What makes us unique?

This post was originally published on this siteThe last day of a holiday can feel a little strange when your flight is not until late. We needed to allow plenty of our time to travel from Fiskardo in the north to Kefalonia’s airport in the south, but equally didn’t want to spend more time than necessary simply waiting in departures. With our luggage with us, but our flight not for some hours, we made one final detour – a meal to bookend our trip. And so, we found ourselves at Sea Salt in Svoronata – a superb little seafood restaurant close enough that we could relax, enjoy a beach and a final dinner, yet still be less than a 10 minute drive from the airport. The food The menu at Sea Salt is Mediterranean at heart but with a precision and playfulness that hints at serious culinary intent. As a fresh fish and seafood restaurant directly overlooking the sea, we strongly recommend sampling the fish, but there are meat options such as the slow-cooked lamb roll stuffed with Kefalonian cheese or the chicken fillet with a romesco sauce. Among our starters were the Mediterranean fig salad, a vibrant heap of

This post was originally published on this siteCruising north, back towards the Scandinavian lands of the midnight sun, we’re sailing from Tallinn towards the Swedish island of Gotland. Half-way through our Crystal Cruises‘ Baltic exploration of medieval cobbled alleys and contemporary eco-architecture, on seas once sailed by Vikings and then Czars, the Serenity has become more than our palatial retreat, it has become our home. Even when we dock at some of Northern Europe’s most spectacular cities, guests linger over their cooked-to-order eggs, sneak in a gym session and catch up on a talk they missed on the ship’s television channel. For all the travel adrenaline of a new port-of-call, it can be hard to disembark. Day 5: Visby, Sweden… almost Dr Jim Rowe’s lecture had raised expectations for our day exploring Visby, on the island of Gotland. “The entire town is recognised by UNESCO. It’s beautiful,” Rowe enthused.  We were looking forward to a day of walking rose-tangled ramparts, on the 13th century walls, with views across a town of medieval beams and cobbles. But a gusting gale and eight-feet waves, conspired to stop us from docking and the Captain declared, as most of us were breakfasting, that it

This post was originally published on this siteCertain destinations seem like secrets the planet itself tries to conceal. The Galapagos Islands — remote, timeless, exotic — is such a destination. As if flung some 600 miles off the coast of mainland Ecuador, this legendary archipelago is not your typical vacation spot; it’s a portal into the distant past, an age when the earth moved to its most primordial beat. Even for travelers who’ve seen the sun set on Paris or the Nile sunrise, the Galapagos is different – something special. It’s unvarnished, authentic, raw. And yet, when blended with the comfort and attention of a premium expedition cruise under the watchful eye of an experienced tour operator, it’s an experience both awe-inspiring and humbling.  An experience that begins before you arrive The greatest thing about an efficiently planned expedition in the islands is that you hardly notice the gears turning in the background. You begin your adventure in earnest in the Ecuadorian city of either Quito or Guayaquil, where your tour staff has already prepared the ground. It’s required. No worries, no hassles, no surprises — only a VIP welcome, private transfers, and luggage that appears exactly where they are

This post was originally published on this siteHaving returned from yet another incredible trip to Greece, I thought I’d share with you some of our favourite places to eat from our latest spell in the South Ionian. This is by no means exhaustive – after all, we had just two weeks and were only able to visit a handful of different islands during that time. But we did enjoy some excellent meals, all special for a variety of different reasons… For superb views: Kastro Cafe, Il Borgo and Olive Lounge, Kastro, Kefalonia During our stay at Angel Pools Villa, we ate at all three eateries in Kastro – all special for different reasons, but all with one thing in common – a wonderful view out towards Argostoli and the Mediterranean beyond. Head to Kastro Cafe for an excellent all-day breakfast, to Il Borgo for a more traditional taverna experience and to Olive Lounge – where it’s recommended to book ahead – for Greek dining that’s a little more upscale and contemporary. For waterfront dining: Lamda Casual Dining, Vasiliki, Lefkada We ate at a few places on the waterfront in Vasiliki but none matched the Greek cuisine we enjoyed at Lamda