Exploring the world, one place at a time
Travelling around Cuba can feel like you've stepped back in time – the iconic classic cars from the 1950s are everywhere, the architecture is from a bygone era and it's perfectly normal to see a horse and cart in the street or a man using oxen to plough his field. The Caribbean island, famous for... Continue Reading →
Just before lunch we headed to the Reunification Palace in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City. Home to the president of South Vietnam in 1975 when the North's tanks came rolling in, it's stood in a virtual time warp ever since. To get to the palace, we walked through the large pale grey gates surrounding it and past an immaculate... Continue Reading →
One of my favourite parts about travelling is the food. I love trying new foods and seeking out regional specialities – and my trips to Japan have been no exception. The first time I went to Japan 10 years ago, my friend and I decided in our wisdom to eat nothing but Japanese food, morning, noon... Continue Reading →
Gin has never been my tipple of choice, I'm more of a rum and tequila girl, but when one of my friends asked if I fancied spending an afternoon making my own gin, I jumped at the chance. The Ginstitute experience at The Portobello Star in London's Notting Hill is essentially a three-hour masterclass in gin – an hour-long... Continue Reading →
My mother is a big Tom Kitchin fan and one of her ambitions is to eat in his restaurant, The Kitchin. Unfortunately it's booked up months in advance and as our trip to Edinburgh was very last minute, I decided to take my mother to the next best thing, Kitchin and Dominic Jack's gastropub The Scran & Scallie.... Continue Reading →
"If you only do one thing when you're in Havana, make sure you go to the Hotel Nacional and sit on the terrace with a cocktail," I was told by a friend-of-a-friend at a wedding a few days before I went to Cuba. And it's how I came to spend my final morning on the... Continue Reading →
Cuba is the home of the mojito, so naturally I made sure to sample as many as possible while there. Keen to recreate this refreshing cocktail at home, I paid attention to how they were made and even had a mojito-making lesson from a barman in Havana. Many Cuban bars use a combination of sugar... Continue Reading →
Steeped in history, the captivating old colonial city of Trinidad is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and with its cobbled streets – complete with cannons that stick out from between the cobbles – and its colourful, characterful buildings it's easy to see why. The Plaza Mayor in the city centre (above) is wonderfully preserved and is home to the lovely Iglesia... Continue Reading →
Little Old World 