It was all European destinations for me this year. May started with a lovely trip to the beautiful Amalfi Coast. I based myself in Sorrento and stayed at the 4 star Hotel Grand Capodimonte which was perfectly located as it was an easy ten minute stroll into town. Sorrento has so much to offer from beautiful churches, wonderful cobbled streets, small but well facilitated beach at Marina Grand and a great selection of restaurants.
I only had five days so had to pack a lot in. Pompei was an easy 45 minute train ride that takes you right there where I joined a small group tour, the guide Maria was fantastic and extremely knowledgeable. The following day I hired a driver to take us on the breathtaking drive along the Amalfi Coast. I can only say that it is completely stunning. Villages and towns cling for dear life onto the cliffs that drop dramatically to the sea. Lunch in Amalfi at a great seafood restaurant followed by a walk around the town. The main square is accessed through an archway to reveal a hidden gem, the Duomo di Sant’Andrea which has 62 steps that lead up to Church which has a mix of Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic architecture. We continued our drive around the coast to the stunningly beautiful town of Positano – I meandered through the beautiful lanes with its small boutiques and art galleries down to the beach for a quick ice cream. Last stop was Ravello, picturesque, quiet and some beautiful gardens to explore.
Spend a day taking a boat to Capri and explore the island easily by their own bus network. At Anacapri you can take the cable to the top of the island and the views are incredible.
The whole area is fantastic for history, culture and music. One of the main events of course is the mouth watering food and it is all about the flavour- rich sauces and freshly cooked pasta, plus of course the Neopolitan pizzas rounded off with some superb deserts . Lemons grow absolutely everywhere and evening meals were always finished off nicely with a cool limoncella
Capri
In July I spent a quick week on the nautical island of Paxos. One of the smaller Ionian islands. The scenery on this side of Greece is stunning shaped by the winds coming off the sea and in parts very dramatic . For me Greece is all about having a lovely villa within walking distance to a great little harbour and a small car to explore the island. Complete rest and good food were the order of the day.
Spend the day on Anti-Paxos with not much more to do than sunbathe, swim and enjoy a great lunch.
We have found for the last few years that the earlier you can book for the following summer the better it is for you to get the best choice of flight times, first choice of hotels and villas. Gone are the days of the last minute deals we use to find in conjunction with charter flights which are slowly becoming a thing of the past. We have already started booking for Summer 2017 and in fact a few for 2018… Contact us for fresh ideas 020 8444 4444.
Next stop for me is a ten day safari Tanzania followed by the tropical island of Zanzibar at the end of October, I will keep you posted.
Pauline