We’re officially into summer, yet it was snowing a couple of days ago in Bristol! What is going on?
We’re bored of the cold and want sunshine to focus on, so this month our editorial stars are South Africa and the South of France.
I went to South Africa in 2007 and it blew me away. It really has everything – including movie-star good looks. Tall, rugged mountains; sparkling seas; white, white beaches. Everything feels sunlit and special; I was constantly whipping out my camera (no iPhones then!) for another landscape shot. I loved everything we ate (ostrich steaks, ocean-fresh sushi) and drank (beautiful wines from Stellenbosch). I loved walking on organic farms, the penguins at Boulders Beach, and watching the sun set over Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain. And I barely scratched the surface of it all. Next time I’ll watch whales from Hermanus, track cheetahs in the Great Karoo, and sleep in a treehouse along the Garden Route. (*quick pause to Google flight prices*). In the meantime, I’ll holiday there vicariously.
The south of France may be easier to get to, but it’s just as postcard perfect – my mind conjures up an instant image for each place. There’s Provence, with its lavender-laden fields; the fairytale castle at Carcassonne; the stunning river gorges of the Ardeche and the glamour and buzz of the Cote d’Azur. I loved camping throughout the region as a kid, then staying in crumbling farmhouses with groups of friends in my 20s. But now I want something fancier to visit – like our great portfolio of hotels! We’ve added a really special one today; take a look.
As ever, we’d love to hear from you – come and find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Liz
