As I walk into my room I feel relaxed and at home straight away. The passenger accommodation on board Celebrity Edge is designed by Kelly Hoppen MBE. With her signature neutral palette and beautiful textures, it feels stylish and welcoming. My Aquaclass Stateroom has a kingsize bed with a cashmere mattress, an airy balcony and […]
7-day itinerary for Porto, Lisbon & Silver Coast, Portugal
I’ve been asked to create this itinerary by Discover Car Hire, who are sponsoring this post. My first experience of Portugal was a marvellous two-week family road trip exploring Porto, Lisbon and the Silver Coast. Our kids were 18 and 13 years old at the time, and the holiday was a balance of cultural visits, foodie […]
The one where I claim flight compensation
When my flight from London to New York was cancelled, I was rebooked on a flight the following day, from a different airport. On my return, I claimed compensation for the cancellation. I’m sharing how I did this here, in case it’s helpful for you. This is what happened. The closer it got to our […]
New York City 6-day cultural itinerary
I’ve enjoyed visiting New York City a few times with my family, but recently (thanks to my husband covering teen and dog care duties) I was lucky enough to be able to spend a few marvellous days there with friends. We spent hours in museums, art galleries and junk shops, and we tried different eating […]
How to go seal watching in Winterton, Norfolk
On a January trip to Norfolk to visit a friend I was amazed to see some seal pups on the sandy beach at Winterton. My friend is a volunteer seal warden at the beach, and she explained that these pups will have been born in December. Their mothers will have stayed with them on the […]
Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
If you’re planning a summer family holiday with a teenager, have you thought about Thailand? This south-east Asian country is a friendly and welcoming place to explore, the food’s amazing, it has more than 5,000 miles of coastline and it offers great value. AD – Some of our accommodation on this trip was provided for […]
Travelling with a child who has anxiety: advice for parents
I have to start by saying that, luckily for me, I don’t have anxiety issues. I’m writing this from the perspective of parenting a child who does, and of seeing what works for my family and for others. What is anxiety? We all feel anxious sometimes, for example if we’re starting a new job, or […]
Ria Formosa Algarve bike tour
As we stand and watch the serene flamingoes, our guide João asks: ‘Do you know why these flamingoes are white, rather than pink?’ We don’t know, so he explains that flamingoes become pink because they eat shrimps. These particular flamingoes eat shellfish, so their feathers are white. There are fish leaping and splashing in the […]
How to explore the Pilgrims’ Way by car
The Pilgrims’ Way is an ancient route in the South of England, connecting the shrine of St. Swithun in Winchester Cathedral with the shrine of the martyr St Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. It’s impossible to know how many pilgrims followed this route in medieval times, but historians believe that as many as tens of […]
Vidamar Resort Hotel review
So, two very unexpected and exciting things happened in March. First, my husband discovered that he had a few days of holiday to use up before the end of the month. Then our 19 year-old kindly volunteered to look after her brother and our dog so that my husband and I could go on a […]
