Stand completely still. Listen carefully. Gather your heightened senses; see, hear, smell, taste. Red desert dust escapes skyward. Rustling and grunting ensue. Scratching and snorting. Your eyes dart around, trying to lock eyes on the target. Through the pamplemousse grass, past the ornamental pots and exotic flowers. Breathing slows. Sweat trickles. Suddenly, without hesitation, and […]
Cape Grace – Cape Town, South Africa
‘You have to stay here at least once in your lifetime’. That’s the tag line. As plumes of grey smoke and the thunderous boom of the Noon Gun forever consign the Cape Grace and Cape Town firmly to memory, I’m tagged, I’m staying here at least once in my lifetime. What a magnificent beginning. The […]
Gran Hotel Inglés, Madrid
It doesn’t often rain in Madrid. It’s known to, but not often. The ominous, heaving, dark clouds could’ve spelt the beginning of a rather damp weekend. But they didn’t. They couldn’t. Nothing could have dampened the soul and sunshine emanating from the Gran Hotel Inglés. If anything, it prompted a jolly ‘awe well, we’ll have […]
Shangri-La Hotel, London
Idris Elba, the startlingly beautiful English actor, DJ, musician, writer and entrepreneur, leans seductively against the seemingly never ending glass (this writer has her biases #SorryNotSorry). St Paul’s Cathedral swims into view. He glances back earnestly over his shoulder, down the lens of a camera. He is on the 39th floor for a photoshoot for […]
Four Seasons Hotel, Boston
Slightly to the right is Beacon Hill, with its gas lit streets and brick sidewalks. Newbury Street, overflowing with haute couture and en-pointe eateries is to the left. In front, is Boston Public Garden, the first public botanical garden in America, right beside Boston Common, the oldest city park in America. Perfectly poised in the […]
Captain’s House Inn, Chatham, MA
Latitude: 41.6921007 Longitude: -69.9562078, Captains House Inn. When the Mayflower neared America’s coast line, her intention was not to land in Cape Cod. Luckily, she did, bringing with her, 101 passengers. The decision to sail to America was a last resort for a group of English Protestants. Wanting more religious freedom, the pilgrims moved from […]
Nobnocket Inn, Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Gazing out from the top deck of the ferry, excitement rises, as land ebbs into focus. The outline of the vintage, white picket fences, bobbing boats and luscious green foliage draws closer. This is Vineyard Haven, one of the six main towns on Martha’s Vineyard. Martha’s Vineyard, or ‘the Vineyard’, is an island located south […]
Hotel Cala Di Volpe – The Shimmering Costa Esmeralda, Sardinia
Cala di Volpe, or the Bay of the Fox is a seductive, secluded, sultry enclave hidden in the eastern corner of Sardinia. Its where its namesake, the Cala Di Volpe Hotel, was born, during the hedonistic era of the sixties; a playground for the Aga Khan and his equally exuberant friends. Designed in 1963 by […]
Pine Cliffs Resort, Algarve. The Luxury Collection.
Stepping onto the tarmac at Faro airport, it’s the heat. It sweeps you off your feet. Still floating, and with a rising delight, you arrive at one of Europe’s most indulgent resorts – the Algarve. Beaches, seafood, golf… and oranges. Greeted by the driver in Arrivals, then whisked to a gleaming white Mercedes, your chariot […]
Dromoland Castle Hotel & Country Estate, Ireland
The gentleman waits patiently at the looming metal gates with a clipboard. No ordinary clipboard; gold embossed, with Dromoland Castle emblazoned across the front. Meet the gateman. Dressed in red, hat tilted to perfection, he welcomes you to the Narnia that is Dromoland Castle. Past the gate, the journey begins. Driving along landscaped paths, past […]