Travel, life, loves and laughs.
The Ripe Organic Markets popped up at the Omega Dubai Ladies Classic this weekend at Emirates Golf Club. In truth it is a bit of an accident that we ended up here. My husband is playing golf (again) although not at this club and I had been on the look out for some local Christmas markets to take the kids to – partly to get us out of the house and partly so that we could get in for the all important Santa visit this year.… Read the rest
National Day has been on my radar for about a month. I knew it was coming, having looked into the background for a street being called “2nd December Street” earlier on in the year, the next sign came on the 1st of November when all the Halloween decorations came down and flags went up everywhere – on buildings, schools, in the shops, on houses and on people – in the form of scarves, pins and t-shirts. … Read the rest
I’m still buzzing from the incredible experience of swimming with dolphins at the Dubai Dolphinarium. We had set the day aside early last month after birthday ‘season’ in our household (our two boys as well as my birthday, and incidentally father’s day, all fall in the same week). … Read the rest
Sandy Beach Hotel in Al Aqah, Fujariah boasts direct access to Snoopy Island, a rocky outcrop just off the mainland in the Gulf of Oman. Great for snorkelling, beach play, paddle boarding and family fun.… Read the rest
A day out at Tyntesfield is one for the whole family. This exquisite Victorian Gothic Revival estate includes a grand home, complete with its own chapel on a sprawling estate where you can play hide and seek between the trees and stop for a spot to eat while the children climb around the playground and explore the hothouse plants.… Read the rest
It’s a beautiful, if a little crisp, Bristol morning. We’re off to Kings Western for the junior park run. My friend Alison used to run these in Brisbane when Miranda and Jasper were little, now it’s the children’s turn.… Read the rest
If there’s one thing Italy does well (after gelato), it’s Villas. Villa d’Este was a fantastic example of this, Villa Borghese is another. Whilst the Palazzos and Castellos are interesting and impressive, the villa gives way from the regal, political and military to a more laid back take on Italian lifestyle, architecture and the outdoors, namely a garden. … Read the rest
The alarm rouses me from sleep for a day at Villa d’Este and the first thing I feel is my aching feet, sore from a couple of weeks of walking. Not that I don’t like walking, I do, I like it a lot, especially when exploring new and wonderful places.… Read the rest
The sun beats down on Athens and the temperature rises although I’m too preoccupied to notice. Still high from the delights of Mykonos and keen to start exploring an entirely new city, I haven’t given much thought to the realities of today. … Read the rest
The incredible Renaissance castle, Castello Odescalchi, sits in the heart of Bracciano and has borne witness to centuries of change. As we arrive in Bracciano on the first leg of our Summer Holidays, it greets us, presiding over the piazza as we unload our bags, the boys too tired to notice, me bewitched and speechless at the sight. … Read the rest