Category: Favourites

Malta & Gozo

Malta & Gozo   Having what’s widely considered the best port in the Mediterranean Malta has always been an island of interest, the crossroads of the Arab and Christian worlds.  It has been invaded many times over the centuries by Greeks, Romans, North Africans and French, British etc, the legacy of which survives today in

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Rajasthan, India

Rajasthan India India is a mystery that is waiting for you to solve.  It comes in many flavours, colours, aromas and sizes.  It is a country that despite all this is impossible not to fall in love with.  Yes there is poverty, dirt (lots of it) extreme temperatures and enormous distances to travel to see

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Middlethorpe Hall & Spa, York

Middlethorpe Hall & Spa Bishopthorpe Road York YO23 2GB Tel: 01904 641241 A vast edifice greets you entering the front door of this impressive building dating from 1699.  This is a grand Historic House Hotel part of a well-established chain of high-end unique properties and linked to the National Trust.  It’s the sort of place

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Kentucky

Kentucky     On this adventure I travel stateside to bring you a report from the home of Fort Knox, the Kentucky Derby, and a genre of music less known on these shores and of course that delectable brown liquid so loved by the Mad Men. It would be hard to find a state in

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Discovering Pizzolo: Sicily

Southern Sicily Discovering Pizzolo and the right way to eat it. Through winding roads, vineyards, rocky outcrops and gentle hills in the province of Siracusa on the road to nowhere you’ll find Pantalica Ranch, a kind of hideout for foodies.  True there’s no phone signal, but the Wi-Fi works just fine and I’m holed up

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Quito: Ecuador

Quito Ecuador   Getting to Quito the capital of Ecuador takes a little while but it’s worth it.  This South American gem is 12 hours away from Europe by plane but a million miles away in so many other ways.  The 40 min journey from the airport gives a hint of what to expect. Snow capped

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Waldhaus am See, St. Moritz, Switzerland

Waldhaus am See St. Moritz Switzerland   Set me a challenge of trying out the largest selection of Whisky available for sale in one bar and the results are inevitable as day following night.  Read on to find out if I made it to dawn. When I first read about Waldhaus am See and it’s

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The Vineyard, Berkshire

The Vineyard Stockcross Newbury Berkshire RG20 8JU Tel:  01635 528770    ‘Eat, Sleep and Drink Wine’ is the mantra at The Vineyard.  With a 30,000-bottle wine cellar arranged in 3,000 bins of which 100 are available by the glass.  This homage to wine has been run by Sir Peter Michael’s family since 1996. He also founded

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Hartwell House & Spa, Buckinghamshire

Hartwell House & Spa Oxford Road Vale of Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP17 8NR Tel: 01296 747444 Perfectly placed in the vale of Aylesbury in 90 beautiful acres of Capability Brown landscaped grounds Hartwell House and Spa is straight out of a movie.  The great hall of English Baroque completed in 1740 complements the spectacular staircase with

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The Chap Olympiad 2018, London

The Chap Olympiad 2018 Bedford Square London   This country has a long tradition of fetes, summer garden parties and er, eccentricity.  Where else but an Olympiad could they all happily collide for a day of harmless bonkers fun. With Britain riding high in the cultural stakes (but maybe no longer the football…) it is

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Goat: Fulham, London

Goat 333 Fulham Road London SW10 9QL Tel: 020 7352 1384   The Fulham Road has always been an inventive and fertile place for food and drink, but bars and restaurants come and go with increasing regularity so it is a great joy to see an old favourite of mine still firmly ensconced. It’s a

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MS Zuiderdam: Holland America Line

MS Zuiderdam Holland America Line A Meal to Remember   I have a confession to make.  I’m an experienced travel and food writer with more than a decade of passport stamps under my belt visiting all corners of the globe but (here’s the confession bit) I have never been on a cruise. There I’ve said it,

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Hampton Manor: Hampton-In-Arden, UK

Hampton Manor Shadowbrook Lane Hampton-In-Arden B92 0EN Tel: 01675 446 080   Ever fancied being Lord of the manor?  By that I mean really enjoying life in your country pile with fabulous grounds, staff everywhere you need them and never where you don’t.  Great drinks on tap and Michelin starred food served in your own

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Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight Hampshire UK   The first thing to know about the Isle of Wight when taking the ferry is to get out of the car and go up to one of the decks when you’ve parked your car.  M and I thought (wistfully as it turned out) that it wouldn’t take too

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Kent: In Search of Ian Fleming

Kent: In Search of Ian Fleming   I have been a fan of James Bond since childhood and readers of this publication will know that given half a chance I will write and investigate more about the fictional character and its author Ian Fleming.  So almost on my doorstep I set out to discover more.

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