Wednesday 3 February 2010

Napa & Sonoma Valley in California by Annie Clougherty

Flying into San Francisco, a one and a half hour drive takes you to the Napa Valley, a beautiful countryside area located in Northern California. As one of the most successful wine growing regions in the world it offers temperate weather and rolling hills filled with lush vineyards and black oak trees reminiscent of the French countryside. There are many famous wineries ranging from the large estates of Domain Chandone and wine caves to mid-size and smaller family owned wineries such as Mondavi. When you visit the Wine Country you will find many relaxing activities and chances to see both the natural history of cities such as the original library building on main street in downtown Napa, to the original wineries from the early days located in the town of Oakville.

This region of the USA is different to the usual tourist areas. There are no ‘chain’ restaurants but small locally owned eateries offering fresh local produce and, of course, wine to go with each different course you eat.

Every visit to this area should include the beautiful Sonoma Valley. The Sonoma countryside is filled with lush rolling hills similar to the Napa Valley and the seasons bring a colourful array of flowers in spring and autumn. Known for the arts and wine Sonoma includes such attractions as it's unique picturesque downtown square which is laid out in the old Spanish Pueblo style, and Luther Burbank Centre for the Arts, The Mission Adobe, as well as wine tasting rooms in the town and some of the most prominent wineries in the region nearby. A train through a working vineyard was very interesting and showed the journey from ’grape to glass’!

We stayed in the Fairmont Mission Inn and Spa and the spa is the one of the best I have ever visited - and I have tried quite a few!


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"An Italian Trilogy" (Siena, Florence and Rome) by Cheryl Locke

I was thrilled to have the opportunity during 2009 to visit 3 of the most beautiful Italian cities. Siena, a fabulous Tuscan town, is a mediaeval oasis steeped in history, art and tradition. The ’Palio’ horse races held in the wonderful Piazza del Campo creates an electric atmosphere in July and August, whilst the vineyards of Chianti, the tower of Pisa and the walled city of Lucca are all close by to visit.

Florence, the city of Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Giotto, Dante and their patrons, the Medici family, is home to museums, palaces, and churches housing some of the greatest artistic treasures in the world. The most popular and important sites in Florence include the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Uffizi, the Bargello & the Accademia. Wander some of the oldest streets in the city until you reach the Arno River, cross the Ponte Vecchio and experience the ‘newest’ area of Florence, the Oltrarno.

Rome is an unforgettable city, rich with relics of 2,000 years of history and, after the face-lift it received for the 2000 celebrations, this wonderful city is looking better than ever. I would recommend a guided city tour to ensure that the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia and St.Paul’s Basilica are all visited, along with the invaluable information gained from the very experienced guides.


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Prague by Annette Ross


With a journey time of just under 2 hours, Prague is an ideal weekend city break destination. To visit Prague is to be transported back into the heart of Europe in the late Middle Ages. Prague’s skyline is completely unspoilt — the only favour that communism provided was to
prevent any development, hence the lack of new buildings leaving its architectural legacy intact.
Prague is divided into two by the lovely River Vltava, the hilly left bank contains the castle and the imposing St Vitas Cathedral and Mala Strana full of 18th Century mansions, baroque gardens and narrow cobbled streets. The right bank—the Jewish quarter—is home to the graceful Old Town Square with its famous town hall clock which puts on a show at the striking of the hour.

Eating out is still cheap and Prague is renowned for its excellent beer and cheap wine. A beer is approximately 90p to £1.25 a litre. Prague has a rich and varied cultural life with links to
Mozart, Handel and Beethoven. It hosts a Spring Musical Festival in May, a Mozart Festival from mid-June to early July and an International Jazz Festival in October.

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Antigua & British Virgin Islands In A Nutshell by Anita Crowson

In May 2009 I had the opportunity to visit Antigua and the British Virgin Islands. I experienced how easy it was to island-hop with LIAT offering flights between a total of 22 destinations within the Caribbean (many of these directly from their hubs on Antigua, Barbados or Trinidad).

Antigua, otherwise known as the "Heart of the Caribbean” is the largest of the English-speaking Leeward Islands. It is about 14 miles long and 11 miles wide. Historical forts, sugar mills, museums and harbours may not sound like your idea of a tropical holiday destination but, put them together on a Caribbean island along with its 365 beaches (a different one for every day of the year), hidden coves and secret inlets, this is a perfect place to relax and unwind. A highlight for me was the Sunday night 'jump-up' on Shirley Heights. You watch the beautiful sunset over English Harbour while sipping rum punch and listening to steel band music before a delicious barbecue and party time to a local reggae band.

The British Virgin Islands are a glorious cluster of some 60 secluded islands for those seeking relaxation and tranquility, with little development apart from a handful of outstanding resorts – the tourist board justifiably calls the British Virgin
Islands "nature's little secrets". Barefoot luxury is the order of the day and you'll find it hard to resist the crystal clear waters, whether it's for a spot of snorkelling,
scuba-diving or sailing (which is amongst the best in the world). The sheer natural beauty is breathtaking and my favourite memories are hearing the click of the hermit crabs going back into their shells, exploring one of the many trails on Biras Creek and zipping across the ocean waves on my Boston Whaler dinghy – the reefs are so healthy and the water is so clear. I felt I was truly a million miles away from real life.


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Seychelles by Bridget Keevil


In May 2009 I went to the Seychelles courtesy of Sunset Faraway Holidays. We travelled from London Heathrow with Air Seychelles, which now all route via Zurich. Although this adds a good hour and a half onto the journey, it is the only direct option from the UK. The food and service were very good, and as it was a night flight, sleep was the order of the day (or night!).

Mahe is one of the most beautiful little airports I have arrived into, with thatched cottages in the arrivals hall. Everything here is set up for a swift exit, so it wasn’t long before we were on our way to St Anne’s private jetty. St Anne’s is on its own island, but with a launch that takes around 15 minutes to get to the mainland, so the best of both worlds. It is a beautiful lush island, with amazing flora and fauna. The accommodations and food are excellent, and is an all round good choice. There is a good choice of restaurants, and the facilities available will suit most requirements.

We then flew on to Denis Island, which is a thirty minute flight from Mahe, on a very small aircraft, landing on a grass strip! The manager comes to meet the flight every day on his bicycle, so this gives an indication of the laid back atmosphere and the attention that is given to customers. It is a very eco friendly island, with half of it given up to growing their own produce, farming animals and making furniture. There are only 25 villas on the island, with no TV’s – so it really is back to nature here. The island is also home to many rare birds, and the diving is rumoured to be amongst the best in the world.

The choice here in the Seychelles is vast, with either hotels on the many islands or the mainland. It is a beautiful country, with scenery far exceeding my expectations.

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AUSTRALIA By Bridget Keevil


In March 2009 I embarked on a tour of Australia, meeting my daughter who was already over there. It was a hastily arranged tour – just the week before I departed – so there is no reason why anyone would think they have left things too late if they decide to go! My itinerary was Perth, Ayers Rock, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. I had given myself a month to do this, with no stopovers in either direction. I had tried to work out what I wanted to do in each location, so as to maximise the time I had. Although four weeks sounds a long time, there is so much to see and do, it is essential you know what are your “must-do’s” before picking a number of nights out of a hat.

I hired a car in Perth, and drove down to Cape Leeuwin and then back up to Perth over four days. It was beautiful countryside, and very easy to drive, being right hand drive as we are. Perth is a super city, well worth a visit, and the gateway to amazing self drives or tours, both north and south.

From here, we flew to Ayers Rock – a place which is on many people’s list! And it did not disappoint. Amazing. We also took in Kings Canyon and Alice Springs, but this will depend on the time you have for your whole holiday and what else you need to do.

Adelaide and Melbourne are both cities that are worth visiting, and very different from each other. The choice of tours and excursions from here are vast, with some fabulous wildlife experiences such as Philip Island Fairy Penguins from Melbourne.

Sydney is a city that I will never tire of. Its vibrancy and atmosphere are unlike any I have experienced. There is so much to see and do, so many restaurants to eat al fresco, and so many adventures to experience. A month here would not be too long!

The last flight within Australia was to Brisbane – all internal flights were with Qantas, all were on time, all were comfortable and had good service. Another city, and another different experience. All very worth the time, and all very different from the last.

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