Her Grand Tour

22/11/2020

Love this! I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Yiorgos and his family when I was in Rethymno in July and hung out with them all morning. Easily the best baklava I've had in my life - and directly opposite the incredible Veneto Hotel & Restaurant Rethymno Crete.

03/05/2020

New post! Missing so much lately, so I finally got around to writing about the incredible wine bar I discovered there, Enoteca EVOÈ. Cannot wait to visit again someday soon! 😍🍷😍

Some insight into Sicily's rich wine history, and why you should drink it all at this gorgeous haven of Sicilian vino.

13/04/2020

One of my favourite places in Cinque Terre, Nessun Dorma Cinque Terre, has put together these amazing gourmet food boxes. Enjoy a proper Italian aperitivo at your home while supporting this stunning restaurant and wine bar which has had to close its doors during the coronavirus crisis.
Prices include shipping to anywhere in Europe, Canada, or the USA!

Keep tasting Cinque Terre with the Nessun Dorma box: our fine selection of food and wine delivered to your house. Check it out!

10/04/2020

If you're looking for books to read during , one of my favourite novels set in (by the fantastic Gregory Dowling) is currently available as a free eBook through the link below. I guarantee you'll be purchasing the sequel the second you finish it!

Read "Ascension The Times History Book of the Month" by Gregory Dowling available from Rakuten Kobo. Wonderful . . . I loved being transported to my favourite time in my favourite city' - ANDREA DI ROBILANT' A special thr...

09/04/2020

Going through old-ish travel notes on my phone, and just found this gem from my first day in Athens.
Pulling these notes, thoughts, and photos together so I can *finally* get some new blog posts up this week!

"Greece, day one:
UV index 10, which means you shouldn’t be outside unless you’re fully Mediterranean.
It’s so hot I bought an actual toga and I'm wearing it in public because it’s light and airy and the Greeks invented philosophy and politics so who am I to doubt their choice in apparel?
Is there an hour in this country where people stop drinking ouzo... because I want to only be out at that hour and no other hours.
The weirdest thing I’ve ever put in my mouth is halva, but I’d do it again.
Nobody prepared me for how many cats there are here.
Beginning to believe I could very happily survive on yoghurt, honey, and pistachios.
If there were an iced coffee olympics, the Greeks would win gold every time."

06/03/2020

One of my favourite shops in Venice, Plum Plum Creations, is offering an online discount over the next month! If you're unable to visit Italy right now or (like me) feel horrible about what virus related panic is doing to the Italian economy and amazing small businesses, why not treat yourself to something beautiful?

Oh well, you have to start somewhere... and then, if you don't come to Venice, Venice will come to you! :)

From today and until April 6th, for purchases of minimum 25 euro of PRINTS AND REPRODUCTIONS, you can take advantage of a 25% discount by entering the coupon code PLUM25 at checkout.

Have you always thought that one of my prints would look really good hanging in the living room or in the kitchen? Well, then this is really an opportunity not to be missed!

Prints page: https://www.plumplumcreations.com/product-category/printmaking/ for the prints
Reproduction page: https://www.plumplumcreations.com/product-category/reproductions/

-------------------

Oh beh, da qualche parte bisogna pur cominciare... e allora, se voi non venite a Venezia, Venezia viene da voi! :)

Da oggi e fino al 6 Aprile, per acquisti di minimo 25 euro di STAMPE E RIPRODUZIONI, potete usufruire di uno sconto del 25% inserendo al checkout il codice coupon PLUM25.

Avete sempre pensato che una delle mie stampe starebbe proprio bene in salotto o in cucina? Bene, allora questa è davverou un'occasione da non perdere!

Pagina delle stampe: https://www.plumplumcreations.com/it/categoria-prodotto/incisioni/
Pagina delle Riproduzioni: https://www.plumplumcreations.com/it/categoria-prodotto/riproduzioni/

17/11/2019

There are many ways you can help and the Venetians right now. This is the fund I have chosen to donate to, as I know Sebastian and Valeria from Venezia Autentica - Discover and Support the Authentic Venice will ensure the money is distributed wisely, fairly, and effectively.

Valeria and Sebastian at Venezia Autentica Help locals affected by the Venice flooding Help Venetians recover from the 2nd worst acqua alta "high tide" in

22/06/2019

Yet another reason why love locks are truly fu***ng stupid. Spend your money on a romantic dinner or drink, not on buying an overpriced lock and leaving it somewhere you'll never visit again. 🙄

17/06/2019

This. ❤️

Ireland is currently in the grips of a housing crisis, with homelessness topping a record 10,000 people, according to housing charities.

14/06/2019

Girl in Florence serving you the reality of Italy in the summer.

My lifesavers have been mosquito repellant in at least ten different forms + ALL of the granitas + avoid anything on the 'top ten must see' lists like the plague.

Lately my inbox has been inundated with people asking for advice on traveling to Italy...

14/06/2019

Solid recommendations from Secret London including my home town, .

We’ve made a list of the best places for a UK city break, besides London. Whether you’re looking for somewhere ...

24/05/2019

Exceptional content from British Museum today.

24/05/2019

My latest superpower is getting into palazzos in Sicily which are privately owned and openly against having visitors. I really should have used these A* level research, recon, and persuasion skills for something important... but instead I am going to hang out in baroque ballrooms.

If you have a palazzo, I will see your palazzo.
Thank u, next.

18/05/2019

Jesus take the wheel 🤦‍♀️

Under a new partnership announced by the United States Embassy in Vienna, American citizens can go to any of the 194 fast-food restaurants to seek help.

12/05/2019

Just booked a ticket to see some random Italian boy band in the Ancient Greek Theatre in Taormina.

10/05/2019

On a scale from "all of the flesh on your body being roasted from the blazing heat radiating off of Athenian marble, with no shade to be found - only more marble" to "hungover and sweating red wine in the atrocious humidity of Rome in August while tiger mosquitos devour every inch of your body" ... how hot do we think the Southern coast of will be in late July?

Am I crazy for even considering this? Will I probably do it anyway? Surely I've survived worse?

05/05/2019

One of the top questions I get asked (after "when will you be finished with your PhD" - a question that might get you killed, and "are you sure you should be drinking another glass of wine") is "what are the best restaurants in Venice?"

No fussy Michelin stars here, just five of my favourite places for truly great food and a lovely atmosphere - including Paradiso Perduto, Al timon, Ostaria Al Diavolo & L' Aguasanta, La Colonna, and Alla Vedova.

Yum.

Seafood, traditional Venetian cuisine, enormous steaks, the best cake in the entire world, and a guaranteed hangover. What's not to love?

27/04/2019

Happy Birthday to one of my favourite badass bi***es of history. ❤️

‘There must be more equality established in society, or morality will never gain ground’

Mary Wollstonecraft was born in 1759.

A philosopher, writer and advocate of women’s rights, Wollstonecraft is best known for her book, ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’. First published in 1792, it was a ground-breaking work of literature.

This print was made by Anna Lea Merritt in the late 19th century http://ow.ly/zDEl30oycrd

26/04/2019

As a frequent traveller, I always do my best to make only a positive impact on the places I visit and to encourage and educate others to do the same. That being said, I've been increasingly concerned lately about the impact tourism has on so many places in the world. We know the natural environment is in huge danger, but tourism also causes damage to the built environment - to cities, to the people who live in them, to their mental and physical health.

I look forward to seeing what Responsible Travel has to say on Monday. I hope we can all band together to find solutions which lessen these various threats while still allowing us to see the world - even if it means travelling less often.

🌎

12/04/2019

I present to you: A Beginner's Guide to .

A completely incomplete history of the palace (including swamps, tiny dick syndrome, and gypsy death curses), an itinerary that will save you from the crowds, and plenty of other practical and impractical information.

You are most welcome.

A completely incomplete history of the palace (including swamps, tiny dick syndrome, and gypsy death curses), plus top tips for avoiding the crowds.

10/04/2019

S**t like this makes me want to quit my job and start a new career in investigative journalism.

Since a Saudi royal, most likely the crown prince, paid $450 million for “Salvator Mundi,” it has vanished from view, and museums hoping to show it say they don’t know where it is.

04/04/2019

I've been back from Lisbon for nearly two weeks now (the agony) and I'm really missing my nightly glass(es) of wine at Alfama Gourmet. Shout out to the owner, Nuno, for being such a star.

If you've never been to , I can't recommend it highly enough. Seemingly endless sunshine, incredible people, ridiculously good shopping, and some of the best food I've had in my entire life (and I spend a lot of time in Italy). Portuguese posts coming soon!
🇵🇹

03/04/2019

Forever grateful to Luca's Italy for all of his posts - but particularly his insights into the Venetian language. I've always been fascinated by Venetian and keen to learn what I can of it, but the only learning tool I've ever been able to find (besides nagging my Venetian friends) is a Venetian-English dictionary. Thank you, Luca, for sharing the context and history of this beautiful language, and for being far more entertaining and instructive than my dictionary!

Èsser is one of the most important words in Venetian. Venetians use it to express their very identity and the Venetian language is littered with it.

28/03/2019

No woman is responsible for harassment or any other violent act against her. But experienced travelers and government agencies show how to travel as safely as possible.

14/03/2019

Things I love:
Garlic, coriander, seafood, free wine, pineapples.

Things Portuguese people love:
Garlic, coriander, seafood, giving me free wine, pineapples.

Are we in love? Because I feel like we’re in love.

14/03/2019

Lisbon: Day One. It would appear as though the Portuguese are on the same exact clock as the Venetians. Everything takes “30 minutes”. That place next door? 30 minutes to get there. Going to Porto? 30 minutes.

11/03/2019

I'll be jetting off to Lisbon, Sintra, and Sao Miguel Island later this week. If any of you lovely people have suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Obrigada! 🇵🇹

09/03/2019

"Why is it that a woman travelling alone, as I have often done for months at a time, is perceived to be “brave”, whereas men who travel alone are entirely unremarkable? Besides, in my case at least, it’s not true. You are only brave or courageous when you are afraid of something but still do it anyway. I have never been afraid of travelling alone. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t things along the way that cause me deep fear, such as overloaded buses with bald tyres on mountain roads with sheer drops, but being by myself out in the world has never scared me."

Happy International Women's Day to all of my fellow lady travellers ❤️

Solo travel is on the rise, especially among women, but Rosita Boland has always found it the most adventurous and rewarding way to see the world

04/03/2019

Icelanders have all of the fun.

Bolladagur is Iceland's bun day where bakers all across the country will create belicious choux bun pasteries known as Bolla

28/02/2019

Who are the idiots that fell out of love with pasta to begin with?

They are rejecting clean eating and queueing around the block for plates of pasta. But is the trend due to the rise of Instagram or vegetarianism?