Finding a good hotel in Paris can be a nightmare. There are over 1,500 hotels in the first seven arrindissments of Paris alone. For us, we’ve had the whole spectrum of experiences in past visits to Paris: good hotels, bad hotels, cheap hotels and very much over-priced ones too. And battling through the assault course of … Read more
We’re finally here: the City of Lights – Paris. The ace of hearts! Romance central. It’s our first time driving into Paris together… It’s not a lot of fun. I enjoy the challenge of avoiding insane drivers, and Mrs Romance has fun finding out which way we should go, but finding a gas station to … Read more
Our train finally pulls into the station in Nice. It’s been a long journey so far and there’s still a way to go before bedtime. We’ve taken advantage of the 3G on our Italian sim cards and have been hunting for accommodation in Provence since we left Genoa. Through AirBnB.com – a company we’ve used a … Read more
The Gate Pub in Chorleywood, England has done extremely well to revamp itself. Going from tired old pub – or the Jenny Wren as it used to be – to the comfy welcoming country inn with a bistro menu and good ales on tap. We popped in for a late light lunch and a beer … Read more
For our last-minute trip to Milan for fashion week, it was tricky finding accommodation that wasn’t ridiculously expensive, or completely booked out. Thanks to Schwarzkopf, we were lucky to get a great room at the Best Western Galles Hotel* in Milan. The hotel exceeded our expectations, especially when we found out it used to be a … Read more
We leave Venice and head north and east for Trieste. The two-hour train ride doesn’t seem to take that long – we’re really looking forward to seeing our friends Cristina and Daniele and visiting this pretty little port town. It’s been a long time since I was last here. Castello de Miramare is just as beautiful, … Read more
Lake Como. Our minds were full of elegant meals by the edge of misty waters, of cocktails at sunset with the sun setting over the mountains, of little boats playing in the shining surface of one of the world’s most glamorous lakes. And George Clooney. Como failed in only one respect. George wasn’t home. The … Read more
We head east to one of the world’s most romantic cities: Venice. Straight from Santa Lucia train station, we’re met by the busy waterfront of one of Venice’s main vaporetto ports, Ferrovia. From here you can get to pretty much anywhere in Venice. For us, we are heading to Ca d’Oro to our AirBnB accommodation. … Read more
Everyone needs a holiday now and then, don’t we? When the people of Milan get tired of the elegance, fashion and sophistication of their hometown, they head straight for Milano Centrale train station and Lake Como. Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our … Read more
Pubs are like cultural fingerprints in England. Every one of them is different but at the same time, they all tell a story of what the country’s about. Some of them are great, some of them are terrible. Some are new, some are incredibly old. The Churchill Arms in Kensington is one of the good, … Read more