In a moment of enthusiasm I decided a biking tour would be a good way to check out this famous wine producing area of Italy not realising just how hilly it was.  We sweated up hill and cooled off speeding down-hill, but all the exercise did enable us to eat spectacularly well at Michelin starred restaurants soaking up the chunky red wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. Producers were welcoming and the tour is taking shape.  Our hotels ranged from the naturally charming Villa Amelia to simple village B&Bs and after ten days of exercise it was time to relax beside the sea.  From the pretty car-free village of Camogli, we walked along steep coastal tracks, checked to make sure the Hotel Splendido was still as glamorous as ever and of course shopped in Portofino. A highlight was Genoa, a city that lived up to my expectations with its striking duomo and historic shipping associations.

Taking advantage of the wonderful summer weather, I took clients on a whirl wind tour from London to Scotland and Norfolk.  We sped north to the Lake District to walk in  Little Langdale, where my family has a stunning cottage once owned by Beatrix Potter.  I used the opportunity to check up on areas I once knew well, see friends and stay in some glorious country pubs and hotels ranging from Arts & Crafts in the Borders to grand Yorkshire castles plus a seaside moment in Norfolk to see the pictures at Houghton. It was a useful and enjoyable reminder of the wonders of this country, its gardens and houses.

Having completed a three week tour of Laos, Cambodia and Thailand (see Past Tours),I took some time off with the opportunity to visit areas new to me. The highlight remained exploring the remoter parts of Angkor Wat with its over-grown empty temples, so different from the thronging hordes clambering about the more accessible and well-known ones. I biked round Siem Reap enjoying the shady roads and charming Cambodian friendliness.  Koh Samui turned out to be an island I definitely do not wish to return to, but my stay at the Orient-Express hotel was a delightful rest and a day yachting amongst the nearby islands was peaceful – a relief from the garish advertising plastered everywhere.  I checked out each of the top-end hotels on the island, from the Four Seasons to W Hotel, but each was simply a big soulless machine.  The weather was of course glorious: beach lounging and dining became increasingly seductive as my holiday days sped past and return to London loomed ever nearer.