17 March 2023

I love Virgin Voyages! I love cruise, but this is a cruise without being too cruisy…. It still has the benefit of unpacking once whilst visiting multiple destinations, super entertainment, a spa but has so much more. Gone are early dining and late dining, gone is the dress code, in fact, even the main dining room is banished on Virgin Voyages. Dining on a Virgin ship is like being on your holidays in a lovely town with a great choice of restaurants: Yes, you can book in advance, but you don’t have to. We loved being able to choose between the steak restaurant, the Italian and the Korean restaurant, just whatever took our fancy. There are lots more restaurants to choose from whether you fancy a quick pizza, a burger or an innovative fine dining experience: All are included in your fare, no supplements for speciality restaurants. Last year, I went on quite a few trips, pent up demand, I believe that we called it! So many times, I’d turn to my travelling companion and say….. ‘Its’ not Virgin Voyages’ - Being handed plastic bottles on imported water in Dubai. Virgin provided unlimited filtered water in the cabins - The same old same old cruise excursions. Not with VV, drive a sports car in Monte Carlo, no problem! - Many cruise lines want you out of your cabin and off the ship VERY early on your last morning: Not on VV, even the speciality restaurants are open for a long leisurely breakfast, a very civilised way to spend your last morning! - Please would you wear long trousers in the main restaurant? If you aren’t wearing formal evening wear, please avoid the main areas of the ship…. You guessed it, not on VV. You really do feel at home wearing whatever you wish: Bring your DJ, your sparkly frock, your silk PJs but you’d feel just as happy wearing your shorts for dinner after a day on the beach on port. 2 things which need to be better: - Padded hangers in the wardrobes, and a few more of them! -Dressing gowns in the room ( These are included in the higher suites) Don’t miss: - Getting a tattoo - Dancing til late in the Manor - Wearing something red on Scarlet night - Soak up the variety of live music around the ship The VV ships really have something for everybody. I have travelled on board with my mum, my husband, my friends, and this summer my son reaches the dizzy age of 18, so now he can join us too. If you like, fab food, unfussy but professional service and a great holiday, then I’d highly recommend that you get in touch to discuss getting on board a Virgin Voyages ship.

15 March 2023

In November I took a group of friends and family to Abu Dhabi. They weren’t really convinced in it from a holiday destination perspective…… but they got over it. They loved: - Day time flights from and to the UK - Abu Dhabi airport is so close to the hotels and resorts - Proper sunshine and heat in November when the weather at home is poor - Good quality food with lots of dining options - A great mix of culture and fun - Great standard of hotels with a great range to suit all budgets Visit the Grand Mosque – this stunning building is worth half a day. The local people are welcoming and keep to share stories. At the time we visited prebooking was necessary but could actually be done in the visitor area. Modest attire is essential but clothing is available to buy as well. Get excited about fast cars! With the Yas Marina circuit being the home to the Abu Dhabi grand prix, the final of the grand prix season, there is always something going on. At Ferrari World you can hold your nerve and ride the faster rollercoaster in the world… or not! Much of the park is inside, so it’s a great was to spend the day when temperatures outside soar. Grab a little culture: The Louvre is an incredible feat of architecture and a super place for sunset drinks. Cheese and wine evenings are fun and good value. Do book ahead. Go for a bottomless brunch that takes you all the way to sundowners. VaKaVa at the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers includes fabulous food, a great selection of drinks, and evening tunes whilst the sunsets behind you over the water. Top tip: There is a huge range of hotels, so think about where you want to be, and if you prefer pool or beach. Club rooms and half board are a fab option in the UAE as dining out can be expensive.

29 November 2020

A test I couldn’t revise for, in fact I turned up for hoping to get a negative result. Thursday was D day, only 6 days after I’d found out that I’d been invited by Barbados to find out first hand what travel was like in this new crazy world, we call a new normal. No time to get excited, I had to work out a PCR test..... what accreditation did the lab need? How many hours before travel? Was there any availability? Thankfully another Travel Counsellor put me in touch with Epistem in Manchester, and possibly the 2 nicest guys in science: Ben and Richard. Calm, reassuring and professional. I was actually guided to one of their partners Covid Smart in Heywood so that I could have the test done at a clinic, and then have it speeded to the to the lab for analysis. Despite feeling that I was in good hands, my nerves were frayed all week: Would I get the result in time? Would it be positive? ..... which is bad news in the world of COVID! What if I couldn’t go on the trip? I rationalised that if it turned out that I had COVID, whilst sad that I’d miss the trip, it was good that I knew before travelling and spreading the virus. But fingers crossed. It was an early start for my 7:30am test in Heyward, but then done and dusted in a matter of minutes. All carried out in a gazebo in the clinic carpark! Pretty much 12 hours later, the email I needed landed confirming that I was COVID free at the point that the test had been taken. But a COVID test result wasn’t the only thing which could thwart my plans…. What if the NHS Test and Trace service called to advise that I’d been on contact with somebody else who had COVID? Panic, a call from an unknown number “May I speak to Louise Hunt?” ..... oh no, it’s Test and Trace, I’ll need to isolate.... but it wasn’t! So I made it all the way to Heathrow, clutching half a dozen printed copies of my test result to wave at anybody who might be remotely interested! The paperwork was verified at check in, and then I started to relax. It looked like I’d make it to the plane. I needed a calming glass of wine at Gordon’s Plane food, and then to be honest the flight was just a flight. I wore a mask, I drank gin, I watched films and I snoozed. The BA crew was friendly, yet firmly enforced all COVID protocols. Barbados airport has implemented machines to assist with immigration, with the officers looking at passports through the glass…. No stamp in my passport this time though! There was however a queue for the COVID paperwork checking and advice counter, but thankfully, we had a VIP meet and greet service which whisked us through as quickly as possible. After a shower and a glass of rum punch, I started to think that there would be worse places in the world to h ave to isolate, than with stunning sea views and palm trees. Until we’d had the second test, I was not permitted on the beach, in the sea or in the hotel pool. Thankfully our private COVID test which was taken at the hotel was turned around the same day, so additional worry was minimised. After the clear test in Barbados, we were free to swim in the sea, explore the island and eat out some of the fabulous restaurants. Similar to the UK, when you move around, you wear a mask, but when you are seated to dine, or lounging on your sunbed, the mask is not required. Was it worth it the stress? Absolutely

14 October 2019

I travelled to Corsica with my son and his grandparents in July for a cheeky week in the sun. I did have to juggle work and pleasure, so my requirements for a break were: - Short flight - Short transfer - Pool - Wifi - Walkable to restaurants - Good wine We found the perfect break which matched all the criteria, plus was walkable to the beach and had a local train running to Ile Rousse so great for days out! Calvi is an intriguing city, with a thirteenth century fortress which towers over the sea, a promenade of restaurants on the waterfront, and tempting boutique shops. We ate most evenings in town, indulged in a 20 euro local menu with local pates, fish, pasta and meat dishes. Not the usual tourist menu, but excellent quality local food. We found a delightful wine shop, which tripled as a wine bar and restaurant. Quite a few evenings started off with a bottle of something lovely consumed at little tables on the street. We walked between the forest and the beach, along La Pinede, dipping into the warm sea and some beach bars when we needed refreshment. You could quite happily hire a bed for the day at one of these classy establishments, and you only have to wave your little flag when you need further libations! For a change of scenery, we caught the train to Ile Rousse to stroll around the market, watch the crashing waves, and enjoyed a boulangerie café style lunch. Rather than getting the train straight back, we hopped off the train at Aregno Plage, and walked along the sand to Algajola. The pretty town was the perfect place for an ice cream before getting back on the train to Calvi. We travelled with Corsican Places who run a weekly charter flight to Calvi. Hotel Regina is situated up a steep hill about 10 mins from restaurants and bars. It is 4 star, with a pool, good continental breakfast and the friendliest staff on the planet. Top tip: Casa Vinu

13 October 2019

Havana really is crumbling, you’ll have your own opinions about whether the outcomes of the revolution were all positive. I took a look around, and then closed my eyes to try and rebuilt the city in my mind: It is hard to imagine how magnificent this place must have been, I’ve not seen anywhere which could have been so beautiful in the Caribbean.... it must have been like Venice, Paris and Barcelona.... and now it is simply decaying around its people. There are some signs that money has been found to rebuild, for example the theatre reopened 2 years ago, and is stunning. Hotels are generally either brand new or a shadow of their former grandeur with dodgy plumbing and AC. A couple of hotels have been built within the historical facades such as Saratoga and Manzana. There is music everywhere in this city, at breakfast in the hotel, on street corners and of course, in bars in the evening. The colourful vintage cars are part of the scenery of Havana ( as well as part of the pollution) The drivers are eager to show you their colourful motors and their vibrant city. Leaving Havana for Viñales is like driving even further back in time..... you see more and more horse drawn carts, ox ploughing the fields and even horse drawn buses! Farming is the way of life out here: Cubans own land and their homes, they grow pineapples and tobacco, and spend time sitting on the porch with family. Viñales is one long colourful street with bars, restaurants and Casas (like old fashioned B&B's). We liked this town with its laid back vibe, no horses on the Main Street but just a row back and Cuban life looked like it had stood still for 50 years. Driving back to the centre of the island, we skirted Havana again, then stopped in Cienfuegos which is where the French spent some time many years ago. There is a pretty main square, and the buildings are decaying only from poverty rather than from being in a war zone. Colourful Trinidad was our favourite city and it was brought alive by our super guide, Julie. She showed us coffee shops in back streets, the best local beach, amazing restaurants and even arranged for our dance lessons. Music is in the air in Trinidad, the cobbled streets, bars and churches. One of the most fabulous places to simply sit, is on the steps of the cathedral...you can have a mojito or a coffee, and soak up the vibes....day or night. Our holiday, like most that I plan, included some total chill time on the soft white sands of Cayo Santa Maria. There are few places to stroll out to, so we opted for 3 nights all inclusive which meant we could eat and drink with no worries about the bill! Tip: Cuba is a holiday for those who get itchy feet, love chatting with locals, and who find perfection in an imperfect world....hot water can be unpredictable, the veggie option may have pork in it, the rum measures aren’t measured, pot holes are everywhere, my opinion....Cuba is perfectly imperfect! Cuba isn’t as cheap as I thought it would be: in Havana the drivers of vintage cars want 50CUC or more for an hour, another CUC can be demanded when going for a wee.

28 September 2019

Do you like to holiday like a Rockstar, royalty or lottery winner? Do you hate queues? Are you prepared to pay for an easy life? Hate not knowing the inside track? Do you know what to do with fast passes, express passes? Do you want the best pictures and memories? Well, this is the Orlando review you need to read. I am just back from the most amazing trip, and I was blown away by the VIP care of my Disney and Universal hosts. With Disney, a private VIP tour starts with collection from your hotel, a secret back entrance into your choice of park and this is where your bespoke day of Disney magic really starts. You don’t worry about pre-booking your 3 fast passes, your guide will take you to the fast pass queue for all the rides and experiences. Whilst you enjoy riding the newest experiences Disney has to offer, you can ask you guide to stand in line for you to meet and greet your favourite Disney characters! Disney parades are the stuff of legends, and with your VIP guide, you’ll have an uninterrupted view, no jostling for position, and the best selfies in the parks. If that isn’t good enough, the guides have the best stories: they know which films are woven together, which Disney characters are related, they have all the secrets. If this isn’t private and VIP enough for you, then you can buy the ultimate package where you go to the front of every queue, not even joining the fast pass queue! Depending on what you love most about Disney, you can share in a magical experience, in Cinderella’s’ castle, or the wardrobe department, or unique character experiences. This really is where the magic comes to life. I can’t recommend highly enough the 2 guides we had here, Tom and Laney were so friendly, smiley and knew everything! Moving on to Universal, I again lived the VIP life! Its not just bypassing the queues, it the clever navigation between rides and parks to maximise your time. The rides which everybody is talking about, are yours to enjoy…. Spiderman, Transformers, Minions! We had the opportunity to ride the new Harry Potter rides, which can have wait times of 3 or 4 hours, and they’d have been worth the wait, but we saw, we rode, and we were quickly whisked to the next exciting experience. I also had an RIP guide: what is an RIP guide? These are scarily good guides who arrange special tours to maximise the Halloween Horror nights at the Universal parks. The parks have 10 scare houses and 5 scare zones, and you’d be truly frightened by the length of the queue to go in each house, but delighted at how horrifying quickly you are whisked passed these queues with an RIP guide! So what do you want to do next time you are in Orlando? Jump on board the Millennium Falcon and take on the Smugglers’ run. Discover the beautiful World of Avatar with Pandora. Hop on board Hagrid’s motorbike and fly the Forbidden Forest. Scare yourself silly by ticking off all 10 of the horror houses. VIP all the way! Last tip, let me help you pick the right place to sleep at night. On site, off site, discreet or overt, stay in a resort with a club level or suite option, or luxury villa with your own private pool. • VIP guides cannot get you dinner reservations for venues which are already fully booked, but I can help you plan these up to 180 days before your trip. • With both Universal and WDW, you still need to buy your park tickets • Clearly there are terms and conditions, but I can chat with you about any queries you may have • These guides are awesome, so yes, they do deserve to be tipped.

23 August 2019

We wanted to self-cater last summer, shop for fresh fruit at the local markets, buy warm patisserie for breakfast and make fresh salads for lunch. We did all of this in a country which would be a new adventure for us all.... Croatia. We don’t like crowds and we do love amazing food, so a colleague suggested that we start our holiday on the island of Korcula. A simple drive along the coast from Dubrovnik, then a short ferry ride and we arrived at Port 9 apartments. These were simple, well equipped for our needs but best of all had a super balcony which proved to be the perfect dining venue for our self-catering quest. The resort was a 30min walk into the old town, on a small pebbly beach, had a choice of pools and there was a supermarket across the road. Tick, tick, tick! We had a car for the duration of our stay so were able to explore local beaches, restaurants and olive groves. After a week of stunning sunsets, homemade pasta and cheap local wine, it was time to move closer to the action in Dubrovnik. Our traditionally decorated apartment was in the pebbly seaside town of Lapad. Local buses whisk you to the old town of Dubrovnik in about 10mins. Lapad is a bustling tourist town, with bars, shops, an inflatable obstacle course on the sea and good ice cream shops. The old town of Dubrovnik with its lights tone buildings, narrow streets and interesting cafes is delightful.... but busy. For me, it is a place to visit when the cruise ships have left the Med, the days are cooler and restaurants quieter. We had 2 nights at the Hilton which is a few steps from the old town, so the perfect accommodation for roaming early to walk the walls of you do visit in summer. The Hilton has an indoor pool, but the hotel staff will direct you to a local beach for cheap beer and a game of cards. Top tip: Look out for small traditional restaurants which prepare local food in time honoured traditions. Konoba is the word to look out for.

28 April 2019

This lush Caribbean island is a story of 2 halves: It can be idyllically relaxing or physically challenging! For those wanting to be pampered and to relax, the fabulous setting of Sugar Beach with its white sands and impeccably discreet service is the place to be. Every meal we ate there was a delight, from sushi in the bar, fine dining with a view or just a snack at the beach bar. Our room was nestled into the trees, with a private pool so that we could hide away from the world, but there were also some fabulous beachfront villas which put you front and centre of the action (perfect for a family with teens who can’t stand being far from the beach). Rendezvous was the next hotel I stayed at, 4* adults only and all inclusive. The staff here were probably the friendliest I’ve ever encountered. No problem in ordering another cocktail at the pool bar! The hotel has a great choice of rooms to suit your budget and how ‘in’ the resort you want to be. I loved the little row of cottages right on the beach with their own loungers. The last hotel was BodyHoliday which takes all-inclusive to another level by including a daily spa treatment. My day started with Pilates, then breakfast, pool time, then tubing on the sea. Lunch hour was at the salad and juice bar. In the afternoon I fell asleep during my spa treatment, then hit afternoon tea and an espresso martini! There are choices of where to dine and I enjoyed all that we tried. What surprised me most was the late night (or early morning) piano bar: music and drinks until the last resident declares it a night! And as to the other side of St Lucia: Sugar Beach is flanked by the Pitons, little and large! We hiked the big one which I was assured is an easier climb that the small one, but it was still tough in the heat and humidity. Stunning views rewarded you. From Rendezvous, we took a boat trip and a Segway tour, both fabulous ways to see more of the island. The hotel also offered fun exercise classes - I think that reggae fit was the most fun! Lastly, BodyHoliday can be as rough and tough as you want. You can get in touch with your PT before you arrive for your ‘holiday’, and they’ll help with your plan. So, if you are training for a marathon or triathlon, you can arrange your holiday accordingly. There are so many classes from hard core beach fitness to pole fitness, and yoga to aqua fit. With regards to diet, again the level of healthiness is your choice. Sushi and juice, or cocktails and afternoon tea. But life is about balance.... do a class, eat fresh food, then have a cocktail in the piano bar! Wild card: I nipped out to visit Hotel du Chocolate, and why wouldn’t I? This is a simpler boutique hotel, in the hill away from the beach but it does have a daily shuttle to the beach 10mins away for a small charge. Some rooms have AC, and some just fans. Everything at this hotel revolves around the cocoa plant.... cocktails, the restaurant dishes and even the spa.

14 January 2019

I can never resist the chance to visit New York, and a when a friend said they she’d never been to the city that never sleeps, I said that we should go! We arrived in New York via Dublin so had precleared immigration, that made life so much simpler when we landed in the US. After dropping our bags, he headed straight out. Priority one was Rockefeller Plaza as the fabulous Christmas tree had just gone up the day before and it didn’t disappoint! As part of my friend’s first-time trip, I took her to see what I consider the highlights: - The Christmas windows on Faith Avenue - The Cipriani bar at Grand Central station - Shopping in Macy’s and Bloomingdales - Lunch at my favourite rooftop bar at The Refinery hotel - A quick trip into Central Park - A moment of peace at the 911 memorial - Happy hour wine in Chelsea Market and a rummage in a sample sale - Checking out Battery Park and hopping on the boat to sail around the Statue of Liberty - A brisk walk along the Highline to Chelsea Village, followed by a craft beer at The Standard Highline - Searched for bargains in Century 21 Then I had to visit some new sights, experience part of New York which I’d not explored before, so we had a day of new adventures! It started at Katz deli in the Lower East side for breakfast. Oh my goodness, the house special corned beef was nothing like the tinned product we have in the UK. It may seem weird, but I had it in an omelette, and I felt like I’d never need to eat again, but fortunately we walked nearly 30000 steps that day, so I’m hoping that we burned some of the calories off! (Not the same way that Meg Ryan worked off her calories!) Around the corner from Katz’ deli is a fashionable shopping street, and a shop with the latest range of designer John Varvatos. To the unsuspecting eye this shop is men’s fashion retailer, but to the lifelong Blondie fan, this was CBGB, the undisputed birthplace of punk. From 1973 to 2006, this club showcased artists such as The Ramones, Blondie, Patti Smith, Green Day, Talking Heads - the list goes on. You can pop into the shop, and just soak up the amazingly preserved history, the owners are used to fans and tourists, but you can also shop for designer menswear if your pockets are deep enough. We then hit the subway to DUMBO and walked between the bridges, were hypnotised by the beautiful Jane’s Carousel, then put one foot in front of the other, to weave through the Saturday afternoon crowds on Brooklyn Bridge. That evening we did an organised cocktail tour around the East Village, which I just fell in love with. The underground history of prohibition, the diverse cocktails, quirky bars and incredible stories which accompanied our drinks make this a great evening. We had dinner, or to be accurate, I had a breakfast at 9pm, but it was the perfect antidote for tired feet and mixed drink! On the last morning before heading to Macy’s for some last minute Christmas shopping, we had brunch at Serendipity, all you need to know is, ask for a frozen hot chocolate! It really was serendipitous that our cocktail tour of Saturday night had led us to this divine way to spend Sunday morning!

06 November 2018

I’m just back from a few days away with Fred! He was kind and thoughtful, cooked dinner, made the bed, tidied my room and took me exploring (and shopping). What a great holiday companion! Was I being unfaithful to my husband? No, I spent five nights on board Balmoral, one of Fred Olsen’s lovely little cruise ships. The fact that Fred Olsen is still a family-owned company, run by a chap called Fred, the personal aspect of this business seems to filter down to every aspect of ship life. The friendly cabin steward, the waiter who welcomed us to dinner each evening, the thoughtful itineraries, and the genuine care shown to all the guests on board. Food was good, and the speciality dining and gala meals were very good. The menu has plenty of choice, drawing influence from the itinerary, as well as providing regular favourites. Most dietary needs can be catered to. A highlight was attending the briefing where the waiters were talked through the evening’s menu by the chefs, advised about accompanying wines - oh, and then we got to eat everything! What a way to choose dinner - taste everything on the menu first! Fred’s itineraries take the leisurely route, the scenic route and absorbing as many local/seasonal events as possible. I joined the cruise too late to experience the Bremen beer festival, but still managed beer tasting in Lübeck, so don’t feel entirely short changed! We had three destination experiences: Cruising the Kiel canal, time in the city of Hamburg and a walking tour of historical Lübeck. - The canal – I love a river cruise, seeing land and life from your balcony. - Hamburg – great city, so much diversity; U-boats, great architecture, amazing coffee shops and very walkable - Lübeck - Gothic architecture, marzipan mad, super shopping and great for a beer. If you want the fastest route around the world, then Fred isn’t for you. If you want to stop and take in the views and experiences at a more leisurely pace, then it would be worth taking a look at some of the fabulous itineraries on offer, especially the 14-night fly cruise Asian trips. Small ships, big on service.

17 May 2018

Golden opportunities should always be seized, especially if they involve golden bucket list itineraries! The Golden triangle takes in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, three cities steeped in history and incredible architecture. British history is woven amongst Indian colour and culture. Your guide will bring to life the religions, the leaders, the wars and the colours of India. On day one we flew overnight into Delh, so that we had a day at leisure to acclimatise. A hotel with a pool and ideally an outside terrace for lunch is a must after a long flight. The next day our whistle stop tour of Delhi started with a visit to Jama Masjid mosque capable of holding 25000 devotees. We then hopped onto a bicycle tuk-tuk for a hair-raising tour of the back streets of the old town. Each street had a different speciality, with rows of shops selling ribbons and trims, whilst others sold herbs and spices. We visited a memorial to Mahatma Ghandi, peaceful and thought provoking. India Gate is a war memorial for the Indian soldiers who fought in WW1, and another example of how our British lives are so interlinked with this vibrant country. On day three we were in Jaipur for the Amber Fort which was built in 1592 and is surrounded by 14km of walls (which we didn’t walk as it was 45degrees!) When Raja Man Singh had had enough of this fort, he moved into the city of Jaipur and built a new palace - parts of which are still in use by the current family. The most crazy and amazing part of the day was a trip to the Jantar Mantar observatory which has the most accurate sundial in the world. It can tell the time accurately to within two seconds: I really couldn’t comprehend how skilled the people had been to build this observatory. Jaipur also offered some shopping opportunities at a cooperative which produced block printed textiles and silky-smooth rugs. On day four we broke up the drive from Jaipur to Agra stopping off at Fatehpur Sikri which was built by Emperor Akbar as a thank you to the holy man who helped him (and his wife) conceive a son. It really was a spectacular building so typical of the splendour of the Mughal Empire at the height of its power On our final day we had an early start, as the only way to see the Taj Mahal is at sunrise when it is at its most mystical, and also at its quietest. I can’t dwell on how magical it was, ticking dreams of a bucket list is too personal. I don’t think that I’ve ever quoted Bill Clinton before, but here goes “`There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have seen the Taj Mahal and love it, and those who have not seen the Taj and love it.” My view of the hotels we stayed in: Shangri La – Great pool, lovely rooms, extremely comfy beds and super service. A club room with lounge access is very useful for early arrivals or late departures. Trident Jaipur – Super service, good food, lovely pool to relax after sightseeing. Felt like a good 4* Trident Agra – The same as its Jaipur sister super service, good food, and lovely pool. Good 4* Travel We had a lovely private driver, and a private guide for each city. With the driving involved between the cities, I can’t imagine doing it on a coach with 30 other people. Our driver and our guides adapted to the pace that we set.

14 April 2018

I travelled with Intrepid to central Kerala in September 2016 and arrived back home still excited about my first trip to India, so immediately began planning my return with Cenwyn and Rhys. This time we would scratch the surface of Karnataka and northern Kerala, which are areas just opening to foreign tourism. We started in Mysore which is home to the second most visited attraction in India after the Taj Mahal. Our guide led us through the walled city, it’s colourful history, and gave us a taste of life today down by the river and in the vivid food market. The palace is usually illuminated once a week on a Sunday by 10000 light bulbs, as an Easter bonus it was lit up on Good Friday which meant that we could see the big switch on. Between game drives we rested at Kaav which is a boutique six room property five minutes from the Nagarhole National Park entrance. For a 2-night stay, we crammed in four safari drives/boat trips to maximise our chances of viewing the wildlife. The best trip for us was the one by boat where we spotted a tiger stalking a family of nine elephants, who had to flee across the water to an island. The protective barrier that they all formed around the baby was beautiful to see. We navigated between crocodiles to seek out more elephants and an elusive sloth bear. The bird life around the river was abundant, and it felt as if monkeys played in every tree. After the early rises and intensive game drives, we had two nights of tranquillity at a tea and coffee plantation. The boutique hotel currently has four rooms but is adding a further two as well as a new pool. The end of trip was spent by the sea. I’d been told that northern Kerala was still relatively undiscovered, and how true this was! Beautiful white sandy beaches, lined with palm trees, stretching for miles. I found three super hotels all sharing the same beautiful beachfront. The perfect place to dine, practice yoga and recharge with Ayurvedic treatments – food for the body and soul! We were only waiting for one last piece of our Indian jigsaw - no trip to Kerala is complete without a night on a house boat in the backwaters, just bliss. The backwaters here are quieter than further south, currently with only 24 house boats, rather than the thousands closer to Cochin. Roll on tomorrow! I have been writing this on the balcony of my little cottage, listening to the sea and watching the sun set. I’ve thought about where all my clients are in the world at this moment, and I honestly think that this is where they should travel to next Easter!

22 February 2018

San Francisco ABCD - Alcatraz, Bridge, Culinary Delights! I love this city, so have a read of my top tips to enjoy your trip. Top foodie tips • The Ferry Building may just have the best ice-cream I’ve ever had. As usual I had my eye on dessert before my main course, but the mains were equally fabulous at The Slanted Door – a great Vietnamese place with bags of atmosphere. • Dandelion chocolate in Mission – a flight of brownies, what could be better? • Boubin’s bakery at Fishman’s Wharf, apart from the heavenly smell of fresh bread, and the huge windows showing you the whole operation, the bread is yummy! • Back in Mission, Four Barrel Coffee, roasted on site. The locals think its fab, and they are real coffee snobs! • Wholefoods is still my ‘must do’ whenever I’m in the US. It’s great to grab a bowl of fruit, or a tasty sandwich but also to pick up some treats to take home. Tourism tips • The Alcatraz evening tour is a totally engaging audio tour with a good pace. The evening tour gives you more optional mini tours or talks, and there are far fewer people at the attraction. It sells out well in advance so be organised. • The trolley buses cost $7 a trip but are lots of fun as well as being a very practical way to navigate the hills of the city. The trolley bus that we were on stopped at the top of Lombard St, which was made famous in the film Bullit. • Cycle the Golden Gate Bridge – we did it! We booked our bikes for the day and were issued with a map and instructions. Many people complete the 11 miles to Sausalito in an hour or two - we did it at a leisurely pace, and it took closer to six hours with a stop for breakfast and lunch. It cost around $45pp. • Union Square originally got its name because it was used to host rallies to support the Union Army during the American Civil War. Now it is shopping central! There is a great choice of hotels, restaurants and shops within a stone’s throw of the square. It also hosts seasonal events, so there was an ice rink underneath the Christmas tree in December. Great as a spectator sport! • Fisherman’s’ Wharf is tourist central, so you need to tick it off your list. It is fun, lively and great entertainment. You can hear the sea lions and watch the boats.

29 December 2017

Monterey is known for the aquarium, Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s a tough choice, and will be down to your preference. We visited both, and I suggest that you do the same as they are only 10 minutes apart by car. Monterey has the world-famous aquarium, with its variety of exhibits, including sea otters, penguins and sardines! It has sculptures and exhibits about ocean pollution, and how we can make changes to reduce this pollution. The aquarium is at the end of Cannery Wharf, so a great location for exploring the old waterfront, tourist shops and a variety of restaurants. You can even do wine tasting overlooking the water, and if you are lucky you may see the sea otters. Monterey also has a ‘downtown’ area a few blocks from Cannery Wharf, this offers more shops, restaurant and bars. This in turn is a couple of blocks to Fisherman's Wharf. As in many coastal towns there is a picturesque pier with interesting shops, seafood restaurants, and from here, you can head out on marine watching trips. We chatted to one of the boat captains and they’d seen five hump backs and a pod of orca the previous day – so it’s a great place to see the giants of the ocean. Carmel has a different feel, it has top end shops and boutiques, fabulous restaurants and interesting delis around every corner and fewer attractions. What it does have is a fabulous beach. You walk downhill through the town, and then walk through the dunes, and onto a lovely wide sandy beach. It is a perfect place to picnic, paddle in the ocean, and even walk the dog (if you can borrow one!) Regardless of which town you stay in, you can visit the other. If you are on a budget, then stay on the outskirts and drive into both. We took a trip out for a short hike in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. It’s only about 15 minutes away, and worth the effort. It is a coastal park, and you walk through the dunes and trees on footpaths, giving you spectacular views of the ocean. You can see seals basking in the sunshine, otters playing in the kelp, and the blow spouts of migrating whales in the distance. If you turn in your car keys at reception, they will lend you binoculars for a better view. You can wander round on your own, or join a guided walk. Between Monterey and Carmel is 17 mile drive. This winding road takes you past the homes of the rich and famous, golf courses and the stunning coastal views across rocky shores out to the vast ocean. Whatever choices you make, you should take time to watch the sunset, don’t rush through these towns and check them off a list. Top tip: the sparkling wine flight at the Clement Intercontinental, at happy hour, overlooking the water.

29 December 2017

As you pull in and drive towards reception, it’s as if life slows down a little. Post Ranch Inn is in the gorgeous area of Big Sur, on the east coast route of California. That said, this hotel is not somewhere ‘just to stop off’ en route, it really is the destination. There are 38 rooms and eight types of accommodation, but to narrow it down, I’d always have a room with a hot tub on its private deck. It will take me longer to decide if I want a view of the mountains or the ocean. There are so many thoughtful touches in the rooms, from homemade cookies to a fridge stocked with beer and soft drinks, sumptuous robes and divine smelling toiletries. We started with lunch. The food is fresh, creative and tasted fabulous. I had a great glass of Californian Chardonnay from the extensive wine list. The views from the restaurants are stunning, whilst we thought that we were lucky that we had clear blue skies, I think that stormy, moody skies would be just as engaging. We spent the afternoon by the pool, walking through the grounds, and exploring the garden kitchen. Breakfast was a buffet, but not as we know breakfast buffets. The bakery selection was gorgeous, with fresh bagels, muffins and breads. Eggs cooked to order, and so much fresh fruit. The orange juice tasted as good as you imagine Californian orange juice should taste! We didn’t rush away straight after breakfast, we checked out but then relaxed by the pool till about 3pm, then headed back up the coast to catch the sunset. If you stay here, you will be cared for, fed well and have time to recharge the batteries. Just a few extra bits of info: - If you fly into Carmel, they’ll collect you - They have a fleet of Lexus cars which you can take out for a spin - There is one ‘proper’ pool, plus two fabulous infinity hot tubs - The staff are nowhere to be seen, and everywhere you need them – just perfect - There are a couple of activities each day, such as yoga or hikes - You are about five minutes from the ‘local tap house’, should you feel the need to go out - Minimum age 18

19 September 2017

I'm just back from a visit to Barbados exploring the romantic side of the island. I've been looking at the perfect places for marriage proposals, weddings and honeymoons. If you travel out as a big group, there are also lots of ideas for a mini stag/hen event. For wedding venues, you can say 'I do' on a sandy beach with palms swaying, have a full catholic mass, relax in the privacy of a luxury villa or take over a Jacobean mansion. I really loved the Jacobean mansion, St Nicolas Abbey. It's located inland, but has views all the way down to the ocean from the old windmill. The lush gardens will help the groom keep his cool, and the charming owner, Simon, is likely to be on hand with a tot of his own rum to calm any last minute nerves! Choosing a wedding venue to suit a large family group can be a challenge, but I chatted to managers and wedding planners at many properties offering a huge range of rooms, suites and villas. You can also book a variety of board basis, from self catering apartments in the rugged east coast, to all inclusive fabulousness on the west coast. You don't need to stay at the venue you choose for the actual ceremony, with many penthouse suites being available for 12-24hrs. Properties can provide caterers, chefs, bar staff and even your own mixologist! The options are vast, so the best thing to do is get in touch for a chat, and we can start planning your wedding in paradise.

19 April 2017

What should you do in Kotor if you are just there for the day? After my recent visit I have some suggestions! - When you get to the cruise port, there is a poorly signposted office on the left hand side. You can buy the hop-on-hop-off bus tickets, it cost us 20 euros each. The bus is just through the gates. - The bus tour takes you about 30mins along the coast ( passed the Catholic church – just a day late!), and you go to a mosaic museum for 15mins… I elected to go to the supermarket instead! - You then hop back on the bus, and head along the coast and get off the bus at Perast. Here you walk about a ¼ mile down the road til you hit the waterfront. You can wander around here, have a coffee. Then you go on a boat to the little island with the church – you just get in a random boat, pay the guys 5 euros... And go! When you’ve done that, wander back up the hill, hop back on the next bus and go into Kotor. I’d say all in it took about 2.5hrs. So not much hopping at all! In Kotor after the bus trip, I’d go for lunch, we ate at Astoria which is a little place in a square off to the right when you enter the walls. Supposedly one of the best restaurants in Kotor is the Konoba Scala Santa… best fish soup ever! A cruise editor I know was on board Princess with us, and he had lunch there, so I think I'll try there next time! After lunch, have a wander around the shops, we didn’t have time, but there were lots which caught my eye! The last tip is to plan what time you get back to the ship, and what time dinner is.... you cruise through a beautiful fjord before hitting the sea - we sat on the top deck with lobster and cocktails as the sun set. #unbeatable

19 April 2017

I’m trying to recall my preconceptions of LA: busy, fake, confusing..... But I wasn’t sure, so it was time for a trip. We spent our time mainly between Santa Barbara and the city of Los Angeles. We ventured further south just to take a trip out with Captain Dave to meet up with the local dolphins; all 5000 of them and 3 humpback whales. It was the most impressive marine life trip I’d been on, but really our trip started further north in the seaside town of Santa Barbara. The fabulous Belmond hotel is set above the town, but they’ll run you down whenever you fancy. It is a beautiful hotel, effortless service, great food, tranquil rooms and stunning views. Lunch on the terrace could have lasted hours as we soaked up the views down past the palm trees and across the blue ocean. We popped into the town just to check out Brophy Brothers which was on the pier by the marina. A relaxed place, lovely long bar, great burgers and chilled Californian wine. We clocked the Best Western Beachside on the way through town, as a good value option right across the road from the beach. I was determined to see surfers in action on the trip, so we came off the road at Rincon Point, and it was a bit of a Point Break moment, seeing the office workers exchange their pinstripe suits for wetsuits, grab the board and head out onto the ocean. There was a shack on the beach to grab a drink, and it felt like it was the sort of place that you could just sit and watch the world go by for a few hours. Back on the road, we hugged the coast on the historic El Camino road, the wind in our hair we wanted to make it to Malibu to watch the sunset on another pier. We grabbed some refreshments in the Malibu Farm café/restaurant then back on the road to Santa Monica, and guess what? They have a pier too! In Santa Monica, we rested our weary heads at the Fairmont Miramar hotel. Two great things about this hotel: - The bungalows which are lovely little accommodations in the grounds of the hotel, some connect, and they have various sizes, but all have loads of beach house chic character. - And THE Bungalow – nothing like where your nan used to live – this is one of the coolest bars in LA. Chilled beach/college chic, and I have a contact to get you on the guest list! Really fun, great cocktails and definitely the place to be. Santa Monica had a very different feel – fair ground rides, bright lights and burgers. A sign at the end of the pier also marks the end of the legendary Route 66. Our next stop was Hollywood, and this was as mad as I thought it would be. I was totally swept along with it! Our humble abode was the Loews Hollywood hotel, which is slap bang in the centre of the action. We opened our curtains in the morning to see the Hollywood sign, and a little closer was the chapel from the Sister Act movie. 1 mile from the Hollywood Bowl, 1 metro stop to Universal, linked to a little shopping centre (and car park) and 5 mins walk to the Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We also had a look around the W which has some great rooms but building work close by would worry me a little. The great lobby space with modern bar would distract me a little though! Having grown up (or grown old!) loving the film Pretty Woman, there could be only one other hotel that I needed to stay at, The Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire! It was everything we hoped for and more. From our greeting by the jolly door man to the choir of carol singers in the lobby, the spa was tranquil, the bar convivial and our room delightful. We had a tour around, and saw the different rooms and suites, including ‘THE’ suite which Richard Gere was based in for the film. Ok, we learned that most of the filming was done miles from the hotel, but that didn’t dampen our spirits when we sat in the elevator! It is an exceptional hotel, right on Rodeo Drive, surrounded by some of the most well-known shops in the world. The Beverley Wilshire wasn’t our only film star experience, we spent the day in a 1966 red Cadillac convertible being driven around by the charismatic Johnny. What he didn’t know about LA wasn’t worth knowing! He knew who lived where, with who and what was going on. His tour, for me, is now THE tour in LA. We saw the highlights which we’d hoped for, and the secret haunts of the stars. We found beaches, shops, cafes and side streets which just aren’t in the guidebooks. Let’s face it, LA is a fast-moving place, and I think that Johnny keeps pace of what’s what, and who’s who better than any book publishing company. So, my opinion of LA now? It’s a 3 centre holiday based at one airport. Chill time and beaches around Santa Barbara, a city break in Beverly Hills, and then all the fun of the theme park sprinkled with a little glitz in Hollywood.

29 November 2016

My top tips for Skopelos would be, eat, explore, chill, repeat! After the dramatic landing in Skiathos, only eight passengers form our plane ventured on to Skopelos. I liked the idea of travelling the extra miles to escape the Manchester masses. Skopelos is served by ferries and flying dolphins with no airstrip, so there is more mystery. Our apartment was very simple. It was 2* but it had a pool, was walkable to the harbour, restaurants and shops. It was exactly what we wanted. Food was fabulous, fresh and simple – grilled fish and meat, superbly fresh and colourful Greek salads, all washed down with great value wine. Skopleos is the island of Mama Mia and really would be a great place to get married. The wedding co-ordinator was a star, and a day chatting with her about all the romantic locations was very helpful. The key tip was that if you want to exchange your vows at the Mama Mia chapel, Agios, Ionnis Kastri, you’d better be fit! It is 202 steps to meet the love of your life! My top 5 tips for Skopelos: - Eat Greek salad - Buy local olive oil and honey - Hum Mamma Mia songs all week - Stay up late and eat ice cream at the harbour - Read a book or three

13 November 2016

I had a lovely couple of nights at sea with my sister and mother to try out Celebrity Eclipse. It was a spa break/girlie break/escape the husband’s sort of break, and was great fun. We loved the fast track boarding which came with our Concierge class cabin, with friendly staff it was very efficient. Upgrading our drinks package was a bit of a farce (but worth it by the time we hit the Martini bar!) We only gave service on board a 3/5, and I think that this was a victim of the cruise being a mini cruise. People come on board with the intention of drinking more than on a regular cruise, so bar service was slow everywhere and every time we wanted a drink we had to wait (up to 40 minutes in one bar). Food - 4/5. The ocean buffet has great quality food, freshly cooked pasta and stir fries as well as food from about 10 different countries. Oh and ice cream, with sprinkles! We ate dinner at the Tuscan Grill and Murano. The mains in Tuscan grill were perfectly cooked and tasted wonderful, and the view from here at the back of the ship was unrivalled. Overall the overall ambience and food was a smidge better in Murano - it is a more intimate restaurant and the service was attentive. Our Chateaubriand was perfectly cooked. In both Murano and Tuscan Grill, the waiters were happy to suggest wines to accompany our food from the drinks package. In the atrium, the coffee bar had great coffee and cake, and if you were prepared to put your hand in your pocket the ice cream bar had a great selection of flavours served in freshly made waffle cones - look out for Happy Hour! Design and feel of the ship - 5/5. The atrium was a great space with lots of light, great spaces to chill and attractive sculptures - it was a lovely space. The Moonlight Sonata dining room was light modern and stylish. Throughout the ship there was a good choice of bars and spaces to meet up with friends. The shops were OK, but not particularly to my taste. Facilities - 5/5. My sister kindly tested the gym out for me and was impressed with the range of equipment and changing facilities which included a sauna. Special classes were available at an extra charge, with a few taster ones for free. Spa - 4/5. The treatments were excellent and we all looked 10 years younger after our facials. Our different therapists employed various levels of pressure sales on the skincare products! The only downside was that you didn't get a feeling of being at the spa, there were treatment rooms, but you weren't provide with a robe, and if you wanted to go in the spa/chill room, it would have been an extra cost. The spa reception was a corridor to the gym. That said the ocean view I had whilst having my pedicure was wonderful. Cabin - 4/5. The cabin was fine with a nice sized balcony and big enough for three adults. I think that four would have been a squeeze. I have had bigger cabins on cruise ships and the wardrobe space could have been more extensive. It was very clean and we had a friendly attentive steward. Next time, I think that we'd try Aqua class so that we could eat breakfast in the smaller dining room and have access to the Persian Garden. My favourite thing was sailing out of port at sunset, the wind in my hair.

12 November 2016

People tend to have two different sorts of holidays in Dubai, a proper holiday bathed in sunshine and being pampered in the fabulous hotels, or a short break/stop-over type holiday. We had four nights in Dubai, so crammed in as much as we could. If you had more time than us, you would just fill the days by the pool or on the beach! We took an overnight flight from Manchester, arriving Friday morning. We were very lucky and the Waldorf Astoria on The Palm had our room ready and waiting for us. After a couple of hours snoozing on the beach, we headed to the Zabeel Saray for the mandatory Dubai Friday brunch. I can’t possibly list all the choices we were over faced by, but the freshly barbecued lobster, mojito and sticky toffee pudding ensured that I left a very happy lady! On Saturday we headed to the waterpark at Atlantis, courtesy of a free shuttle bus from our hotel. It’s a little complicated to work out what you need before you go in. We loved the rapids and lazy river but we are a family of lightweights when it comes to scary rides. This is what we learned: • You can’t take any food in (not even a bag of Yorkshire crisps) • You can load up a wristband with cash so that you don’t need to carry money around the park • You can hire a locker so you don’t need to lug your towels around • You really do need a rash vest as it was beautifully sunny • There are loads of lifeguards • Go to Coldstone Creamery for a brilliant ice cream, and a bit of a show! • It’s a whole lot of fun! Dinner was at the only Vietnamese restaurant in Dubai which was conveniently in our hotel. The food was good and we enjoyed dining outside on a balmy October evening. On Sunday we spent the day at the Palace at the One and Only Mirage. I had a look round all three of the hotels and was impressed by the all. The Residence really is a cut above, but in all of them the service was really 5*. Lunch and cocktails were well priced, and there was so much space outside. I loved the little touches such as sunglasses cleaning, fruit kebabs and water volleyball in the pool. On Sunday evening we headed to the Madinat Souk to have a sneaky look at the Mina A Salam. Dinner was at one of the Jumeirah restaurants which features on their dine-around plan – Perry and Blackwelder, which was a relaxed American sports bar. Monday was another busy day with a hop on hop off bus tour of old Dubai including the Gold and Spice souks, then a quick walk around the Dubai Mall and then up the Burj Kalifa for stunning views. Of course we stayed around till 6pm to catch the water fountain show, then till 6.30 to see it again. We had pre dinner drinks down at the Dubai Marina, then headed back to the hotel for food. On Tuesday morning, we even managed a little pool time before heading back to the airport. Our overall impressions of Dubai – lying by the pool gazing up at skyscrapers, fabulous service and indulgent 5* holidays.

07 November 2016

Through the eyes of an 11 year old! Washington is amazing, when we arrived there we dropped our bags off and went in search for food. The first meal we had was in Chinatown we had some sort of soup with chicken and noodles. It was very nice. The next day we went walking and we passed the Lincoln memorial, Washington Monument and Capitol Hill. The Washington Monument was made out of two types of stone because the first stone they used ran out! When we were at Capitol Hill we saw the Marine band playing. Also that day we passed the White House and had a little chat with a not so secret, secret service officer, with a large badge on his chest saying “Secret Service”, who told us some interesting facts about the White House. Whilst we were walking we talked lots about all the films which we’ve seen which have been set in Washington: We’d just come from New York where the film Night at the Museum was set, then we followed the film to Washington for the sequel. There are so many films such as Iron Man 2, Captain America, Evan Almighty and especially National Treasure. That night the Dallas shooting went on, the next morning we walked passed the White House and the security level had gone up so much. Yesterday the barriers were around a meter from the garden fence and today it was at the edge of the pavement with nearly twice as many guards. It was a little strange being in a city which is so famous all around the world, and if something happens a long way away, there in an impact in Washington. The following day we went on an old town trolley tour, and ended up at the Arlington Cemetery where lots of soldiers were buried. We heard a 21-gun salute, and saw the changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We had two wonderful guides on the trolley buses Jewel and Harley they told us lots of interesting facts about Washington and were really funny. There are lots of museums in Washington, many are part of the Smithsonian Institute. We went to the Air and Space museum which is one of the most popular in the world. It has Amelia Earhart’s plane (she landed this in Wales!), and the Wright Flyer. I learned that the Wright brother made bicycles before they made planes. And I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did!

07 November 2016

Begin with the end in mind: I spied a holiday maker reading Steven Covey’s book – this really is the place to begin practicing the Seven Habits, and Kerala is the place to Sharpen the Saw. My last day in India started early with yoga on the beach, freshly cooked breakfast and then an Ayurveda treatment. After some time by the pool, I was feeling sharp! India is a treat to the senses, not an assault. We were surrounded by colour from tea plantations to festival, fishing boats to ornate tuktuks and trucks. There was shouting and traffic noise, then stillness and quiet in the rice boat. Kerala was my first taste if India, and I’ll be back. I’ve always loved Indian food, and the real deal didn’t disappoint. I ate local food three meals a day, but all the chefs everywhere were more than happy to adapt their cooking for those with more sensitive palates! My itinerary: 2 nights at Brunton Boatyard in Kerala, sunset cruise and dinner at Malabar House. 2 nights at the Spice Village Periyar, dinner at Shalimar Spice Garden. Hike and boat trip in Periyar National Park, visit to a spice plantation. 1 night Coconut Lagoon, Kumarkom, lunch and afternoon cruise on a rice boat (usually overnight cruise). 1 night Marari Beach Resort Resort. In addition to the hotels above, I visited many more so that I really got a feel for the options that travellers have: Periyar, The Cardamom Club was in a really secret location, out of town you really felt as if you were in the jungle, almost feeling as if you were in a tree house – beautiful food, friendly service and the pool should be completed later this year. Periyar, Lake Palace was a small hotel in a special place, only accessible by boat. If you are lucky in the evenings the elephants will come to the waters’ edge to drink. Marari Beach, A Beach Symphony – of all the places we visited, this is top of my list to return to: It is run by a chef form Belgium, and he has a couple of other properties in the area. The cottages are perfect for couples, families or small groups. Each day the chef will chat with you about your food choices – relax, recharge and soak up Kerala. I’d love to chat to you more about my trip, just get in touch! Top tip –If the locals stare at you, smile and say ‘hello’ – it’s such a friendly place.

06 November 2016

I have been itching to get to the South for ages, I had a feeling that I’d love it there. I wanted to see rockers on the porches of antebellum houses, to eat at the Crab Shack, to be surrounded by a soft southern drawl at every crossroads. I had ideas of a slow sunny pace of life, great food, and towns with rockers on the porches. Our itinerary was three nights Savannah, three nights Charleston and then the last two nights in Charlotte. We flew into Savannah which was a cute airport, easy to navigate, and almost next door to Tanger outlet mall, but more on that later! The Brice Hotel in Savannah had the friendliest hotel staff I’ve even encountered who were welcoming from the get go: Endless suggestions about where to eat, shop and drink cocktails, and tips as to the best beaches and most interesting plantation tours. We were right at home, wine reception in the evening, and coffee in the morning – they had me sussed. I had a new title, that week I was ‘darlin’. “Can I get you another martini darling?” was one of my favourite lines of the holiday. This was at Vic’s on the River – fancy food, fabulous flavours, and great service. The crab cakes were gorgeous, and the cinnamon and sweet potato brulee surprising good, the martinis were worth going back for! We ate at so many local restaurants and tried all the Southern cuisine specialities I’d been dreaming of, fried chicken, shrimp ‘n’ grits, fried okra, crab, fried pickles. It had so much flavour and freshness and a few million calories! The beaches down here are from picture postcards, with dunes and super white sand - these are three of the best which we found: - Tybee Beach (near Savannah) – grab a Wet Willie, spend the day at the beach, and then eat at The Crab Shack on your way back into Savannah - Hilton Head (between Savannah and Charleston) – we headed to Folly Field beach – a great place to spend the day, take a picnic - Sullivan’s Island (Charleston) – lunch at Poe’s Tavern, followed by ice-cream from the Obstinate Daughter. Shopping in Savannah and Charleston was great. As well as the big chains there are lots of independent stores or smaller chains. If you need an assault on your wallet, then Tanger Outlet in Savannah had all the American brands I love, and even a Johnny Rockets to make sure my energy levels were maintained! We flew home from Charlotte which is one of the most chilled airports I’ve flown out of, there are rockers on the concourse! If you need a bit of excitement before you leave the South, then you could spend the day at Carowinds which supposedly has the best steel rollercoaster of 2016! We loved our time in the South, and feel that it was only the beginning. Tip: you could visit the coast of Georgia or the Carolinas as your chill time after Orlando.

04 October 2016

Tourist Attractions I prefer the Rockefeller Centre to the Empire State Building – it has shorter queues, is more interesting and you can see the Empire State Building. In Central Park, cycling is the best way to see more of the park. You can do an organised tour or just hire a bike and go for it – there is so much to see. The highline is a great park space in west Manhattan. There are wheelchair access points along the way. There are a few little food stalls for coffee, tapas and ice-cream. We started at 10th St, so had an ice-cream from Ample Hills before we set off! This year we went on the new bus tour of New York, The Ride. You don’t see as much of the city as with the traditional hop on, hop off bus tours, but it is about 90mins around the theatre district pointing out some key sights but with a few surprises. It is more of a moving theatre experience. For special occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries, they will make a real fuss of you. The theatre is brilliant if you can see something – I’ve seen the Lion King, Jersey Boys, A Steady Rain and Aladdin and none of them disappointed. Broadway is made for shows, and the standard of actors is pretty unbeatable. You can also take a look at who is playing Madison Square Garden or Carnegie Hall – there is something for everybody. I hear that you can get cheap tickets on the day, but I’ve always booked in advance. I don’t like the thought of wasting half a day in a queue to end up with tickets for something I didn’t wat to see! On the Hudson there are some great free summer activities along the river such as fishing and kayaking. Shopping Most department stores will give you a discount voucher of between 10-20% if you go to the Customer Services desk and just ask. Bloomingdales is great for the Brown Bags and denim department. Lord and Taylor has the fabulous Christmas window – we always pick up something there. Ahmed in menswear is very helpful. He finds all sorts of discount codes! Henri Bendel is a small shop on 5th Ave. It has lovely handbags, purses, washbags etc. Go upstairs to look at the glass windows. If you want big, then get on the bus and head out of the city to Woodbury Common. You’ll need a full day, an empty suitcase and a big credit card limit – bargains are addictive. This time we went to Century 21, it is a bit like the British TK Maxx which felt hard work to me. There were amazing bargains to be had, particularly if you fancied a new glamorous evening dress and had a little patience. With teens, make sure you head to Hollister and Abercrombie for all the latest designs. Sephora is addictive for perfume and cosmetics, I just wander round in a daze. Food Sarabeths is great for brunch, we go to the one near Central Park the most. Great French toast and waffles etc. Mexican 8th Avenue near the intersection with W56th. It is good value and serves tasty food. We had the lunch special. Cheap and cheerful and margaritas - yum! Bond 45 is an American Italian – this one is currently closed for a refurb, but the sister restaurants are pretty good too! Remi is an Italian restaurant a bit smarter than Bond 45. For a great steak head to Quality Meats NYC. Senor Frog is not the classiest eatery in the world, but the appetisers filled us up, which I washed down with a pretty acceptable frozen margarita! Great if you are in a rush pre theatre. Look out for it near Time Sq. City Winery is great before the start of the Highline walk. The best dinner we have had in New York was at Del Posto – it was classy, intimate, amazing food and perfect service. You pay the price but it is wonderful.

31 May 2016

I can honestly say that 5 hours on board Harmony of the Seas was not enough: She is HUGE, and there is so much on board for everybody, anybody... all the family and your friends. Take everybody on a Royal Caribbean ship, and I'm sure that you will have a fabulous holiday. A few facts about this particular ship: - She cost £800million - She is 60ft taller than the Statue of Liberty - 124ft longer than the Eiffel Tower... if you laid her on her side - She can hold 6780 guests, and 2100 crew to look after them! - There are 3 water slides on board, a carousel and a garden! - the robot bartenders can make 2 drinks per minute, and they taste pretty good! Lunch on board was excellent, roast beef cooked to my liking, followed by a perfect lemon tart - no soggy bottoms! There is something amazing round every corner. Whilst this is the most exciting Royal Caribbean ship, many of the bars, restaurants etc feature on other ships, so just get in touch to find out more!

24 September 2015

This is more of a picture book than a story of words…. These photos speak far more clearly than I could write! I spent 3 lovely nights and days in Mallorca with friends. I am lucky as one of my friends acted both as guide and host. We ate tapas at the marina in Palma, pizza at the marina in Port Portals and paella at the port in Andraxt – so much of our food was at the water front – great food and stunning views! We did have one extra special meal at a restaurant which has been on my radar for quite while now. The sunny terrace of La Residencia was the perfect place to have birthday lunch with friends. The section of tapas as a starter was super, and great for sharing. My main was a selection of grilled locally caught fish and of course once I had spied chocolate fondant on the menu… there would never be anything else for dessert. We shopped in Palma, wandered through the streets and squares of Valldemossa and soaked up the sunshine in Andraxt. Mallorca is great for a holiday whether you have 3 nights, or 3 weeks! I’m already planning my next trip!

26 August 2015

The first impression I made of the ship was that she was massive: It felt about 5.5 times the size of the Holiday Inn in Southampton, and that is big! When I got on Britannia, it felt like a modern hotel, that could move as fast as a car on a track. I liked my cabin a lot, but having 2 TVs was the best because Dadi didn’t want to move from watching the rugby, so I watched the Lego movie on the other TV. Yippee!! So far I’ve only been to the kids’ club once, they do a variety of different activities: I’m on the way there now and will write more later......... Later that same day.......I’m back! That was fun. I played on the PS4 most of the time but there are more exciting things on other nights like Connect 4 quiz. That is a quiz where if you get a point, you get a disk and place it in the grid. I went to the gym with Dadi, you are allowed in with your parents but not allowed to do the weights. I cycled 10k on the bike playing Angry Birds. The running machines, the bikes and rowing machines all looked out at the sea. There are 5 swimming pools: 2 family, 1 spa, 1 adult and a teens’ pool. I’m only allowed in the family pools but they were just as fun. I’d like to go back on board in three years when I can go in the teen pool at the back of the ship. I had dinner in the Oriental restaurant every night with all of the people who came with us, all 14 were there: It was really nice meeting up and talking about our day. The food was good on the adults menu but sometimes I had the kids menu. Some nights we went to the theatre, my favourite show was Once Upon a Time because it had loads of funny things in it. My favourite restaurant was Sindhu, that was one of the specialist chefs called Atul. I had onion bhaji, chicken Korma and lamb samosa – I enjoyed every mouthful – Yum! Despite all the fun on the ship, we did get off to some nice places but my favourite was Guernsey because we had breakfast at a café on a terrace looking back at Britannia. We also had to get a tender to and from the ship. On the last day, we met the captain who showed us the spotter in the bridge who looks our for whales and dolphins. He showed us the levers which are used to turn the ship. There are 3 steering wheels, 2 little ones which the captain had control of. He told us about the flags, each one meant a different thing, and you can send messages with the flags. He doesn’t use them all, all of the time, but he uses the one which says ‘diver over board’ quite a lot. He showed us the sword which the queen presented, and that was very cool. We also saw all the badges for the other P&O ships which they got when the ships were docked together with Britannia. Captain Brown said that Britannia was the biggest of all the P&O group, and I think that she is the best ship ever! A few notes about the writer and his review from his mummy! - Rhys (aged 10) stayed in a deluxe balcony cabin, travelling to Guernsey, La Coruna, Bilbao and La Rochelle. He travelled on P&O’s newest cruise ship with his parents, grandparents and family friends in August. - Rhys’ Dadi is welsh, and only watched one game of rugby, whereas Rhys watched several free movies in the cabin over the week! - Rhys did lots of activities in kids’ club… but the memories of the PS4s still linger.

03 August 2015

Over all I was pleasantly surprised with the ship: The clientele were younger in age and spirit than Fred Olsen, and you need to be as there are no accessible cabins and you board the ship up a set of stairs – no tunnel or ramps. Azores looks like a traditional cruise ship, and features like her teak deck remain a pleasing feature. The food was fine, I had a 3 course lunch ( served at the table), but could have had 5-7 courses! My steak was cooked as I requested, and the creme brulee was creamy and yummy! There is a large theatre space for lectures and films, and the bar area was friendly and light. My guide was keen to convey that with only 550 passengers they are keen to provide a personal service, learning clients names, and drinks orders quickly. When you board the ship, you a taken to your cabin, which I thought was a nice touch. The cabins are a little retro in interior design, quite reminiscent of the 80s, with pinks and blues but they have enough space, and the more you pay, the lighter the cabins feel. There is a great feature cabin – Owners Presidential Suite – this is located behind the bridge and your neighbour would be the captain: IT is the perfect cabin for someone who loves ships, or is a bit of an engineer. I think that the small ship, friendly service and great itineraries, including Liverpool departures, make her a perfectly good option for interesting holidays.

27 July 2015

Sunny Sani is wonderful for many types of holiday, couples, families, weddings, spa breaks, sport…..it is perfect for so many reasons, here are my top 5: Couples who want romantic dinners for 2, spa treatments for 2, romantic walks on the beach, or the total indulgence of your own private yacht for the day, whisking you off to secluded bays for a private picnic. Multigenerational family holidays – All the properties are linked by buggies, there are activities for children, a spa and gym for grown ups, restaurants for everybody. Weddings from small and intimate to grand and impressive – I had a meeting with the wonderful wedding coordinator, nothing is too much trouble for her. She will work with me to help you have the wedding you want. We can arrange flowers, hair, menus, in fact all the wonderful small details, as well as the necessary legal stuff! Beautiful sunsets – a walk along the marina, or a cocktail in Mojito is the perfect way to enjoy the Sani sunset. Relaxing – I read 4 books, went to the spa twice and had pre dinner cocktail dates with my husband! Our son spent some time in the kids club and did a couple of evenings of football coaching. My husband went to the gym, read 3 books and hired bikes. We had time together, and time apart but we all had a great holiday. Batteries recharged! I have so many pictures, and loads more info, that if you think Sani might be for you, just get in touch.

11 July 2015

I was lucky enough to travel with friends who have been going to Glastonbury for years, so they shared the information that they had gleaned over the years. After my first camping trip in 25 years, I’m not calling myself an expert, but I did learn something which may be useful whether you are heading off to Eurocamp, spending a night in the arctic wilderness or even heading a to fab European festival: - No point beating around the bush, the toilets may be an issue! Take your own loo roll and hand sanitiser, these often run out. The little packs of tissues are really convenient. Avoid using the facilities offered near the biggest attractions ( at Glastonbury that would be the ones by the Pyramid stage) - Showers – if you wake in the middle of the night, this would be the perfect time to have a shower, no queues! Take your flip flops, and wear as little as you get away with for your walk to the shower….. chances are it will end up on the floor. - Food – the food can be varied, and even if it is well priced, you can still spend a small fortune. Take lots of snacks such as nuts, cereal bars, biscuits, crisps and dried fruit – Always put a good selection in your day bag ( chocolate can melt and it may be sunny, you never know!) - A few big plastic bags can be useful, from laundry runs, to storing muddy wellies in your tent. - Drink – I took supplies to make my morning coffee, even if you take long life milk, you still need to keep it quite cool, or it will split. I used the cheap water carrier I’d bought lots, saving on several smaller trips to the stand pipe. For wandering around, a small platpus type drink pouch for your ruck sack is a good idea. Check the festival / camping rules, and take some alcohol with you: A couple of cans, a wine box to share with friends or your favourite spirit might be helpful. At Glastonbury, glass was prohibited but you could decant your drink into a plastic bottle. Oh, and maybe some Berocca to help counteract the fun you’re bound to be having! - Sleep – it can be noisy on a camp ground, the sun sets late in summer, and gets up before I want to! So I packed the freebie eye mask and ear plugs from my last flight. You also need to accept the fact that even in our warmest summers in the UK, the nights are likely to be cold. I only took a 2 season sleeping bag, but topped it up with a duvet – I’ll definitely invest in a better sleeping bag before I next sleep in a tent. I’d written a packing list before I left and I’ve updated it since my return, if you’d like a copy, just ping me an email.

31 May 2015

Rather than drone on for ages about my week on the Danube, I’m writing a short bit about what I learned about river cruising, then my top tip for each city we visited. Our Viking cruise ship, Freya was modern, well staffed. I thought that the river cruse was a fabulous way to do 6 city breaks in a week. We also spent very little money, as all meals were provided and included wine / beer with lunch and dinner (you could even have fizz with breakfast!), and a tour was included each day too. If you wanted to deviate from the group tour each day, you just need to speak to the staff. We had a brilliant programme director who helped us really get to know the places we visited. The cabins are compact but the public areas had plenty of space for everybody. Regensberg – This was our first encounter with a pretty Bavarian city, with it’s pretty squares, imposing cathedral and centuries of history, our highlight here certainly was stumbling across The Regensberg Dult which takes place in early May and late August each year. The local Bavarians, wear traditional costume, eat local delicacies, dance to live music and wash it all down with litre glasses of beer. Nuremberg – is a city of at least 2 halves: In recent years it has become inextricably associated with the Nazis, with the Zepplin fields and then courtroom 600. The other side is the pretty medieval city with a castle, walls and market place. I think that the best advice here, is ideally spend 2 days ( ie pre cruise) but if that is not possible, step away from the group tour and book a private guide and taxi. There is so much to take in, that it is impossible to do it justice in one day. Passau – is a pretty compact town, which you can walk round quite quickly. St Stephens Cathedral has the largest church pipe organ in the world and the daily concerts are worth a visit. After the walk around the lower town, then head up to Veste Oberhaus for stunning views down on the town, your ship and the rivers. There is a restaurant at the top, and you can enjoy a superb local lunch, with beer whilst taking in the views. Melk – was our first stop in Austria, and for us it was all about the Benedictine Abbey. Our guide here was the best of the trip, she was engaging and knowledgeable, and was employed by the monk In charge of tourism! She was a researcher, lover of history and shared so many stories with us. Rather than take the bus back to the ship, was walked down the hill, through the town just to take in as much as we could. Vienna – was alive with the sounds of Eurovision. We left the ship and had a night out in Vienna, live music, dancing and a pink rabbit! When we returned in day light, it was the feast of the Assumption, the shops were closed but the cathedral was in full ceremonial mode. There was a full choir and orchestra in action in the cathedral, and it was wonderful. We regretted not knowing about it, as we would have quite happily joined the congregation for the full service. So check the calendar for Catholic feast days. Budpest – The first thing that you learn is that the ‘s’ in Budapest is pronounced ‘sh’. Budapest has spas, shopping, amazing architecture and the lovely St Margaret’s island for relaxation. The Central Market Hall is at the end of Vaci Street: The ground floor is the local food market, so you can eat lunch as you walk, or buy presents to take home. Upstairs is more of a mix of local crafts ad tourist items, but the building itself is worth a visit. Best of the best: Best restaurant of the trip – Cyrano in Budapest Best cake – Sacher torte in Vienna at the Sacher hotel. Best country – We visited Germany, Austria and Hungary. We loved Bavaria, and will certainly return to the pretty, friendly towns and cities. Best tip – make friends with the programme director, and they will make sure that you have the perfect holiday, whether you want to hire bikes, book a private guide or a restaurant for a special dinner. Best surprise – the locks and bridges. There are 15 locks between Regensberg and Vienna, some are huge. Make sure that you ask the crew for the times / dates you’ll hit the big ones. Best bit - the people you meet. We loved our cruise so much because on the people we met on board, who were then are partners in our explorations on land. A couple of things to note: - You must know that river cruise ships can berth along side each other, so the view from your window could very well be a cabin on another ship. - The river goes up and down, so your itinerary can change. We didn’t berth in Nuremberg but travelled there by coach for the day. You need to go with the flow.

31 May 2015

We managed an adults only escape to Paris for hubby’s birthday. For the first time in years we travelled by Eurostar, it is not the natural choice from the north, I’m not sure if it takes longer than flying ( when thinking about door to door) but it was a far lovelier way to arrive in Paris. Travelling standard premier class, included a light lunch and a glass of wine. When we arrived in Paris, it was just a short Metro ride to our hotel. Our treat was Le Grand hotel, which is in a great location, next door to the Opera, 2 minutes from Galleries Layfayette and across the road from the Metro. The hotel has history, attentive service and bags of character. After a quick turnaround at the hotel, and we headed straight out for dinner. The restaurant was a suggestion from a French chef, who said that Chez Janou served the biggest and best chocolate mousse in Paris. Tables crammed in to this quirky French bistro, we had a great steak, duck casserole and plenty of well priced red wine.…… but we were here for dessert, and it was worth the wait! We ordered chocolate mousse for two, the waiter returned with a terracotta dish the size of a mixing bowl, he provided us with 2 spoons, and served one BIG spoonful onto a plate between us and walked away with a ‘servez vous’ . Saturday was a walking day, we were determined to see as much as we could, as many sites and districts of Paris, leaving the Opera, Pompidou Centre, Place de la Republique, Marais district, to the Bastille, Ile St Louis, Notre Dame, down to the Palais Bourbon and back to Galleries La Fayette. As our tummies told us that lunchtime was approaching, and lunch was a lucky find, we stumbled across Breizh Café. It was queued out of the door, and people without reservations were being turned away, but next to the café was a small shop, with just one long table seating about 8. We so lucky to get 2 seats and then enjoy fabulous galettes and crepes all washed down with Bretonne cider. The second night we decided to walk from the hotel, and just see what we found. In a small quiet square was a smart white restaurant, which maybe looked a little classy for us dressed in our ‘good’ jeans. The maitre d’ welcomed us through the bar to a quiet table. We were so well looked after, the food was perfect, the atmosphere grown up but friendly. Dessert is always the part of a meal I look forward to the most, and we weren’t disappointed in our choice. Desserts come in 4s…. 4 fruits, 4 ice creams, 4 classics, or our choice 4 chocolate. The picture hardly does it justice, but each of the 4 chocolately wonders was perfect. Before our train back on Sunday morning, we walked along the Rue Saint Honore, perfect as wonderful shops were closed, so we didn’t fall prey to temptation, we contented ourselves with breakfast on the street and window shopping. Paris is a perfect city break, easy to navigate, great to explore on foot, history, culture and wonderful food. What is on our list for next time? We checked out a lovely little hotel on Ile St Louis, and I loved the idea of staying there, an island within the city. Top tip: Galleries Lafayette is chaos for shopping but head up to the roof for some of the best views in Paris, then pop down to the café for a glass of champagne to fully appreciate the stunning glass dome.

18 May 2015

I love good food, cook as many new recipes as I can, and I’m a little bit in awe of Britannia’s food heroes. Such a great bunch of characters. Despite my hero crush, I needed to sample as much as I could to understand if their speciality dining (and drinking) venues were worth the extra money I though that I would write about the pick of the pack, rather than drone on about extensive menus, I wanted to pick out one thing which each of the food heroes was responsible for ..... that I absolutely loved! Eric Lanlard - The afternoon tea in the Epicurean was wonderful, such a variety of flavours, really it’s a good idea not to plan on eating ANYTHING else all day. Amongst the brie choux bun, the obligatory scones, and the chocolate teardrop, my favourite item was the lollipop: Aesthetically the shimmery lilac balls, dotted on the white chocolate outside but beneath was a passion fruit flavoured sponge. Atul - Dinner at Sindhu was good, we had a lovely side booth, so could watch the everything, and see what other people ordered. Dinner was good, as we had hoped, but where many indian restaurants fail, in my opinion, is at dessert. Not so in Sindhu, the gently spiced chocolate fondue had the perfect melting in the middle centre Marco - Is responsible for the menus in the main dining rooms. One of the dishes I loved was the simple perfectly cooked asparagus, with a soft poached egg and Hollandaise sauce but on the formal night, the half lobster was the star of the menu. It looked perfect but the moist lobster, cheesy sauce and creamy mash, definitely had a comfort food feel to it…. Fingers crossed it’s still on the menu in August! Olly - He has blended his own wines for Britannia, will be supplying his own beer and has chosen some stunning wines to suit all budgets. The location of the Glass House on the top floor if the atrium is perfect for a drink at any time of the day, relax, people watch and admire the Starburst. For me the most memorable drink has to be the Wiston Estate sparkling wine… it’s British… really! Previously I would have happily considered English wines perfectly only suitable for smashing on a ship’s hull, and not necessarily for drinking! I am now converted to the soft colour and bubbles of this lovely fizz, perfect to toast your cruise holiday. James - It is a little tougher, as he didn’t cook my dinner, bake me a cake or choose my wine: In fact I had to cook it myself! In the Cookery Club, with the guidance of Rob and Lizzie, I made a croissant and butter pudding. It’s one of his signature dishes, which, if the story is to be believed, dates back to Anthony Worrell Thomson over ordering croissants and asking his pastry chef, James, to create a dish to use them up. It’s everything you’d expect from James Martin, sweet, buttery, creamy and luscious – definitely one to make at home! Charlie Cheese Turnbull - He doesn’t get all the photo opportunities of the other 5 but is very much part of the food hero team: He and Eric have teamed up in the Market Café to provide a lovely light bite, in the ground floor of the atrium. A quick stop here, and you can select a plate of Charlie’s cheese selection, charcuterie and maybe one of Eric’s tempting patisserie gems. Of course the staff will happily suggest a glass of wine to wash it all down. From your table in the corner of the atrium, you can watch the world go by. What will I go back for first? Clearly I will need a glass of the sparkling Wiston Estate whilst pondering my options, but I will certainly book a table in the calm green and cream setting of the Epicurean for dinner and really hope that the chateaubriand and crepe suzette is as good as it sounds. So are the select dining options worth the money, well I didn’t regret a single penny! Don’t miss out on these great food and wine experiences. One top tip – don’t book the Cookery Club for the same day as afternoon tea in the Epicurean… on formal night!

25 March 2015

I’ve just been on my first cruise out of Southampton, admittedly it was a mini cruise but I thought I’d jot down the experience whilst it was still fresh in my mind! There was no way that I was going to miss my departure, so I flew down the night before and stayed at the Holiday Inn. The Holiday Inn were kind enough to allocate me a room facing the Ocean Terminal where Britannia was waiting! I’ve stayed at the hotel before when I was just going to visit a ship, and even then I was so excited about the ships arriving that I set my alarm for silly o’clock just to watch them arrive! The hotel is simple and just what you'd expect but the location is perfect. The hotel is 5mins walk from a lovely new shopping centre with a big M&S and John Lewis, so perfect to pick up those last minute items. There are also plenty of places to eat there too. For our dinner we walked to Enninos, which is an Italian restaurant on the front with a good wine selection and great plates of pasta. I always benchmark the carbonara in a new Italian restaurant, and wasn’t disappointed - with crispy ham and eggy sauce clinging to the pasta. I’ve already made a reservation for the night before my cruise in August, there is nothing like planning ahead and this place does get booked up. A new bar has opened between Enino and The Holiday Inn - it used to be a museum, so I felt that it was the perfect place for a nightcap and a bit of culture. The Wool House has great vaulted ceilings, and a lovely atmosphere. We chatted to another couple over dinner, and asked for a breakfast suggestion as we’d booked room only at the hotel. In the morning, after checking that Britannia was still there, we walked across town to the White Star…… Eggs benedict and great coffee. The area is lovely, lots of cafes to choose from and has the feel of a smart London borough. As we wandered back to the hotel, we explored some of the wonderful old parts of Southampton. It was a gorgeous sunny morning and we really got a feel for the history of this old city. So many people just see the port or terminal but it is worth a walk around. Enough messing around, we needed to go to the terminal to get on our ship! If you arrive at the terminal by car or coach, then you will be met by porters which will whisk your luggage away and it will reappear later outside your cabin. You can walk into the terminal free of excess baggage, where you will be issued with a coloured car, about the size of a postcard. It has a letter on it, and you can go to check in when your letter is called. After check in you go through security scanners, take off your belt, high heels, coats etc. At this point you are released onto the ship….. yippeeee! Our cabin wasn’t quite ready but the Horizon buffet restaurant was serving, so we set about exploring the ship after a quick bite to eat. When we got to our cabin, we checked out where our life jackets were (in the wardrobe) and our muster station letter (back of the door) Before the ship sails away, everybody has to do a muster drill. When you are told, you return to your cabin, collect your life jacket and head to your muster point to be schooled in what to do - if you need to do it! Then you really are on holiday! No matter how long or short your trip is, you will have plenty to do! On Britannia there is a cinema, a cookery school, a theatre, shops and so many restaurants and bars you are spoiled for choice! Fast forward to leaving the ship, which I’ll not dwell on, as it’s the sad bit of the holiday. Your bags need to be left outside your cabin around midnight the night before you disembark. Next time I’m going to bring a small overnight sized trolley case, just to shove our washbags, and party clothes from the night before. This time, I ended up re packing at Southampton airport! As you leave the ship, you will be reunited with your luggage, and then start your journey home, probably already planning your next cruise! I'd love to chat with you more about what I learned, and your next cruise holiday!

15 March 2015

Since becoming Britannia’s Madrina, I have been treated like a princess over the last year by P&O, and given the most amazing opportunities. 3 weeks ago, I flew out to Italy for the official handover of Britannia from the Fincantieri ship yard to P&O. Captain Paul Brown and Terry McGillicuddy (the designer) gave me a tour of my lovely ship, I can’t recall how many times that I said ‘wow’. The stand out feature and centre piece of the whole ship is the Starburst, which dangles like one of Beyonce’s earrings (Rob Brydon’s words, not mine) in the 3 storey 1920’s inspired atrium. The atrium hosts the Market Café, the Glass House and tempting shops, as well as welcoming sofas perfect for resting your dancing feet or meeting up with friends for a drink. Fast forward two weeks, and I was back on board, this time in Southampton and Britannia was getting ready for her first passengers. The week was a whirlwind, but I had plenty of time to explore, from the chill out area of the Oasis spa on deck 5, right to the top of deck 17 with the Cookery Club and Reef zone for kids of all ages ….. as well as a few of the Food Heroes! The gala dinner, the night before the naming, was particularly special, and was attended by a host of well wishers, from Darcy Bussell and the Strictly team, to Sir Steve Redgrave and Mark Foster, and not forgetting several cheffy characters. I even spotted James Tanner who will be hosting the Cookery Club when I holiday on Britannia in the summer. The special celebration dinner had been created by the Food Heroes. The Chicken tikka Makhan Masala starter was packed with warm spice and really kicked off dinner in style. Marco’s Romney Salt Marsh lamb main course was cooked to perfection and the wonderful creamed truffle potato croustade didn’t detract from the gentle flavour of the lamb. In summary, dinner was a triumph of the efforts of Britannia’s food heroes. The trio of desserts by Eric Lanlard was a wonderful challenge, which would not defeat me. 3 truly scrumptious desserts, and I didn’t leave a crumb of the lemon cheesecake, dark Maracaibo chocolate teardrop or the quenelle of red berry parfait! My 8am alarm on the 10th March was performed by the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and the Regimental Band of the Irish Guards. We had breakfast on our balcony watching and listening to the preparation and rehearsals for the exciting day ahead. We proudly walked on the red carpet, took a few sneaky pictures and took our places for the ceremony. We sat in front of an excited family of winemakers. Wiston Estate sparkling wine had been chosen by Olly Smith and P&O to be used at the inaugural celebrations. We were seated opposite the caged and ribboned nebuchadnezzar, which the queen would later send whizzing towards Britannia. The ceremony was hosted by Rob Brydon, the music was toe tappingly good and the speeches very flattering to my god baby cruise ship and her P&O pedigree. By far the most tear jerking and emotional part, was when Captain Paul Brown said “Your Majesty, may I invite you to name our ship?” Not long after, the Queen named the ship, and released the Wiston Estate wine which exploded between the ‘R’ and the ‘I’ of Britannia. The Wiston faces were a picture, I’ve never seen such relief and joy, at a bottle of wine been so royally destroyed! I love being Britannia’s Madrina, it is so special being linked to this wonderful modern classic ship. Thank you P&O. God bless Britannia and all who sail on her.

27 February 2015

I had butterflies in my stomach as I waited with anticipation, eager to be the first to catch a glimpse of my ship, Britannia. It had been a year since I was last at this shipyard in northern Italy, the surreal day when I smashed a bottle of Prosecco against her hull, and she floated out of her dry dock. At 1082ft long and 141000 tons, Britannia is the biggest cruise ship built for the British market, and her bow features the world’ largest contemporary version of the Union flag. There’s no denying that she is jaw-droppingly awesome. A beaming Captain Paul Brown welcomed me on board and showed me around as excitedly as you’d show someone your first home! The design of the ship is impeccable, I’m not sure if it’s wrong to say that it doesn’t actually feel like a ship when you’re on board! Spaces flow freely, there’s no real feeling of moving from one room to another and tactile art covers the walls which lead you between different spaces. The modern twist on art deco nods a head to P&O’s cruising heritage, but delivers a highly designed modern finish. Britannia really has the feel that you are in a luxury hotel, a cool boutique, a city wine bar and your local village coffee shop, all rolled into one! I did love the sneaky peeks behind the scenes. The parts that remind you that Britannia is an engineering feat, using new technology to produce drinking water, air conditioning and even the highly efficient tunnel washer in the laundry cuts water consumption. Style and substance, she has it all! The handover ceremony was held in the Theatre which seats around 1,000 people. The room was filled with local Italian dignitaries, ship yard workers and representatives from Carnival Cruise lines. The theme of British Style, Italian Heart flowed through the speeches, though I it think that British and Italian hearts were touched when ceremonial handover was made to Captain Paul Brown. Our celebration lunch was in the Peninsular restaurant: I loved that we ate off plates and cutlery which had never before felt food, the linen was starched and white, the beef was soft and pink, the mash creamy and smooth, and the jus (gravy) was sticky and packed with flavour. Service was slick and friendly. It was a great Sunday lunch. No rest for the kitchen staff, as last night they were catering for 4000 ship yard employees and their families! Italy is a long way to go for Sunday lunch, but we don’t have to wait long for this British registered ship to arrive in Southampton. The first cruise passengers head off on her maiden voyage from Southampton on the 14th March. Even though she is the fastest selling cruise ship, and is 70% sold for her maiden season, there is still time to book your place in history. British style, Italian heart.

04 February 2015

When I come back from a holiday, I want to be able to say “the people were friendly, the wine was wonderful, the food delicious and the weather sunny”…… Well that is certainly the case for a summer holiday to British Columbia in Canada. Last summer travelled around a few areas, with a focus on eating in restaurants which created superb food, ideally surrounded by a winery! In this case pictures do speak a thousand words, as my holiday photos start to do justice to the food and wine we consumed, so if you don't have time to read the words, just flick through the pictures! About 3 hours from Vancouver is the Okanagan wine region, you are unlikely to have tried their wine before as very little is exported, they are very clever people! The wineries are welcoming and I bought a very useful guide book, so that I could prioritise my tastings : John Schreiner’s Okanagan Wine Tour Guide – this guy knows his stuff! It’s well worth a read. We stayed in Osoyoos which is one of the warmest places in Canada, we swam and kayaked in lakes in the days, did a little wine tasting, and then headed out for dinner in the evenings. Two of the best restaurants we ate at were the Burrowing Owl winery and Hester Creek. Terrafina at Hester Creek is sat up on a hill surrounded by vineyards, you can have a table on the terrace or inside. The tasting room is open late, so you can pop in to try their wines before dinner, or have a glass on the terrace. It has a wonderful friendly atmosphere, relaxed and professional. For me the first part of the meal was the most special, a lovely glass of wine from their cellars and an antipasti section of homemade ciabatta, pickles, olives, cheese and hams - I think that I could live on this! We arrived at the Burrowing Wine Estate by driving under a double rainbow in a flash thunder storm, it was pretty magical, and the rest of the evening didn’t disappoint. We started with another excellent board of antipasti, and then progressed to wonderful mains of duck, pasta and lamb but it was the smooth chocolate ganache and the creamy rich crème brulee which were the stars of the show. Salt Spring Island also has wineries and it has an amazing food market each Saturday, and it’s only a ferry hop from Vancouver. The island is known for its arts, crafts and artisan food / wine production. We loved our dinner at Hastings House, in fairness it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. The high light here, despite the incredible Belgian Chocolate pate with caramel sauce for dessert, was my appetiser: Halibut, Salmon, Prawn chowder, double smoked bacon and garden chives. This chowder was neither thick nor over rich, it was smooth, light, and fragranced and I think I could eat it every day of my life. All I can say is that you must go there and try it yourself! I’d love to talk more about this holiday, so feel free to get in touch if you’d like a chat or to see some more pictures.

11 November 2014

Back from a super week in Turkey with Neilson. It was their Adakoy resort, just round the peninsular from Marmaris, which was close enough yet far enough away! Despite waking up a little grumpy after a delayed flight but after a caffeine injection over breakfast we were awake enough to go along to the kids club welcome meeting. It was a bit of a scrum to sign up for activities but I secured my first win (and probably only sporting victory of the week) by booking in for tennis and sailing both for beginners, a bike ride around Marmaris, and booked a slot in the spa..... happy days. There are a few kids clubs split up by age. I loved the fact that the kids were issued with rash vests, each club had a different colour which made it easy to spot your child’s group when they were out on the high seas, or throwing themselves off the pontoon! Our son, Rhys, threw himself into everything his Sharks’ club offered: Sailing, paddle boarding, tennis, writing and performing in a short play, he even managed to try water skiing. He made new friends, tried new sports and it’s his second best holiday EVER! I love the tagline that you can ‘relax as hard as you want’: That’s exactly how my holiday was. I started the week with a very gentle bike ride, exploring Marmaris and the surrounding area. Each day I had tennis coaching for total beginners with Ed and Brad, and then I scooted off to sailing with beachy Ben. The afternoons were far more chilled!! I took a cookery lesson with the chef, had an amazingly relaxing time at the spa and read a whole book by the pool! I even managed to drop in for 2 pilates classes which were great, out on the deck with super sea views. The boat over to Marmaris was a great change of scenery: 2 evenings in the week childcare worked the late shift, 2:30 – 11pm. We made the most of this and headed over to Marmaris for shopping and dinner. It's great fun to barter in the bazaar and even more fun to head back to the hotel to spot who is wearing this season’s fakes! I can highly recommend Dede restaurant looking out onto the marina. We shared a meze to start, then clearly I had to tuck into a kebab for my main. The food was great and the friendly service even better, even Turkish wine was good! Hubby was kept busy kayaking and cycling, I think next time he might try the power boat course as the whims of the wind frustrated him! It was a perfectly balanced holiday, time for each of us as individuals, date night and brilliant shared family time. A little bit about the hotel - the resort is small enough for the children to have some freedom but adults can still have space if they don’t fancy the evening entertainment! The daily cocktail special at the pool bar was always worth trying before dinner! The buffet service restaurant had a great selection of salads and Turkish breads, and there was a wonderful range of fresh hot foods such as grilled fish, rotisserie chicken and local kebabs. I think it’s a mum thing but I was really impressed with the staff, their levels of energy, enthusiasm and also the safety. It was the end of the season, and the nannies still had plenty of reserves left for the last group of kids! On the day Rhys was due to do his water ski taster, the waves were pretty bumpy, so the instructor was at risk of disappointing a 9 year old boy for all the right reasons. He said no skiing BUT he came up with a plan B, and so Rhys had the time of his life with a body board attached to the end of the tow rope. He then squeezed Rhys in for the real thing the next day! Conclusion…. Everybody had a fab holiday. We’ll do it again!

09 September 2014

Wildlife spotting anywhere is magical, but I’ve yet to be part of anything more special than Knight Inlet in Canada. It is a small floating lodge on an inlet accessible only by floatplane or boat. The accommodation is simple but scrupulously clean, comfortable and has everything you need (except a hairdryer, but the bears don’t mind wild hair, so why should I?) The lodge is run by a team dedicated to their environment and the wildlife which inhabits it. The animals are recorded year on year, which makes for some great stories about the bears you will be lucky enough to see. The guides run a variety of trips, and it’s fast paced, but you don’t come all this way to sit on the deck and read your book! We started with a gentle cruise of the inlet, and how years ago glaciers carved out the landscape and filled the deep inlet with clear green water. The towering waterfalls are spectacular, and the curious seals popped up their heads to welcome us. If you are really lucky, you may see a shy black bear exploring the shoreline, or a grizzly turning over rocks looking for shell fish. After a quick lunch, we hopped on another boat, venturing into the grassy estuary. When the bears wake up from hibernation, they are hungry. They find berries and eat sedge grass until the salmon arrive. The estuary still has plenty of sedge grass and this is where we saw our first grizzly of the trip. The brown hump in the distance mooched and munched its way around the food. From there it just got better and better as we headed to ‘the stands’. The wooden stands are like bird hides on stilts and they sit on the salmon spawning channel. This is where you wait till the bears fancy their next meal. Not long after we had settled in, a mum arrived with two cubs which had been born last year. After she had checked that there were no big males around, mum concentrated on eating, whilst the cubs played, fought and generally messed around. Everything about the bears is incredible, their teeth and jaws, the massive claws, the way they shake the water off their fur, how they snorkel but most of them leave their cute furry ears above the water. Three mums, seven cubs and a lone youth turned up at this bear fast food joint, thwarting the journey of the salmon heading up their spawning channel. The enthusiastic guides were with us all the time; they took photos, recorded sightings and whispered what they knew about each bear. Not that it was a competition, or that I was keeping count, but on day one, I saw 23 bears all without binoculars, day two it was 26. I lost count of my eagles, but there must have been over 50 just on our last boat trip. Pine trees almost looked decorated for Christmas with shiny white baubles, which were actually bald eagles. I love these amazing birds, they swoop, and circle, eat the bears’ left overs, sometimes fly down in front of your kayak and catch a fish. AT the end of a tiring but magical day with nature, each evening you sit down with the lead guide and work out your schedule for the next day. There is so much to choose from; kayaking, estuary tours, wildlife tracking, rain forest walks, the stands and marine life tours. We didn’t opt for the marine life tour, but one group did and were so lucky. They saw orca, dolphins, and seals and hump back whales breaching and feeding. Their pictures were like a TV documentary. Next time…… There is so much more that I could write. The staff are great, food wonderful but it’s the bears who are the star of the show. Just flick through my pictures and if you want to hear more about bears, pick up the phone!

15 June 2014

I’ve tried to explain to my son that he overuses two words - awesome and epic. I didn’t think that half a dozen things a day, every day, could be deserving of such high praise, until I went to Egypt! I’ve just come back from an amazing educational trip with Red Sea Holidays. I spent three nights on the MS Grand Rose, boarding at Luxor. From stepping foot in the boat the service was impressive, the staff were attentive, happy and thoughtful. The ship is rated by Red Sea as 5*. I’m not sure how the ratings work, but I would say that it was comparable to a character 4* hotel, and MS Grand Rose has character by the boatload! It was a great little boat, not too big but with plenty of everything you needed: a pool, sun terrace, pool bar, two shops, great restaurant and plenty of sunbeds. The food is worth a mention, I’d heard things about food in Egypt, and none of it was true on board the MS Grand Rose. The food was fresh, varied and well cooked, I ate well and often; I certainly didn’t lose weight! The boat was all inclusive and so as well as alcohol, there was plenty of bottled water to help me cope with the heat. Another revelation was that not only do the Egyptians make wine, but it’s quite drinkable! Our trips and excursions were unreal. The sights we saw felt like film sets not pieces of history 40 centuries old. In fact some of the sights were film sets, Indiana Jones, James Bond and Agatha Christie all featured on our itinerary. Our guide was a fountain of knowledge and worked part time at the temples supporting the research. His English was super, he could even tell a good joke. Apparently in Egypt you need three things to drive a car; a good horn, good brakes and good luck. A licence - not so much! We were educated, protected and entertained. Hady guided us through the chaos to the beauty and history of Egypt. I could list the sights but the pictures show the awesome temples we visited. The museum at Luxor is calm, cool and wonderfully collected. It has mummies, pieces from Tutankhamen’s tomb and other ‘epic’ exhibits, all clearly labelled and laid out almost in a minimalist style, just showcasing the artefacts. We were on board for the first three nights of a seven night cruise down to Aswan. We overnighted in Luxor which gave us the opportunity to see the temples by day, and party on board Egyptian style by night! ‘The spy who loved me’, was brought to life at our visit to the sound and light show at Karnak temple. The following day after braving the heat at Hatshepsut, we sailed slowly to Esna passing the banana plantations, the fishermen and children waving and swaying palm trees. We were surprised and entertained by two small boats attaching themselves to our larger boat and attempting to sell their beach towels and Egyptian dress, by throwing them on board. Not easy to imagine but amusing to see! Three days wasn’t enough, I’d love to see this cruise through and make it all the way to Aswan and even making the trip to Abu Simbel. I know that I’ll go back and finish this awesome cruise in epic Egypt. A couple of tips from my trip: - Drink three to five litres of water a day, dehydration is the biggest cause of an upset tummy - If you do get an upset stomach, the local pharmacies are great and understand sign language! Whatever they give you; take it, drink lots of water and stay out of the sun - Clear out your random bits of currency: local traders offered prices in euro, USD and sterling. You can certainly use 1 dollar bills, 1 euro and pound coins. - Ladies should cover up when out and about, not because they will upset locals in a religious way, but because she will attract adverse attention, and zero respect.

27 May 2014

Mark Warner invited me to check out not one but two of their properties, first Corsica, and the second one was in Sardinia (see separate review for Corsica). This property is about two hours from Cagliai airport where the Mark Warner team will welcome you to the island. The beachfront here is spectacular, you can walk for ages along the sand, and paddle in the blue sea. There is plenty of water sports equipment just waiting for you to take it for a spin; instruction, coaching or refresher sessions are available for all abilities. If you already have your sea legs, then you just need the safety briefing and can head out. On land there is tennis, aerobics and a clutch of new mountain bikes (what is the collective noun for mountain bikes?) On the courts under the watchful supervision of the coach, I did cardio tennis and a serve clinic, but you can pop up at any time for a knock about, there was usually somebody hanging around looking for a game. I went out on one of the easier guided bike rides to a local beach, where we stopped for delicious locally made ice cream. There were so many flavours, I think I’d have gone back daily if I’d stayed longer! The kitchen has Italian and British chefs which meant that I was treated to gorgeous pastas, local fish, great grilled meats and fresh salads. The spaghetti al vongole was my favourite dish here. I know it’s a small point but the coffee here was fabulous too! The bar was well priced with a bottle for wine 13 euros, Pina Colada for 6 euros and a coke for 2.50. The childcare team were ready for the season, with clubs for all ages. The older children meet by one of the pools, so are at a ‘cool’ distance from the younger ones! The nannies and sports instructors work together when taking the children out on the water. The rooms are spread out across the property with capacity for two, three, four, five or even six people with various room combinations such as interconnecting and mezzanines. The rooms are generally spacious, with dark Mediterranean style wood furniture and have patio doors to a small outside area. The waterfront and staff are the great features of this resort, the combination of the two make a great holiday. A couple of extra notes: - Hairdryers in the rooms - Some rooms are dark (including my room 200), but you can request a lighter room - The room numbering is not logical, it may take a day or two to get find your way around! - Take your bug repellent

21 February 2014

This is the second time we’ve skied in Sestriere, it’s a lovely little town in the Italian Alps, with only a 90 minute transfer from Turin airport. We chose it two years ago for its short flight time, short transfer and great selection of slopes on the Italian Milky Way. It has plenty for the novice (nice blues and wide reds) and the expert skier with Olympic Black runs. There are over 400KM of runs and your ski pass typically allows you over to Montgenevre in France for a day. I always hope that some sort of skill left over from the 2006 Olympics will rub off on me, but no luck so far! From Monday to Friday the pistes were quiet but on Saturday, the queues for the lifts were massive and the pistes mad busy! I did notice that the lifts opened early on Saturday, so if you want a good last day of skiing, I suggest that you head out by 8:15 and get as far away as you can. We stayed in the Olympic Village apartments which are simple but clean and well equipped. They could do with a lick of paint but for the money we were happy. The apartments have access to a small indoor swimming pool, mini market, bar and restaurant/pizzeria. For access to the slopes, you can climb up a snowy bank and gently ski down to the first lift, or if you are a total novice trek up the road which can work up a sweat. In fact when I did this two years ago, I admitted defeat and paid something like 30 euros to hire a ski locker right on the slopes, however this is only really necessary for winging, weedy girls! The ski hire shop in town is really friendly and they always know the best places to eat each season. Two years ago they pointed us in the direction of Il Centro, which has become our favourite restaurant serving great pizza and good steak options. It’s a friendly restaurant and worth having a chat to the chef to see whether he has prepared the huge potato and cheese gnocchi type dish which is a regional speciality – yummy! One night it was my son’s birthday and they baked a Nutella tart for him with a candle, and the whole restaurant sang Happy Birthday. He said it was ‘best birthday ever Mummy’. Another place to eat is Pinkies on the square which serves good pizza most of the day, it has a good atmosphere and seem popular for après ski. Near Pinkies there is a deli on the square, and a butcher just across the road, both great if you are self-catering. The little supermarket on the main street has most things, but is quite small. However they have fresh pasta and mozzarella on their deli counter. Staying in an apartment in Sestriere is not hard work with good value pizza restaurants, and a good supply of little shops. However if you want hotel accommodation, then the Hotel Du Col has always gone down well with my ski class peers who have enjoyed the food and the atmosphere of this hotel situated very close to the pistes. If you want the full works in this beautiful area, the Club Med have opened a property in Pragelato. I picked up details of summer activities there too, it’s popular for golf (Europe’s highest 18 hole course), mountain biking, walking and even watching stages of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.

18 February 2014

On Friday 14th February, I had the most amazing Valentine’s day ever, I had a date with the new love in my life…… she’s a big girl, and unfortunately I don’t think it’s an exclusive relationship but it will always be special! Of course, I’m talking about P&O’s new cruise ship Britannia, as her Madrina she will always hold a special place in my heart. Before the ceremonies kicked off, I was lucky enough to meet the Head of New Build, David Pickett who shared some amazing images of what Britannia will look like, and some closely guarded design secrets. I hardly need to say that I was impressed, but I can’t wait to see her completed with all her finery! As Madrina, I had two main responsibilities on the day of her float out: the first was a ceremony involving two coins, one from Italy and one from Britain. These signify the collaboration of the two countries, and my job was to weld them in place in their display case on deck. Yes, I had a welding mask and wielded a weapon! After this I took a little stroll on the deck, past the distinctive blue funnels, swimming pools, and with some imagination I could see myself in 2015, on deck, in the sunshine sipping something with an umbrella in it! My second task followed the speeches and the blessing; I had to wield another weapon, this time an axe, to cut the cord which released the bottle of Prosecco hurtling towards Britannia’s hull! As the bottle smashed, water came rushing into the dry dock, and started to creep up Britannia’s hull. It was more emotional than I could have imagined, and I beamed like a Cheshire cat whilst keeping a close eye on my little water baby. The team at P&O were so kind and friendly, I really can’t thank them enough for their thoughtfulness and hospitality (but then that’s what they are good at!) The Fincantieri team at the ship yard facilitated a splendid day, even organising sunshine. I suppose the problem I have now is that I am usually independent when providing travel advice, but I do hope that my clients can forgive me for having a small bias towards Britannia, as she really is my Valentine for 2014!

04 January 2014

I jumped on the number 49 bus with my son and nephew, it goes to South Kensington which has lots of cafes and restaurants, museums as well as easy access to Hyde Park. We decided to visit the Natural History museum, it’s an incredible building right next to the Science museum, and the V&A. We did have to queue but it really is worth it, how can it not be? For starters it’s free, and then, there are dinosaurs! The 3 year old excitedly dragged us from a blue whale to dinosaurs, and fossils to dodos, and then back to more dinosaurs! There was so much to see, and lots of staff keen to share their knowledge. We window shopped in the Lamborghini garage before eating big plates of pasta at Carluccios. I’m not sure whether the ride home was the highlight for my nephew who had never travelled at the front on the top deck of a red bus! On the back of the previous day’s fun from the number 49, I got back on it the next day: This time we stayed on till Hyde Park, mooched through the South Flower Walk sharing our cookies with the squirrels. It was a beautiful sunny day, so the children paddled in the Diana, Princess of Wales’ Memorial Fountain, really enjoying themselves. We carried on through the park, just crossing the road into Knightsbridge where we found Wagamama’s for a noodle doodle lunch! On another trip we caught the tube to London Bridge, which is a great starting point for a London adventure: You cross the road into Borough Market to grab a great coffee from Monmouth, then head to the river. From the river you can go left to the Tate Modern, or right to the Golden Hind, HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge. I chose to take a 4 year old and 8 year old to HMS Belfast, and it was fantastic; they clambered over everything, listened to audio stories, created their own tattoos whilst learning what different tattoos signified. After our morning on board the ship, we headed back to Borough Market for lunch, we all got to choose our food from different stalls so I managed to keep them happy with tapas, sausage rolls and giant brownies! London is such a great adventure, it’s really worth investing a little time and money exploring our own capital!

04 January 2014

My husband was working in Madrid, and somehow it seemed unfair that he should be ‘heading to the office’ to a mystery Spanish city, so I did what any supportive wife would do, and hopped on a plane to see what I was missing out on! My son and I stayed on Calle de la Princesa, by the Arguelles metro stop. Each morning we waved goodbye to my husband, sending him off to the office whilst we set out to explore the city. As we wandered around Madrid, I realized that it was a very easy city to navigate, with a great underground train network. It was useful being next to an El Corte Ingles, as they seem to have a supermarket in the basement of all their stores which was great for picking up some fruit and water to get us through the day. My son insisted that we start each day with the traditional local breakfast of churros and hot chocolate to give him energy for our treks across the city. We found different cafes and bakeries each morning, so cheap and tasty, far more interesting than breakfast in the hotel! Rather than join the late morning queues for the Del Prado, we had a lovely tapas lunch at El Botanico, and then used the gallery to escape the early afternoon sun. (You can book tickets in advance to avoid the queues which can be lengthy). After taking in the works of Goya, Velazquez and many others, we ambled through the parque del Retiro eating our helado, and watching the locals soak up the sun. On Saturday we found a wonderful tapas market, San Miguel, near Plaza Mayor: Once we’d chosen a place to perch, we took it in turns to venture out to the stalls to see which of us could return with the best finds. I’m not sure who won but we found pimentos padron, paella, croquetas, calamari, fresh juicy cherries, helado, vino…something for everybody. I have a friend who lived in Madrid, and she suggested Casa Mingo for dinner: it’s a super local place specializing in rotisserie chicken and cider. We feasted on chorizo, salad, bread, chicken and cheese, all washed down with local cider (or coke if you were a very well behaved little boy!) You can always drop in at the Principe Pio Mall for a little pre dinner shopping, then it’s about 10minute walk up Paseo Florida to Casa Mingo. We crammed in loads during our mini break, of course I managed a couple of hours of shopping, but hubby has of lots of other tips, from great restaurants, to how to get a ticket to the football! Great for sightseeing, shopping, food and chilling.

06 December 2013

Some of my clients recently departed to visit Santa in Lapland and asked if I had any packing tips…….Oh yes! I have a packing list for each type of trip, ski, sun, city and business. Given this is the season of snow and goodwill, I thought I’d share my snowy holiday list. Here goes: o Long johns o Thermal tops (long sleeve vest type ones) o Hat, furry headband, ear muffs o Gloves (water proof ski mitts are the best) o Glove liners (I cut a hole in the heel of an old pair of socks and they work a treat!) o Snood / scarf (thin snoods are great for kids, as they can even go under their helmet) o Thin fleece / micro fibre type tops o Salopettes o Ski jacket o Ski suit for the little ones, I’ve always packed 2, as the slopes can be a long way from a loo! o Ski socks / tubes o Helmet o Goggles o Sunglasses o Skis and boots if you have them o Small back pack for an adult skier (fill with plasters, mints, chocolate tissues and lip balm) o Suncream, if it’s going to be cold get a specific ski one! o 2 pairs of jeans; one a bit smarter for dinner o Leggings / leisure trousers for lounging round the hotel or chalet o Swim suit if there is a pool / sauna o T – shirts or tops for skiing in o T- shirts or tops for apres ski o 1 sweater / fleece / hoodie o Slippers or crocs for getting to the ski locker o Boots for stomping around the resort (snow boots are best for kids, walking boots for adults) The usual stuff o Europlug / travel plug o Chargers for phone, tablet, DS etc. o Headphones o Camera / video camera o Hair dryer / straighteners o Currency o Book / magazine o Passports o Tickets o Snacks – penguins, flapjacks Other tips: Don’t over pack your hold luggage: we always leave room in one bag so that as we check in at the airport, we stuff our coats in a case, and then we don’t carry them round the airport. Then as we collect the bags at the other end, we get our coats back out ready for the snow. Capri sun drinks are great to buy in resort and shove in a child’s pocket, along with a small snack. Even if they don’t eat this in their lesson, they will wolf it down when you pick them up from ski school. If you are self-catering, take a little tub with your pre measured herbs / spices: I did this last year, and whipped up a tasty pot of chilli, buying beef, beans and rice locally but using my little tub of spices. Put one pair of ski socks in your hand luggage, so you can be first in the queue at the ski hire shop whilst everybody else is rummaging in the depths or their suitcase! I always travel with a Tupperware box, plastic food bags, bottle opener, bottle stopper and small bottle of washing up liquid. You can usually fit two pairs of skis in one ski bag, but be careful and do check the airline rules. Check whether you need to pay for carriage of skis and boots. Lastly, if you have a packing list, and think I’ve missed anything off mine, let me know.

11 October 2013

Everyone said that Tobago was too far to go for a week, and in one way they were right, I didn’t want to come home after a week! But it wasn’t too far to go for a week of rest and relaxation, and much needed sunshine at October half term. After a couple of days reading books by the pool, we got itchy feet and booked an island safari in an old open top land rover. We bumped along the coast line, bounced through luscious rainforest, scrambled up mountain paths and explored secret beaches (now a holiday maker’s paradise but many years ago bloody battle fields). We stopped for a super lunch at Gemma’s treetop restaurant, where the views really are of paradise. The free hotel shuttle bus was great to get to Pigeon Point beach to spend time swimming, snorkelling and sun bathing. We stopped relaxing for long enough to eat goat curry for lunch at a very local beach restaurant, followed by a Pina Colada on the beach served in a coconut! Sunny Scarborough, the capital, lives up to the name... unlike the Yorkshire version! The market was well worth a visit for scrummy street food snacks, as well as lots of interesting curry mixes to bring home. We walked a couple of miles out of Scarborough for lunch and a swim at the beach bar at Bacolet Bay.... more beautiful views and cocktails! Most mornings we got up early and stalked the ‘turtle guy’ who was checking the turtle nests on the hotel beach, we hoped to see baby turtles heading to the sea but that happened the day we had a lie in! Tobago seems to have everything – diving, beaches, good food, a rain forest and lovely people. We’ll go back, and not just for the baby turtles.

05 October 2013

We certainly aren’t accomplished skiers - we’ve only been three times, but we’re getting the bug. Our criteria was high altitude, variety of pistes, short transfer time and something for non-skiers as my Mum was coming with us this time. The resort of Samoens ticked all the boxes, it’s a lovely town all year round but particularly beautiful in the snow, and very well connected as it’s in the Grand Massif. An early flight out meant that we beat the rush to the ski hire shop and arrived in time for lunch. Samoens has a great choice of restaurants but we opted for a cosy little place on the square for cheesy crepes, chips and wine! On Sunday we all started ski school, leaving Mum behind to find the local church and pray that we all made it through the week in one piece! Ski school was great, with friendly bilingual instructors who pushed us and gave us lots of guidance for our afternoon practice! Charlotte and Ann headed over to Claviere, which was a good long run taking in some blues and reds but fine for most levels of skier. Charlotte was a bit of whiz so enjoyed (?) moguls and blacks!! On the non-ski side, Mum tried Nordic walking, as well as some lovely walks around the lakes which the locals were very happy to suggest. She did a little shopping at the weekly market, and found all the best restaurants for us to eat at. Each day she came up the gondola to meet us after ski school for hot wine and a de-brief. The best meal of the week was without a doubt at La Fandioleuse, it is tiny so you have to book in advance, you may need to pay a deposit, and even pre order your food depending on what you fancy eating. Pre order the fondue, raclette or the most incredible ‘castrated’ soup which is layered bread and cheese moistened with onion soup and cooked slowing for hours till it has a deep brown crust. They also have fantastic savoury and sweet crepes. Sadly skiing still disappoints me on one front, I never seem to get the calorie balance quite right, and come home 3lb heavier!

05 October 2013

New York, New York: so good I’ve been there twice! In fact I’ve been three times now, and I’d say we’ve hardly scratched the surface! It’s so great for so many things: sightseeing, culture, food and shopping. I’ve done the cheesy horse drawn carriage through Central Park in the snow, been on the open bus tour, visited the MOMA and the Metropolitan Museum (from Thomas Crown Affair) and walked miles on the streets just marvelling the variety of architecture. A few feet up, I’ve been to the top of the Statue of Liberty, up to the Top of the Rock, the Empire State building, then up the Chrysler building so that I could look at the Empire State Building. Each time we’ve been to New York we’ve chosen a Broadway show: we loved the massive production of The Lion King starring some incredibly talented children, and it was great to see Jersey Boys in America as it felt more authentic. I think our favourite was a new play which we had never heard of called Steady Rain which was a totally absorbing production starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig. I know that you can get last minute tickets for Broadway, and it’s not cheap but we have bought all of ours well in advance so we got to see the shows we really wanted to. Food in New York is a big as you think it’s going to be. We’ve had some incredible steaks and pizzas but our favourite restaurant was Del Posto. Del Posto serves very special Italian food, and I’m not alone in thinking it’s great, Relais and Chateaux, Michelin, and Wine Spectator have all recognised its brilliance. However, the first place we think about for food is always Sara Beth’s as they serve the most amazing American brunches including pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict and French toast. We always try to go to the Sara Beth’s at Central Park but the one in Lord and Taylor is often quieter and great for replenishing energy whilst out shopping! Now I’m on the subject of shopping, New York has everything from Tiffany to Macy’s, Sephora to Banana Republic and I can’t resist a trip to Abercrombie and Fitch (but I always go first thing in the day because there are queues later on). The selection of jeans and the helpful staff in Bloomingdales make shopping easy, and I love buying stocking fillers from Henri Bendel. On one visit all the shops in New York still couldn’t satisfy my shopping needs, so we headed out to Woodbury Common which is a massive outlet mall – total joy for me, devastation for my husband! I love New York, we’ll be going back soon…

04 September 2013

Rome was a wonderful weekend escape, and a perfect place to spend our 10th wedding anniversary. We’d been to Rome before so in a way it took the pressure off seeing some of the sights, so we indulged in leisurely walks along the Tiber, night-time strolls around the city, and long people watching lunches. We took the train out of the city and went to Ostia Antica, which is the old port of Rome: It has incredible ruins, similar to Pompeii and Herculaenem but much less busy, which we could have spent hours or days exploring but we hopped back on the train to go to the lido and wander along the coast, eating more gelato! We enjoyed the late afternoon sun by the pool, then headed out for dinners of crispy based pizzas, tasty pasta, lovely glasses of sparkly wine and maybe a little too much gelato! Great for romantic dinners, amazing architecture round every corner, shopping for every budget and all topped off with a papal blessing! Shoe advice – you’ll need the comfy walking shoes, especially if you venture out to Ostia Antica because the ground is uneven and dusty. I did glam up in the evenings just to try and keep up with the beautiful Italian ladies!