Ad: Bathing Solutions have commissioned me to write this article.* This is the first year in our kids’ lives that we’re not having a family summer holiday. I’ve always wanted to keep having family holidays for as long as possible, and previously I’ve written about what to do when your teenager doesn’t want to go on […]
4-night Budapest city break itinerary
A few years ago I was a frequent visitor to Budapest. My husband was sent to the Hungarian capital for a year’s work, just after our daughter had started secondary school. Rather than relocate the whole family, we decided that he should go there alone, and that the kids and I would join him during […]
Celebrity Edge: new ship for people who don’t like cruises
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 […]
Highlights of a 3-day trip to Tunisia
[AD – this was a press trip] My first trip to Tunisia* left me keen to go back to explore more of this welcoming country. I was there on a three-day press trip in April, with fellow bloggers Cathy Winston and Nichola West, and we were hosted by the Tunisian National Tourist Office. Tunisia is […]
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 […]
A four-day trip to the Algarve, Portugal
My first ever trip to the Algarve has left me determined to return there. The Algarve is Portugal’s southernmost region and enjoys more sun each year than California (according to the Met Office). This beautiful coastal area is easy to reach from the UK, and I was there on a spring trip with my husband, […]
A relaxing yoga retreat in the Algarve, Portugal
This post is by Anglo-Italian journalist Lorenza Bacino. In May Lorenza went on a yoga retreat at Casa Vale da Lama in the hills near Odiaxere on the Algarve in Portugal. It sounds like a very relaxing and enjoyable trip. ‘Once a year I try and take a week to do yoga somewhere nice with […]
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 […]
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 […]
Review: The Malvern Spa Hotel
As I drive up to The Malvern Spa I assume that my SatNav has brought me to the wrong place. I’ve been to a fair few spas in my time, and all of them have been either in country house hotels, or on the coast or in swish city centre locations – apart from the […]
