Wine tasting in the Bekaa Valley

"A nose of rain on wood, tobacco and oranges, while in the mouth, it is all berries and chocolate"

The wine in question is made in the Bekaa valley of Lebanon and as a friend of mine is moving there soon I felt the temptation to visit and try it for myself was too delicious to resist.


Using the wine journalist and author of Wines of Lebanon, Michael Karam as my virtual guide, I started to research my trip.


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Books that inspire you to travel

As I enjoy reading & travelling I thought I might double the enjoyment by finding some books to insire my travels. I don't mean the trusty Lonely Planet or Footprint guide, but rather a novel or travel account that will let you can soak up the atmosphere before you even reach the airport, or even add a little spice to the experience while you are there.

On my wish list for places to visit in 2008 are Rome (taking my 11 year old son there for a long weekend), Lebanon (friend moving there soon), Ethiopia (friends who do aid work may be sent there) and Malaysia (possible family holiday this summer).

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Happy Hostelling in Cornwall

Every year since my husband turned 40 I've booked a youth hostel for a weekend break in February with a group of friends. Mostly we've sampled the youth hostels of Cornwall and had a great time - the shared food, wine and company of old friends outweighing the odd cold shower or broken oven. However, last year I'd vowed that it would be the last - with all our children now becoming picky teenagers, the struggle of getting everyone to commit was proving to be too much of a challenge.

However, with plans for Christmas and New Year sorted my thoughts started to turn to the dreary days of February and how to get through the grey winter months. Perhaps it would be nice after all to have a friendly gathering in Cornwall to look forward to - and aren't the skys always brighter in Cornwall than the dull Bristol cityscape?



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New Year in the forest (1)

In her 20s, my sister Jennifer fell in love with all things Greek, including her husband Denis. She's now happily settled on the island of Zachynthos with 3 children, 2 dogs, several chickens and 2 hotels to run. Often she brings her family back to visit us after Christmas and this year we are planning a get together over New Year.


When she consulted me on the best place for us to gather, I thought about a large country house, perhaps by the sea with roaring log fires and mulled wine to see the New Year in. But the reality of keeping several teenagers entertained cut in and we slightly regretfully settled on Centerparcs at Longleat. I say slightly regretfully because my husband, whose tastes tend towards the wild and windswept places, finds the place somewhat contolled and contrived. We once took a break there when the children were younger which was a great success for everyone but him, except for the hair-raising incident when the bikes almost came flying off the roof-rack on the journey down. The only drawback on this occasion was the price which seemed extortionate, even for New Year, but luckily our parents were feeling in a generous mood to help out.

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Christmas Shopping in Quito

Many of my friends have visited the Christmas markets of Germany and Scandanavia at this time of year and come back with some wonderful and original presents. I've always preferred to seek the sun as the days get colder and during a trip to Ecuador in October this year I was also determined to make the most of the shopping opportunities.


Anyone visiting South America will have experienced the amazing textiles, jewellery and handicrafts that are found in street stalls and open air markets, so it seemed a great opportunity to combine my holiday with a spot of retail therapy. With the dollar so strong, the prices seemed a snip compared to the more predictable shopping spree in New York.

I started off in the Marichal Sucre, the 'new town' of Quito where many tourists stay and found some amazing souvenir shops. Avenue Juan Mera, although not quite Bond Street, was a well trodden route for the souvenir hunter. Leaving nothing to chance I made a long list of sisters, parents, in-laws, teenage nieces and nephews to buy for, not to mention a few treats I hoped to find for myself.


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