Finding new hotels, villas and apartments that tick all of our boxes is not always easy, but here are a few places that have been added recently. Actually they mostly reflect our move to include a few more villas and apartments to our lists.
Cornwall is the ideal holiday spot for almost everyone. There are long, sandy, family-friendly beaches, wild moors, the raw industrial grandeur of engine houses, fabulous walking routes on the South-West Coast path, quaint rocky coves and more besides. So much more that one blog could not possibly do it justice so let's concentrate here on just one thing: some Cornish harbours.
It's one of the ironies of buying any insurance, that you have no idea of the quality of the product when you buy. Therefore it's very easy to be drawn into buying on price alone. Well, this past Christmas gave us the opportunity to subject the travel insurance product that we recommend to a real-life test.
The seven islands of the Canaries are the tips of under-sea mountains projecting up four miles from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Each island has it's own unique character, so let's step forward and take a look.
The chain of islands variously known as the West Indies, the Windward Islands or the Lesser Antilles are possibly a little slice of heaven here on Earth. Warm all year round yet cooled by the Atlantic breezes, they are a fabulous and exotic destination. The abundance of verdant vegetation inland and soft white sand along the shores is captivating.
Well-travelled people of "a certain age" may remember arriving by plane at the old Hong Kong airport. The steep descent over the mountains plunged between the tall blocks of flats was undoubtedly an exciting way to arrive in an exciting city. But there is still a way to experience a similar landing, on Union Island in the Grenadines.
No matter where you are in Britain, there is always a multiplicity of beautiful things to see and exciting things to do, and all within easy reach. As we roll into autumn the colours of the trees all around us are a particular attraction. One of the best places to see these glorious colours is Westonbirt Arboretum in the Cotswolds (other arboreta are available!).
Once a powerful city-state grown wealthy on its trade with east and west, Venice is an utterly unique city of outstanding architecture, great art, exciting cuisine, amazing views and the worst case of rising-damp anywhere (!). Here is our way to live the dolce vita in Venice.
We recently spent a long weekend in Pembrokeshire - confirmation, if ever we needed it, of what an interesting, spectacular and beautiful county it is. We chose to stay at Penally Abbey near Tenby, with a lovely view out over the sea and Caldey Island.
We never cease in our quest for the very best small hotels, so here are a few of our most recent discoveries, starting with a house once owned by the Luttrell family of Dunster Castle. The Great House in Timberscombe is a Grade II listed building that is the epitome of gracious living.
