TRAVEL

Inspiration for your post-Covid getaway: fly off to Flanders

Image: Jorn Urbain

SID RAGHAVA extols the virtues of glorious Ghent

Belgium is quite a small country. Around 11 million people occupy a rather small western part of the European mainland sandwiched between France to the south and the Netherlands to the north. Yet its capital Brussels houses the headquarters of the European Commission, hosts the Council of the European Union, and the European Council, and is also home to one of two seats of the European Parliament. The country is also the birthplace of popular cultural icons like Tintin and the Smurfs and culinary treats such as waffles and fries. Let’s not forget the staggering number of quality beers that come out of this country – more variety than anywhere else in the world – and arguably the best quality brews too, paired with some of the most ingenious glassware to aid consumption. And then there are the famous artists – Rubens, Breughel and the Van Eyck brothers to name a few – who rivalled the best in Europe and the World. This small country is essentially a tale of two provinces: the French-speaking Wallonia in the south and the Dutch or Flemish speaking Flanders. The latter has always been, in my humble view, the most underrated part of Europe. Yes people visit Flanders in droves and we are all very familiar with Ghent, Antwerp and Bruges but do we really appreciate the contribution that this smaller of the two provinces has made to the world as a whole? Take a closer look at the history and culture of this beautiful part of western Europe and you won’t find another region that has regularly punched above its weight in these ways, time and time again. Its art and architecture rivalled the best of Italy and on the economic front, there was a time when this was the wealthiest part of the world. Since we will most likely be shunning travel to faraway countries in the aftermath of Covid-19 (at least in 2021), it’s best to look at nearby options and rediscover the brilliance of Europe. We will aim to cover one city in Flanders in every edition this year to highlight this wonderful part of the continent. The first part is a quick guide to Ghent – a city which has so much to do that almost all visitors keep coming back; the allure remains and there’s always something more to discover.

The most obvious thing about Ghent is the sheer accessibility and proximity of various attractions. It boasts the largest pedestrian-friendly area of Europe by percentage, so walking around from one highlight to the other is never a chore. Likewise, cyclists will also feel positively at home and renting one is a piece of cake. Boats, taxis, trains – public transportation is never a problem and you will always feel close enough to Ghent-Sint-Pieters railway station. Then there are waterways and canals all around the city that have been instrumental in making the city what it is today. For a city that offers the arts, fashion, history, beauty and architecture, it is no surprise that there are several tour options from the most professional of guides. So what did we discover on our last – but certainly not ‘the’ last – trip to Ghent?

Music to our ears

Unesco recognises Ghent as a ‘Creative City of Music’ mostly because of its world-class infrastructure, which includes everything from bandstands, public venues and stages and a diverse network of cafés, art centres and concert halls. It is home to several large and small festivals including Ghent Jazz Festival, the Festival of Flanders and Ghent Festivities. Current bands

from the city, like Balthazar, benefit extensively from this hugely effective system. All music fans should visit the Bijloke Music Centre. The former infirmary has been transformed into a concert hall with the most thrillingly unique acoustics. Put succinctly, it is a combination of medieval and 17th- and 19th-century buildings connected by a 21st-century walkway. De Bijloke Muziekcentrum, 2 Jozef Kluyskensstraat, www.bijloke.be

Water rats, ahoy!

Ghent is a free-spirited city which was originally built at the confluence of the Lys and Scheldt rivers where St Amand built St Bavo’s Abbey. Water is the enduring lifeline of everything around the city and for swimming enthusiasts, there is Portus Ganda, a marina that houses a wondrous art-deco Van Eyck swimming pool. Simply breathtaking. 2 Veermanplein, www. portusganda.be

Masterpiece

St Bavo’s Cathedral is home to the world-famous The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Van Eyck’s masterpiece. The Ghent Altarpiece is one of the most influential paintings of all time with its polyptych re-imaginings of the stories of the Bible on no less than 20 panels. Standing a gigantic 4.4 by 3.4 metres high and wide, it is a remarkable amalgamation of fine detail and translucence which gives it a mysterious glow. Sint-Baafsplein www. sintbaafskathedraal.be

A foot in the past and an eye to the future

Quite comfortably the best and most famous museum of its kind in the whole of Belgium, Design Museum in Ghent houses extensive collections from the 15th century to the present. Their core aim is to promote and strengthen Belgian design culture and highlight modern themes including sustainability, mobility and smart technology. The emphasis on the future of design is omnipresent. Two ongoing exhibitions to look forward to in the summer concern the evolution of the humble desk and another about visionary interior design. 5 Jan Breydelstraat, www. designmuseumgent.be

Revolution in Europe

Ghent was the operating base for the first industrial revolution on the European mainland and the Museum of Industry houses the history behind this fantastic achievement. It is based in a former cotton mill and chronicles the last 250 years of rapid industrial and technological change. 10 Minnemeers, www. industriemuseum.be

Ghent is a free-spirited city with a rebellious edge and an amazing history. At one point it was second only to Paris in size due to its lucrative wool trade, and in patchier times lost all its rights and privileges due their residents’ tendency to resist power, but certainly the present is beautiful and the future is bright. If you haven’t been, go. And if you have been already, give it another whirl. There’s always something to do and you can relax and feel at home. I always do.

Fact Box

Sid was hosted by Ghent Marriott Hotel: 10 Korenlei, Ghent, +32 9 233 93 93

Image: Joost Joossen

The Resident Covent Garden

LISA CURTISS plays house in one of London’s most welcoming hotels

A perfect city-staycation hotel, the Resident in Covent Garden is ideally located just a stone’s throw from great dining, shopping and entertainment and is conveniently close to the Tube.

It’s one of those London hotels you would recognise from the outside, with its characterfully distinguished façade; and it’s certainly worth venturing inside too, to experience luxurious, modern rooms and host of clever stay-enhancing features and services.

Although the hotel doesn’t have its own restaurants, all of the luxurious, modern and comfortable rooms are thoughtfully equipped with their own mini-kitchen, complete with fridge, microwave, sink with Brita filter tap, kettle, crockery, cutlery, glassware, Nespresso coffee machine with free capsules and Fairtrade teas. And a feature we particularly appreciated was the fact the teams there can also pre-stock your fridge and larder with any items you choose 24 hours before you arrive.

Whether you fancy locally baked croissants, deli platters and snacks, wine and cheese or champagne and truffles – as long as staff are able to find it at a nearby shop or supermarket – they’ll collect whatever you prefer, and have it ready for you in your room for when you arrive, all without a price markup, or a service or delivery charge.

This is also ideal and reassuring for those who want or need to stay in a London hotel, but would prefer to still avoid busy restaurants, those who prefer the complete freedom and flexibility to store and prepare your own food and drinks to enjoy whenever you wish.

The Resident also offers room service and you can order from their drinks and snacks menu. A choice of specially selected wines, in partnership with Berry Bros. & Rudd is available and of course you are free to make use of any of the online food-delivery apps you might have on your mobile and the front desk will simply call your room to let you know when your meals have arrived before delivering to your door.

The rooms themselves have all been designed to combine comfort with luxurious British style and design, refreshingly chintzfree. The decor is calming, with warm-toned neutrals and pops of cherry red and navy. There’s a choice of Standard Double, King, Superior, or spacious Junior Suite rooms, the latter of which features bespoke furniture handmade in London, luxurious fabric throws and cushions woven in Scotland, special-edition Paul Smith lamps, and original handpainted artwork. These can sleep up to three people and are at least 288sq ft in size; and they’re well insulated from the noise and bustle outside. The bathrooms are very attractive, spacious and well appointed too.

If you do wish to venture out to experience local delights, the hotel’s warmly welcoming staff will happily help you discover the best dining experiences in the neighbourhood by sharing their favourite restaurant and bar recommendations. Covent Garden of course has plenty of outlets to choose from to suit just about every taste, from fine dining and rustic French to Peruvian-inspired cuisine.

To sum up, we found this hotel to be ideally and conveniently located, with spacious, beautifully designed and comfortable modern rooms, and the in-room mini kitchen area and grocery delivery service was a super touch. The staff were very welcoming too, and delighted to help in any way they could. If you plan on staying in any Resident Hotels we do recommend becoming a member to enjoy some great discounts and offers. Visit: www. residenthotels.com

Checking back in with the Kensington Hotel

SID RAGHAVA gets back into the swing of prepandemic life with a stay at one of the borough’s best boltholes

Covid-19 has wrecked our pre-pandemic idea of easy, limitless travel and a holiday abroad is a distant dream for most, especially over the last six months. The only viable alternative in these unprecedented and dire times is a simple staycation perhaps involving a mere sleepover in a warm, comfortable and cosy hotel. The residents of Kensington and Chelsea don’t have to look much further beyond their little borough (smallest in London, keen quizzers) for some of the finest hotels in the world. The Kensington is one of our favourites for a variety of reasons. It stands preening away in an exquisite corner of Queen’s Gate at the crossroads of all the action – smackdab in the middle of the meatiest part of the Royal Borough and minutes away from South Ken tube – cushioned between the V&A, Natural History and Science Museums.

The elegant townhouse hotel has delectably charming 19thcentury Victorian touches and interiors that embrace grace, elegance and luxury while also exuding a homey feel, thus making it the ideal destination for these troubled times. It is a perfect respite from the year-long reality of our socially distanced lives that have robbed us of the joys of travel and of the relaxing effect of a memorable hotel experience. The living spaces, which range from the opulent Kensington Suite right, down to the compact ‘cosy’ rooms for singles, feel ample and luxurious overall. The Kensington also boasts the sweetest and most caring personnel, who make it their personal duty to keep you thoroughly happy and satisfied through the entirety of your stay. In fact, everything at the Kensington feels that extra bit special.

The 10 townhouses at the heart of the Kensington combine to yield 150 rooms of which 24 are exclusive suites. There is an inescapable home-away-from-home feel despite the omnipresent abundance of luxury. Most rooms have their own unique theme and most importantly lots of space, no matter what grade. The suites are lavish and even junior ones come with a full marble bathroom, heated floors and high Victorian ceilings.

If you are fan of afternoon tea, look no further than the Drawing Rooms with their ultra-cosy open fireplaces and beautifully intermingled art pieces. There is even a discreetly positioned smoking space which opens into a tiny garden unit filled with heater warmth and flickering lights – very handy if you’re still smoking in the 21st century, especially in the winter. The quintessentially English London Landmarks Tea is only one of the hotel’s prized offerings. It takes inspiration from London’s most iconic sights, including Big Ben, and is appropriately served on a London Eye-inspired tea stand. It is an absolute must-try for every guest. Champagne and cocktails can also be added to a tea gathering from the conveniently neighbouring K Bar. London. It has the mystique of a gentlemens’ club combined with the smart and contemporaneous feel of a trendy bar. Oak panels, polished brass accents, velvet-upholstered stools and leather touches – they are all there. There is a compendious list of cocktails on offer and you can rest reassured that the K Bar is definitely heaving with choice, with all manner of tipples. However, if you fancy something cryptic and exciting, there is a Greek barmaid in-house who will suggest drinks based on your gait, mannerism and style. Intrigued? Try it – she’s psychic and always gets it right.

The Townhouse is the hotel’s much loved all-day restaurant and is elegantly spread across three different rooms, surrounding the K bar on three corners. It has its own private entrance on Manson Place and breakfast, lunch and dinner are served here to the highest standards and in the most relaxed ambience.

We have all paid our dues during Covid-19’s reign. It has made us miss the simple things we took for granted pre-pandemic. Now that we’re slowly getting back to our former lives, we as residents of Kensington and Chelsea are lucky that we have a bevy of hotels and establishments to choose from to reward ourselves with the things we enjoy and treasure. The Kensington Hotel is easily one of the best places to escape to in the Royal Borough, be it for a spot of afternoon tea, a scrumptious English breakfast or a luxurious home-away-fromhome experience.

Fact Box

Rates for the ‘Make A Night Of It’ package at the Kensington start from £405, including an overnight stay, dinner and breakfast. Book at www.doylecollection.com/hotels/the-kensington-hotel. Address: 9-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 5LP. Phone number: 020 7589 6300.

BESIDE THE BEACHES OF NORTH NORFOLK

ADAM JACOT DE BOINOD escapes into the English countryside

What reassuring familiarity – north Norfolk is charmingly redolent of yesteryear Britain: old-fashioned petrol pumps, village greens with telephone boxes and butchers alongside second-hand bookshops and links courses (at Brancaster and Cromer) overlooking sand dunes. The region equally offers children all the fun of Arthur Ransom’s children’s adventure tome, Swallows and Amazons, with boats to jump in and birds to spot as well as the traditional bucket-and-spade holiday on fabulously expansive beaches, salt marshes, dunes and scrubs.

I stayed just outside Fakenham, under three hours away and in such a delightful part of Norfolk close to the Royal Family’s Sandringham. My self-accommodation felt just like a top hotel suite. Cranmer Cottages are a conversion from a former Victorian dairy farm into eight luxury cottages or eco barns. Mine was called ‘Garden House’, though most have avian titles such as Owl, Tern, Wagtail, Swallow and Coot: the smallest sleeping three and the largest eight.

The interior is slick, chic and homey, with a stylishly modern feel within its original framework. There are tasteful, coloured photographs of local beach scenes looking down over the luxuriating living space. The bedding is high-quality and in the kitchen everything is thoroughly thought through.

Concertina doors provide a seamless inside-outside opening onto a landscaped terrace, decked with lavender and bamboo and a barbecue all set within an original brick wall and overlooking a paddock-sized field beyond that’s dotted with silver birches whose delicate leaves blow in the breeze. All very dreamy, de-stressing and enriching.

The cottages have shared use of an indoor swimming pool which is open throughout the year. It was once a threshing barn where out through its huge, oversized windows the wind took the chaff. It’s a magnificent asset: fabulously warm, free of standard chlorine and long enough in which to exercise properly.

The forward-thinking owners passionately support sustainability by reducing the impact on the environment with their own wind turbine, ground source heat pumps, solar panels and rainwater harvesting. Deep loops came up from underground to heat my Garden House and a biomass boiler recycled wood chips to stay carbon neutral. They’ve even planted 25,000 trees in the 175 acres that constitutes their land.

Local town Burnham Market has many charming boutiques: dress and food shops, as well as a second-hand bookshop into which I popped to discover a glossary of Norfolk words. But, in preparation for a hearty afternoon walk, I needed to ‘yaffle’: eat hungrily rather than ‘pingle’: play with my food. So where better than to enter The Jolly Sailors (www.jollysailorsbrancaster.co.uk) run by the efficient and friendly Simon Parkin. It’s on the main road going through Brancaster Staithe (a ‘staithe’ being a landing stage for loading and unloading cargo boats). Here I savoured prawns prepared in the eatery’s very own smokehouse before diving into one of their homemade chocolate brownies. With a large garden for kids to run around in it suits all kinds and the vibe certainly lives up to its advertised motto of ‘Eat, Drink and Be Jolly’.

The next day I drove east through Holt, a town with its fair share of boutiques, especially for interiors and antiques. At Byfords (www. byfords.org.uk), Richard Knights prepared for me the poshest of picnics. It came in boxes: salads with the freshest and healthiest ‘first of the season’ dressed local crabs and then an indulgent box with fruit and cheese scones with butter, clotted cream and jams.

Though nicknamed ‘very flat Norfolk’ by Noel Coward, the northern stretch has a landscape of vast, flat, fecund fields and the greenest of its long avenues reflect mazy patterns on the road, reminiscent of recent Hockney works. There are vibrant shots of yellow rapeseed fields with hares hopping hares and alarmed pheasants. The churches typically have rounded towers and the vast majority of buildings are

distinctive with flint. Clouds scud across big blue skies and the sunsets are spectacular. For more see: www.visitnorthnorfolk.com

On my beach walk from Cromer to Overstrand the waves discharged their burden in small helpings and the wind was brazing as I stumbled over sand and pebbles alike. Cromer is an honest and unspoilt seaside resort complete with a seafront, promenade and pier, with beach huts, ice-cream vans and surfing shops. It’s all highly reminiscent of Betjeman’s Cornwall, where along the beach golf balls appear from nowhere to compete with shells to satiate eager mudlarkers and metal detectors.

On the way back and beyond Holt is Letheringsett, home to The Kings Head (www.kingsheadnorfolk.co.uk) and a perfect place to which to repair and restore myself. Run by Jessie Petrie, the interior has cool and interesting antiquities such as old skis and hunting prints. Here I pondered over a menu offering the spoiling range of crispy tofu burger, a paprika-spiced aubergine, feta and preserved lemon quinoa salad or a swordfish steak with mango salad. I can particularly recommend their homemade cumin-spiced flatbread.

The next day I came to Holkham Beach. Here the waves unfurled continuously and relentlessly on the sandy strands. Down ‘Lady Ann’s Drive’ I drove to walk onto what initially were marshes but, beyond and out of sight, I discovered where the magic was as I reached the broadest expanse of flat sand imaginable. Here in this lunar setting I wandered blissfully free.

I returned to Brancaster Staithe to eat at the White Horse (www. whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk). Scattered across its vast establishment are tables on the terrace, courtyard and marshside presented with different menus. The setting has gorgeous panoramic views over the marshes towards Scolt Head Island and the infinity beyond. Here the chef forages the sea beet (the ancestor to beetroot, sugar beet and swiss chard). The restaurant, ably run by general manager Rob Williamson, has lovely black-and-white pictures of fishermen beneath lampshades in the shape of lobster pots and lights employing nautical pulleys. On the terrace I was spoilt with Norfolk asparagus and soft-poached hen’s egg as a starter before launching into and revelling in the ‘seafood platter to share’ consisting of ‘North Sea’ lobster, dressed Cromer crab, crayfish and prawn cocktail, ‘Staithe Smokehouse’ salmon, Brancaster oysters with shallot vinegar, saffron-pickled cockles, smoked mackerel, lemon mayo and sourdough. With it came Cobble Hill, the local wine, a crisp and fresh Bacchus grape white. What a magnificent lunch.

What’s so good about self-accommodation is, as owner Lynne Johnson admits, the flexibility and choice to venture forth or stay put. She was keen to stress that ‘what’s special about all Premier Cottages (www.premiercottages.co.uk), a group spread across Britain to which Cranmer Cottages belong, is that they’re run by passionate owners like me who want to give the very best to their guests who all sign up to expect a similar level of experience wherever they go’. I must return soon.

Fact Box

Premier Cottages features almost 1,000 four- and five-star selfcatering cottages across the UK. Properties range from small, romantic boltholes to large family-friendly country estates. The collection includes pet-friendly accommodation, baby-friendly properties and the widest range of accessible properties in the UK. Many holiday homes have on-site facilities like swimming pools, gyms, spas, indoor games rooms and children’s play areas.

A week’s stay in Cranmer Country Cottages’ Garden House for up to six guests starts from £1,240 and a three night break starts from £909. (www.premiercottages.co.uk, 01328 823135)

Paradise on Top of The Shard

SID RAGHAVA finds himself at the top of the world in London’s sky-high hotel

My favourite poem of all time is the Orient- and opium-inspired Kubla Khan. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s incomplete epic is a classic example of the West’s obsession with Eastern myths, opulence and mysticisms. Shangdu (Xanadu), the near-apocryphal summer capital of the Yuan dynasty is the perfect setting for the fantastically psychedelic musings of that great romantic mind. Much before Coleridge, Marco Polo’s description of Shangdu lays bare his awe, surprise and astonishment at the lavish lifestyle of the Mongol Khans. In similar vein, much later in 1933, James Hilton described a fictional omnipotent place called Shangri-La in his work Lost Horizon. It was described as a lost, mythical, exotic, utopian and isolated paradise on Earth, nestled in the Himalayan mountains where people were immortal and happy as can be. A whole genre of music, Exotica, was inspired by this and such other paeans to the Orient. It also inspired a hotelier in Malaysia to name a hotel chain after it and Shangri-La London brings all of those exotic visions and dreams to life in a way only a property in the Shard can inspire. Occupying 18 floors – starting on the 34th level – a fantastical 125 metres high above the busy streets surrounding London Bridge, the Shangri-La evokes emotions much like what it says on the tin. It also houses London’s highest infinity pool on the 52nd floor, which in itself is a sight to behold. Welcome to one of London’s top hotel experiences.

The hotel has 202 rooms and suites, all of which boast floorto-ceiling windows, making for spectacular views of the London skyline – most of the suites and higher-grade rooms even have panoramic views. Luxurious linens drape contoured beds to make your stay extra special and comfy, something we all desire after the backbreaking exercise that getting through the pandemic has been. With marble-interiored bathrooms and mirror-embedded televisions, it can be safely said that luxury abounds in every corner of Shangri-La. However, if you’re looking for sheer opulence, head to the 39th Floor for the grandest of suites, eponymously named the Shangri-La Suite. It has up to 232sq m of space when combined with the adjoining room and offers sublime views from Canary Wharf to the London Eye. It can also be accessed via a separate, private lift and has a dining room which can sit up to 10 guests.

And that’s merely the start of the adventure at Shangri-La. On the 52nd floor, aside from the aforementioned pool, there’s the stylish Gong Bar, home to some of the swishest cocktails and talented tipple servers in Europe. Three defined areas – the Cocktail Bar, Champagne Bar and the Sky Pool – exist in a splendid space characterised by a traditionally Chinese architectural feature of interlocking wooden brackets. The Wellness area on the same level offers REVIV’S signature IV therapies and vitamin injections to invigorate you with minerals,antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients. Other treatments include massages, beauty treat ments, hairdressing, manicures and make-up through partners like London Serenity, Viva Therapy and Neal’s Yard Remedies.

But not all the action is on the 52nd floor. Located on the 34th floor, Sky Lounge is your café in the clouds with marvellous views of the City of London and River Thames and a delicious menu of small plates and beverages. Bar 31, on the other hand, is your local for the stay with a grand selection of beers. The piéce de résistance of the food and drink offerings is Ting (Chinese for ‘living room’). It sources local produce and offers some of the best selections of both Greater Asian cuisine and modern and classic British dishes.

Kubla Khan was an unfinished classic that Coleridge felt he could not quite complete because he forgot the lines that he had envisioned in his dream. Opiates do promote hazy thinking and dreams are not always vivid enough. However, Lord Byron saw merit in the epic and it was finally published at his insistence. On the other hand, Shangri-La London is an epic experience which doesn’t need a Byron to extol its virtues. We all stare at its towering magnificence wondrously everyday amid the lights and haze of London. We might be far away from the Tibetan plateaus and Mongolian plains where paradisiacal, sensational and utopian cities once flourished but we’re lucky enough to have a Shangri-La in town.

Fact Box

Address Shangri-La at the Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, London SE1 9QU Phone 020 7234 8000 Website www.shangri-la.com/en/london/shangrila

The Elixir of Lixouri

Adam Jacot de Boinod spies Lord of the Rings-style landscapes, dines on the freshest fish and dances with dolphins in Kefalonia

Having previously recorded my experience of Greek island Kefalonia’s northern niches in Fiskardo and on the southern shores of Lourdata, I just had to complete my exploration and see the western waves of Paliki.

As a peninsula, Paliki is wonderful to drive around. I hired a car from Rent Car Kefalonia (www.rentcarkefalonia.gr/en) – the owner Apostolis is very friendly and knowledgeable. Paliki has a unique geographic shape, with its long gulf beginning at the wetlands in the Bay of Livadi, a protective environmental area, which gently emanates into the Ionian Sea. Yet again on Kefalonia I was to savour a completely different landscape and environment from the rest of the island. Pronounced and protruding were bluffs and bumps, clumps and humps amid fertile hills that grew out of a clay soil, ideal for vegetation, and remarkably green (reminiscent of Puglia) for the southern Mediterranean. This mazy landscape with its plains and mini peaks took me right back to my childhood perusing maps in an edition of The Hobbit.

I was fortunate enough to stay in the newly finished Elia Villa (https://alekos.eu/index.php/elia), very much the VIP villa of the Alekos Beach Houses group (www.alekosbeachhouses. com) and in walking distance of Lixouri, the local town. It has a supreme setting beneath a craggy bluff and backed by gorgeous olive groves, whose woody aroma, from being picked and scorched, proved the most joyous of welcomes. The villa looks out to a mesmeric panoramic prospect across Kefalonia’s major gulf that possesses as much grace and serenity as the Italian Lakes. Here seagulls hover over fishermen’s boats and ferries glide like swans with a constancy in stark contrast to the ever-changing light from sunrise to sunset. For, as the heat departs, the pink sky arrives over teal or turquoise waters on which the moon is reflected; towering above are the hills and Mount Ainos beyond. A prize position indeed.

My interest piqued by my luxe lodgings, I went to visit some alternative accommodation within the Alekos Beach Houses (www.alekosbeachhouses.com) group. Their portfolio comprises 20 villas under a consortium of owners, 15 of which extend right onto the beach. Alexandros Beach House (https:// alekos.eu/index.php/villas), in front of the rippling shores of the golden Logos beach and close to the longer Lepeda beach, houses as many as 10 people and is perfect for a deeply relaxing time, catering even for meditation and yoga retreats.

Alekos Beach Houses all come with a prompt and professional concierge service run by the charming, conscientious and super helpful Kostas Voyatzis, who is ever-ready to share a passion for the island that started with his childhood holidays. He espouses his own philosophy of ‘living like a local’ and offers up the chance to participate in activities such as harvesting olives, picking grapes and baking fish in the sand. For the more active, he researches and arranges tailor-made boat trips, free-diving and paragliding. He’ll even come and collect you from the airport. His wife Vicky goes a step further by delivering the most scrumptious of ‘briam’ ratatouilles one day and the richest of mushroom pies on another.

It’s handy for both villas to have the local tavern Apolafsi (www.apolafsi.gr) close by. Alongside its traditional Greek menu it offers an intimate invitation to witness the family at work. An aged lady takes my order by pulling up a chair to sit beside me, and a young mother delivers my plate with her baby in arms.

Kostas took me on one of his truly memorable bespoke boat trips to some places which are inaccessible from the shore. They’re not in the guidebooks – how can they be when only Kostas, with the help of the skipper Demetris, can get one there across Myrtos Bay? We went past the village Zola and the beach Vouti in his boat to the one at Agia Kyriaki. Chalk cliffs beyond the stony white beaches, sit in spectacular contrast to the bluest of waters: an extraordinary turquoise which dazzles when lit by the sun.

Demetris, available via Kostas’s concierge service, has another boat, dubbed the ‘Romantica’, in which he takes people out for the whole day, stopping at secluded beauty spots where you can swim and have lunch. He took me to see Assos, a peninsula with the most charming villages. Here there are traditional houses with striking colours and brilliant bougainvilleas framed by vivid green pine trees and ancient plane trees. An authentically picturesque harbour without any twee affectation.

What a treat next, to go by boat to reach the famous Myrtos beach, the scene of the bomb detonating in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. At the top of the bay is a house belonging to a psychiatrist who clearly benefits, it would seem, from living life on the edge. Alongside the port I came to the excellent restaurant Bella Mangia. A special hidden spot in Paliki, with an Italian accent, it’s perfect for families as the kids could have a pizza while the parents enjoy pastas, stacked subs and cannolis. What joy to discover that my sea bass, perfectly grilled, moist yet crisp, had come fresh from the neighbouring fisheries. ‘coastline’. True to its maritime character, it had old wooden beams above pictures of the harbour and ships from the old days. Here I tried the ‘spanakopita’, a favourite, consisting of spinach and feta within its flaky filo pastry, followed by codfish with potato and garlic mash. I could imagine sitting out in mid-summer on the roof terrace, above diners spilling out onto the street, to watch people alighting from the ferry and local kids trying out their push bikes.

I also went with Kefalonia Sailing Point (www.kefaloniasailingpoint.gr), whose charming skipper Nikos Hionis was clearly at one with his 44-foot-long yacht. He has won inter-island prizes for his mastery of the sails and knows the Ionian Sea like the back of his well-wrought hands. He offers trips with up to six beds for anything from seven to 10 days aboard, from the gulf to Zante, to Lefkada, to Paxos and as far as Corfu within his May to October season. Accomplished, humourous and unob trusive, Nikos is the perfect host.

He took me out from the inland across to the uninhabited ‘Rabbit Island’ and on to the golden and fabulously long strand of Xi beach. To crown such a special outing, on returning through the gulf, I chanced upon a school of dolphins who were joyously snacking on food that spills out of the fish farms of Argostoli and dancing majestically in the sun.

Another winning eatery was V+S Corner, which has been owned by the same family for 10 years. It has a simple modern design, with a glass-fronted interior that gives it an effortless inside-outside feel. Images of fish on the walls nod to fresh daily catches and there are cushioned couches for people-watching. I tried the local Sclavos Orgion wine, which perfectly complimented my steak au poivre.

The beach Xi (pronounced ‘chsi’), named after the Greek letter whose shape it resembles, is the ideal length for a proper walk beneath cliffs of white argillaceous clay, which spa-going types smooth into their skin for its mineral benefits. The beautiful red sand changes mesmerically from a shade of ginger to cinnamon and cumin at dusk, while the sunsets perform a magical light show over what Homer described as the ‘wine-dark sea’.

Fact Box

Adam stayed in Kefalonia before lockdown. He reached Gatwick Airport via Southern Railway (www.southernrailway. com) and had support from Holiday Extras, the market leader in UK airport parking, hotels, lounges and transfers. They’ll aim to find you a hotel and parking package that’s cheaper than the cheapest airport parking on its own (for two week breaks). To book the Hilton at London Gatwick Airport, visit HolidayExtras.com or call 0800 316 5678.

Prices for Elia Villa for two people in low season start from €180 a night, and from €392 a night in high season (equivalent to €20 per extra person). To book, visit: https://alekos.reserve-online.net

Prices for Alexandros Beach House for two people in low season start from €69 a night and from €296 a night in high season (equivalent to €15 per extra person). To book, visit: https://alekos.reserve-online.net/?room

A’BUZZ ABOUT THE FUZZ

KATE WEIR checks into Great Scotland Yard Hotel – where inventive cocktails, bold artwork and supremely comfortable rooms make it a criminally comfortable staycation spot

Usually a trip to Great Scotland Yard might have me perturbed, but as our taxi traverses Charing Cross, I’m actually quite excited, largely because this is my first hotel stay in a while and it’s because the Metropolitan Police haven’t actually worked at this particular address since the 19th century. In fact, they’re now based at Victoria Embankment, but I imagine that since the Grade II-listed Edwardian building that houses Great Scotland Yard hotel (part of the Hyatt’s design-led Unbound Collection) was given new life by UAE-based Indian billionaire Yusuff Ali, who modernised the entirety of the inside, creating glossy rooms and a five-storey townhouse, plus filling it with exciting large-scale artworks, they’d rather still be ensconced here.

So, as we’re not under the police’s watchful eye, we don’t have to be entirely on our best behaviour, but their presence is felt through ephemera on the walls (truncheons, hats and the like), a partial rogues’ gallery depicting notable characters on either side of the law, and a collection of artworks by currently incarcerated prisoners (a result of a partnership with charity Koestler Arts). Amid louder pieces – chandeliers of shattered glass, a giant clock that hangs like a sword of Damocles over the entrance, a giant throne shaped like a rhino – these affecting works speak of yearnings for freedom (say, depictions of Dartmoor from between bars) and more inflammatory statements (a large matchstick made of matches) made using materials available (a figure carved out of soap). I found these to be the most fascinating of 600 newly commissioned artworks at the hotel.

When we stayed, most of the hotel’s dining and drinking spaces were closed and the Yard was recalibrating its concept, but we were still allowed to sneak into speakeasy bar Sibin, hidden behind a bookshelf and fitted with a sociable whisky bar for tastings and clubby corners. We also popped into the Parlour, an exotically dressed space for afternoon tea and cocktails, where the wallpaper is boldly printed, the floor checkerboard, seating has a mid-century Asiatic feel and quirky accoutrements include an inverse grandfather clock. Our options may have been limited by Covid when it came to food, but not too diminished – the 40 Elephants bar, named for an infamous – yet awesome-sounding – band of female thieves was open for cocktails and burgers. The space, decked out in maroon and navy, with intimate banquettes to cosy up in, also includes little law-and-order Easter eggs and ephemera.

But, our attention was diverted by the cocktail menu, and my Black Diamond was a sultry smoky sipper with whisky, tokaji wine, apricot juice and a hint of tobacco, while my partner’s Handsome Polly (inspired by Victorian perfumes) was a fragrant mix of brandy, mango wine and bergamot liqueur. The burgers were juicy, flavourful and towering, and a side of arancini made us feel a little more like we were properly dining out.

The rooms at the hotel are somewhat quieter than the common areas, the artworks are more subtle, the nods to the police are restricted to design touches such as small badge motifs in prints, and there’s an altogether more restful feel, which I suppose is the point. We stayed in a Sherlock Suite, inspired by the great fictional detective. There was a stylish modern four-poster and an adjacent sitting room with a marble fireplace and space for dining, but my favorite part was the Smart Japanese toilet, something that very rarely pops up in London hotels. And, we had a bath tub to stretch out in. As there was little to do nearby, this proved to be an immensely cosy place to while away time in, whether watching TV by a toasty fire, breakfasting in grand style or snoozing on high-thread-count linens.

The next day, we made the most of having the hotel practically to ourselves, wafting around taking in the artworks and relaxing on the lavish couches dotted throughout the lobby. We could probably have spent quite a lengthy sentence here, and our final verdict: it’s guilty m’lud, of stealing our hearts.

Fact Box

Great Scotland Yard Hotel, 3 to 5 Great Scotland Yard, London SW1A 2HN www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/england-united-kingdom/greatscotland-yard/lhrub

A Turquoise Glimmer of Normality in Babylon

HARRIET BEDDER tries her luck at escaping the UK for a remote island stay at Velassaru in the Maldives

Travelling during Covid times is an undeniably testing experience. The second you know there is still a chance to go ahead with your travel plans – without the government imposing yet another travel ban – a whole new world of stress arrives. From Covid tests that are required within set hours of flying, at which point your trip still hangs in the balance, and wearing masks for a solid 24 hours, to almost abandoned airport lounges. But after the year we’ve had, looking at inspirational travel posts online, combined with the countless number of cancelled trips abroad already, we aren’t complaining. After all, what with furlough and redundancies, what’s a little more stress for the chance of a break? From the moment we arrive at the airport with our negative tests, we hold our breath – figuratively – until we board the connecting plane at Dubai International. Where even after seven hours of flying, there is still a chance that we can be turned around. We only exhale when we take off from Dubai and see the turquoise waters of the Maldives islands below.

I have never been one to get emotional on an aeroplane. When you take around 24 flights a year, flying is like catching an Uber to dinner. But this last flight stirred something in me. I found myself feeling blessed to be spending the next ten days in the Maldives, so far removed from the lockdowns and restrictions at home where I, along with millions of others, haven’t been able to see family members or even travel out of the immediate borough for almost a year. As soon as we step off the plane at Velana International airport and feel the hot tropical air on our faces, all we want is rip off our masks and jump straight back into holiday mode. We want to kiss the shimmering tarmac and dance in circles, to pray and hug and cry and laugh, but instead we enter the airport shuttle and head to the terminal to collect our baggage, before proving for the third time in 24 hours that we are Covid negative. We’re eager to remove our masks for 10 whole days and, after a very emotional journey to get here, our patience won’t be tested. Within 30 minutes we board the bus, clear security, collect our luggage and meet our rep for Velassaru, who leads us to our transfer speedboat. Seconds after I take my mask off, the flipflops are on.

We hand over our luggage, have our temperature checked, and board the boat for the 20-minute trip to Velassaru island. We climb the stairs to sit with the captain. We want to take it all in. As we watch the mainland shrink into the horizon behind us, we look forward. The whole trip feels like a dream. We haven’t slept at all, and feel deliriously happy. Arriving on the deck at Velassaru, we are greeted by a smiling welcome party, who have barely seen anyone other than their colleagues in the last six months of quarantining on the island, A welcome juice and a map of the island are handed to us when we reach reception. Exhausted, we cannot wait to get to our room and before long we are led to our Water Villa. Panoramic vistas of the Indian Ocean stretch out before us. The water is so clear we can see fish moving below the deck. We pop our free bottle of prosecco, clamber into our bikinis so quickly I’m surprised neither of us suffered serious injury, play NAO loudly on the speaker and sit in speechless disbelief on our private deck. We have come to the most beautiful place in the world, during one of the most testing times our world has ever faced – and we’re filled with gratitude.

First on the agenda – after a much-overdue sunbathing session – is dinner. We dress up, without masks for the first time in nine months, and head across the beach to Sand restaurant, where we are led to a candlelit table to be treated to the island’s à la carte offering. At our intimate, beachfront dinner we are spoilt rotten with jumbo prawns – the size of lobsters – and an indulgent beurre blanc, served with a very moreish garlic fried rice and a light okra salad, which is stuffed to the

brim with local ingredients; the tomatoes, coconut and coriander are balanced with a sweet honey dressing. We devour it all along with starters and desserts, despite the very generous portion sizes.

So, other than sitting in your panoramic overwater villa, what else can you do on the 21-acre island? Apart from relaxing on the wraparound pearl-dust white beaches, or swimming in the crystal-clear turquoise water, the island offers a dive centre and a watersports centre, perfect for the more adventurous holidaymakers. I decided to book in for my diving refresher, while my friend books her first ever open-water lesson. I wait with bated breath to see if she loves or hates the experience; we had both adamantly agreed that we couldn’t travel to the Maldives – home to some of the most beautiful dive sites in the world – and not see what the coral reefs have to offer. Despite her first-timer nerves, she loved it. On her first dive we saw a school of 15 mobula rays glide elegantly above us, and four turtles After a handful of further dives, we decided to head to the watersports centre for what we hope will be a relaxing experience. Stand-up paddleboarding was on the agenda, and we drifted around the whole island taking in the views from the ocean towards our new home, albeit while ever so often body slamming the boards when the tide came in fast – altogether, it wasn’t as relaxing as others make it seem, and definitely a workout for the arms. But, with gyms closed back at home, we’ll take this outdoor exercise. Clarks Anemone’s and schooling banner fish linger around the steps of the surrounding villas. We even see a stingray and a turtle from our deck at dusk. The waterbound adventures don’t end here. One night sees us subscribe to a serene sunset cruise, complete with canapés and champagne aboard an authentic Maldivian boat. Another evening, we’re aboard our usual dive boat for the evening dolphin discovery cruise. A magical guided excursion where we eagerly anticipate spotting the dolphins on the horizon (much harder than it sounds) and then are followed by the whole pod for miles while they whistle and click and flip around us. I’d never seen a dolphin before, and by this point in the trip I was overwhelmed with so many new experiences. After a year in South London isolation, I feel like I’ve walked onto a film set – everything is just so perfect and surreal.

Before we head home, we decide to visit the spa for a Swedish massage. Velassaru has six overwater treatment villas with uninterrupted views of the Maldivian seascape. The hour-long full-body massage was made all the more relaxing by seeing the ocean below, and within 15 minutes I was asleep on the table. When I wake up, refreshed and rejuvenated – albeit a little groggy – the sun is going down, so I hop into the spa’s infinity hydropool, which is perched over the lagoon, and enjoy the last of the sunset with a fruit juice, before heading back to the room for dinner. I can only describe the 10 days of being on Velassaru as therapy. The past year has been difficult for everyone in many ways, and we’ve all faced struggles. The 10 days we had in paradise were spent detaching from troubles at home, disconnecting and focusing on friendship. It was 10 days of laughing, crying, and actually managing a full night of undisturbed sleep; of swimming freely and eating food not delivered contact-free. And, it was 10 days without a mask, and thus days of perfect skin and unrestricted breathing. And, most important of all, it was 10 days of actual, genuine happiness. We honestly couldn’t think of a place we would have rather stayed. Velssaru was and always will be the perfect location to go for a detox in every sense of the word. We would go again in a heartbeat – but, we’d probably never leave.

Fact Box

Harriet was hosted by the hotel when restrictions were eased. Turquoise Holidays offer seven nights at Velassaru (www.velassaru.com) in a Deluxe Bungalow on a full-board basis from £2,698 a person. Up to 25 per cent off on accommodation, saving £670 a couple. This includes return speedboat transfers and international flights departing from London Heathrow with Qatar in November 2021.

Enquire with Turquoise Holidays, 01494 678400, www.turquoiseholidays.co.uk

From our paddleboards we drift towards the edge of the reef and over coral, and when we return we’re told we can borrow free equipment from the dive centre so we can snorkel right outside our villas. We spend hours over the next week looking at a wealth of fish; striped

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