit www. visitmonaco. com Mind the gap If you're contemplating a gap year, thinking of doing some volunteer work or planning a whole new life in a different country, the Great Escape Expo in the RDS from 21-22 April could well be worth a visit. Over 50 specialist companies will be there with information on career breaks, independent travel, studying abroad, skilled migration and much more.

For further information visit www. greatescape. ie.