With its black and gold stripes, translucent wings and furry body, there is no mistaking the bee. Its hum can strike fear into the hearts of many, provoking a disproportionate fight or flight response often resulting in flailing limbs and a racing heart. I am sure that’s not it’s intention. Unlike the intentions of Napoleon […]
Remarkable Hotel de Russie, Rome
Cats. They divide opinion the world over. Are they lucky or not? In Japanese culture cats are said to bring wealth and good fortune. In England it is considered good luck to present a bride with a black cat on her wedding day. Mind you in Wales, if a young woman steps on a cat’s […]
Sensational Hotel Savoy, Florence
Emilio Pucci once said ‘Gaiety is one of the most important elements I brought to fashion. I brought it through color’. He certainly did. In abundance. The feelings of joy his vibrant designs evoke are testament to what an enigmatic creator he was. First seen on the slopes of Gstaad in 1948, Harpers Bazaar published […]
Resplendent, La Residencia -A Belmond Hotel, Mallorca
As the train pulled away from station, little did seventeen-year-old Axl Ball know that his life and ours, would change forever. Engrossed in the freedom of the swinging sixties, rucksack slung over his shoulder, he had just hopped on a train in Barcelona, or perhaps it was Berlin? We can’t be sure. One thing we […]
In conversation with… Howard Hastings, Managing Director, Hastings Hotel Group
Northern Ireland’s premier hotel group Dr Howard Hastings is the son of a giant in the Northern Irish hospitality sector. Yet he holds his own. Sir William Hastings founded the Hastings Hotel Group more than fifty years ago. The Hastings collection comprises six hotels in Northern Ireland, including the Culloden Estate and Spa and the […]
Charismatic Culloden
Ducks bring joy to the soul, don’t they? And if there is one thing, we all need, now more than ever, it’s a joyful lift. Their vibrant yellow downy plumage billows as they waddle, bright eyed and eager. Strength in numbers, they follow the leader and commit to leaping into choppy waters certain that they […]
Polished Palma. Boutique Hotel Sant Jaume
The cobbles that were once prominent are now smooth. Edges rounded by feet, hooves, and wheels over centuries. Welcome to the old town of Palma, or ‘El Casco Antiguo’. They are shiny now, the cobbles. Polished new, just like the modern shopping district of Sant Nicolas, and the elegant Avenue St Jaume III, neighbours […]
Captivating Castell Son Claret, Mallorca, Spain
The vision of Lycra stretched tight as a drum over bulging biceps and lithe limbs appears to have a special place in the hearts of Mallorcans. You can’t escape them. The cyclists. Spokes whirl at a blistering speed, backs hunch over in a brace position, head down, eyes forward. Ambition and drive unparalleled. Sweat pools […]
In conversation with… Natasha Robertson, Co-Founder of Bramble Ski
Monday afternoons have a propensity to be dreary. The weekend come down begins on a Sunday night. By Monday morning, the freshness of a new week can be somewhat dulled by a lack of enthusiasm for the tasks ahead. Not this Monday. It was resuscitated by a conversation with the vibrant Natasha Robertson, Co-Founder of […]
Rocco Forte, Verdura Resort – Sicily
The first inkling that you are nearing the soul soothing sanctuary of Verdura Resort are the flags. Fluttering wildly in the south westerly wind, the colours catch the eye immediately, vibrant, regal, and alive on the beige canvas of the landscape. They signal the entrance, a pathway carved out of the countryside that leads you […]
