Lisbon 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 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 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 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 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…
View PostOne day in Delhi
Delhi is where our Indian adventure began. Colleagues of mine are always here and told me it was the right city to quickly immerse ourselves in the sights, smells and sounds of India. We had just over 24 hours in the city. Our guide Punam (an expert, she’s shown Ralph Fiennes around) and driver BD…
View PostMy instagram tour of Incredible India
I have so much to tell you about India – one of the most inspiring and enjoyable trips we have ever taken. “So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country the the sun visits on his rounds.” Mark…
View PostYachting adventures in the Canaries
Mr P did some vital yachting holiday research for us in October… Too kind! I was manic with work and made a passing comment suggesting he go away with his best buddy somewhere nice and leave me in peace. I didn’t ever expect the offer to be taken up. But it’s OK as it was all…
View PostLazing in the Languedoc
What a gorgeous lazy time we had in the Languedoc, the benefit of doing no research… Aside from booking the hotel, all I knew was that Carcassonne was nearish to where we were going and that it’s a board game. So un-thorough was my research that a few days before we arrived I had to email the…
View Post6 things to do in Stockholm
Stockholm is less than 2 hours flying from Heathrow and perfect for a summer city break. A maritime city full of gorgeous architecture, flat for exploring and if you can stay a little longer there’s 24,000 islands in the archipelago to explore. We visited over the August bank holiday weekend, and I took advantage…
View PostWeekend in Milan and Como
When I was travelling too much with work, Mr P always used to ask when he could join me for the weekend. I always deferred as I wanted to get home from a trip as soon as I could. Then he started travelling an incredible amount with work and so started asking me when…
View PostJerusalem & the Dead Sea: Israel day trips
No trip to Israel could be complete without visiting Jerusalem and the Dead Sea? I think it is fair to say doing it in a day is a bit of a mission (for the driver that is – thank you) but oh so worth it! We had a marvellous trip, we were missing…
View PostTel Aviv – vibrancy and culture
Visiting friends in Tel Aviv, the city was a perfect base and where British Airways handily deposited us in comfort. I had two favourite cities – Singapore and Washington. I now have three – TLV has vibrancy and culture like Singers, cleanliness and safety like DC and a big dollop of South Beach to make…
View PostBeyond expectations in Israel
We were able to conclude within about half a day (I exaggerate, 2 hours tops…) of being in Israel that we were really glad to have ignored the UK press and any raised eyebrows. As much as I said to people ‘it’s safer than Paris/Brussels/London’, at the back of my mind I did wonder but thankfully…
View PostA taste of Israel
Israel should be at the top of any foodie’s travel plans – the food is incredible, I am licking my lips remembering! Flavoursome, fresh, varied and interesting, everything was delicious and actually we ate so much it could have been an official food tour! Here’s to friends with good taste! As a dairy-free diner,…
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