Monthly meanderings: April
April is normally known for showers and the divine smell of petrichor. There wasn’t much of either this year. Pretty much wall to wall sunshine. Chilly at times (and there was indeed hail just when May was about to arrive) but oh so sunny! I really enjoyed April – I particularly like looking…
View PostA taste of travel: my menu
I’m very fond of my food, I’m also very fond of the monthly travel linkups. The ask for May: if travel was a menu, what starter (short haul), main (long haul) and dessert (a place with a lasting impression)… Travel and taste, excellent! Translating a menu choice to travel is tricky? I’m not one for…
View PostSpring walk: the Purbeck coast
It had been far too long since my last visit to the Purbeck coast in Dorset! Perhaps 1996-ish for my Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s award… Which was also the time I route-planned us along an electricity pylon rather than a bridleway! The Easter weekend gave us the chance to go and explore and we…
View PostSpring walk: South Downs lambs and bluebells
A little spring walk in the South Downs turned into the sort of walk that would leave a bluebell-hunter or cute animal lover very fulfilled! I am neither, but I was ‘full of the joys’… We stumbled across this walk thanks to two things. Firstly we had lunch booked with friends at The Bluebell…
View PostLisbon city retreat: Palacio Ramalhete
We arrived at our Lisbon palacio at 12.01. I know this because I glanced at my watch. The sun was ‘past the yard arm’ and I gladly accepted a welcome glass of bubbles. It was pouring with rain outside, this was the bottled sunshine for the day. Our room at Palacio Ramalhete wasn’t…
View PostBoutique seaside stay: Villa Cascais
We flew to Lisbon, straight from a busy week at work in need of a chilled few days. In fact Mr P met me at the airport having just flown in from Sweden, so it was nice just to see him! Perfect timing – so jetset, meeting in the lounge ? BA in…
View Post10 reasons to visit: Lisbon & Cascais
Lisbon gets my vote for a spring city break. A short flight from London. It was somewhere neither of us had been to before. And it’s by the sea. Not hot weather per se, but warm enough to be out doors. Tick, tick, tick, tick. I will put it out there… If you want a city break and you don’t…
View PostTravel to be inspired
I will freely admit that I love nothing more than a quiet weekend with no plans. Just at home. With Mr P. Relaxing, reading or staring into space. These weekends are excellent. This weekend was one. Few and far between. And they let me think… And plot and find inspiration for where to explore next……
View PostMy monthly meanderings in March
Birthday month is easily the best month of the year. Not just because of birthday, but March also welcomes the start of spring. The evenings get lighter, British summertime arrives and it really is the start of the ‘happy’ months of the year! Birthday came a day early as Mr P was away…
View PostA magical return to Cliveden House
Given the opportunity, I would live at Cliveden every weekend! It’s captivating. And it is easily understood why Cliveden is repeatedly in the chocolates at luxury award ceremonies… There aren’t many places which have been restored so attentively and can offer guests the chance to stay in such a historical and grand location,…
View PostThe Kitchen at the Chewton Glen
Visits to the Chewton Glen are always a resounding success. Being invited to dine at ‘The Kitchen’ on its opening night was definitely that. The Kitchen is a new adventure for the Chewton Glen. An exciting and informal one. We loved the hotel as it was – the quintessentially english luxuriousness. It’s somewhere we love to celebrate…
View PostOn business – blessings and woes of corporate travel
You know those people at work that are always jetting off here and there on business, have a clutch of gold cards and exciting passport stamps? So glamorous. I always wanted to be one! And then I was. I went to America more than necessary, once for less than 24 hours… India for…
View PostMy Monthly Meanderings in February
February will always be better than January, and this year was no exception (thank goodness). A month that includes the following is good… …A luxury staycation at the Chewton Glen…. It’s where my obsession with luxury travel began, and it was a pleasure to return for Mr P’s birthday! … Weekends exploring more of…
View PostHidden gems and holiday treasures
Finding hidden gems is the raison d’être of this blog. And of me. And my holidays. Luxury and unique hidden gems, with vitamin sea. And fizz. A year wouldn’t be the same without discovering a few of these places. I can’t think of anything worse than regulation issue surroundings or crowded places. I love finding somewhere…
View Post47 Jobner Bagh Jaipur – Boutique Hotel Review
I adore a place that is unique and luxurious. But the real charm is when it doesn’t realise how great it is. 47 Jobner Bagh was delightedly all of these, and perfect. I would love to have stayed longer, but we were splitting our time in Jaipur between here and the Oberoi Rajvillas.…
View PostChewton Glen – a luxury weekend escape
This fabulous hotel is where my love affair with luxury began. So we return to visit the Chewton Glen like an old friend on special occasions! In February, in between our birthday’s, we scheduled a staycation as a little treat. We really couldn’t have planned the timing better around all things work and life…
View PostA weekend in the Cotswolds
Last year between May in Tel Aviv and India in December, we didn’t really take much time off work. We did manage to balance the work mania with the odd long weekend in France, Stockholm and Italy. In November we fitted in another of these. This time a weekend staycation in the Cotswolds…
View PostMy monthly meanderings in January
As usual January vanished in a blur, a good thing. Working in Luxembourg, inappropriately dressed for snow… Working even harder on one of my Christmas presents – a ‘paper-fold-your-own’ Taj Mahal… Touring Mr P’s office, defining a cool and practical work environment… Exploring a little more on our back door, with a visit to…
View PostOberoi Rajvillas Jaipur – Luxury Hotel Review
From the moment we arrived at The Oberoi Rajvillas to the time we dragged ourselves on to Goa (#firstworldproblems) we were spell-bound. I am well aware one gets what is paid for, but sometimes a place and its staff are so special that it is unforgettable and pleasurable in a way that money can’t…
View PostAlila Diwa Goa – Luxury Hotel Review
We spent 3 days in Goa and chose to stay at the Alila Diwa hotel near Majorda beach. It’s located in South Goa – the quiet and sleepy bit of Goa. There are larger hotels in the area, but this stood out as somewhere a bit more personal and unique. About a 20…
View PostMy Cornwall Directory
I’ve been visiting west Cornwall a few times a year for longer than I remember. My Gran lives there and we head down for long weekends with my parents or by ourselves to explore a little more. Cornwall seems to be growing in popularity and it seemed like a very good time to…
View PostRest and relaxation in Goa and Mumbai
It would have been so easy to have spent all our time in India immersed in the culture of Rajasthan. We almost did. But I really wanted beach and pool time and when I asked our agent if we could fit this in the answer was a resounding yes. We were choosy in Delhi, Agra…
View Post10 comedy travel moments 2016
Last year I enjoyed writing about the comedy and less than perfect travel moments of the year. There’s always a few and they tend to be carefully curated out of the blog, or mentioned in passing. This year I’ve already had my first comedy travel moment (more later) and it reminded me there were…
View PostTwo days in Jaipur
We loved our time in Jaipur. It was the full package. Clean and ordered (relatively speaking), pretty, blue skies (no fog), we bumped into friends (yes – really), history and views, as well as amazing food and incredible hotels. Jaipur very much got the Parker seal of approval. We had 2 days in…
View PostOne day in Agra
Agra was our second base and was actually somewhere I wasn’t initially planning to visit. I couldn’t fathom how one building could justify a 3 hour drive. But the drive was of course worthwhile, and there’s more than one thing to see! Agra wasn’t our favourite place. Mainly due to us visiting beautiful Jaipur…
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