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Ashley Galvin Yoga retreat – Tulum, Mexico
4 day Walking adventure – Formentera
Toby Clarke, owner of Ibiza Outdoors is a man with a mission, a modern-day Robinson Crusoe in open toe walking sandals who takes adventure walking tours around the Balearic Islands. 14 years ago, he walked solo around the coast of Ibiza with just one euro in his pocket and now he shares his experience with small groups of like-minded adventurous walkers. Ibiza Outdoors
As I learnt on my four-day walking adventure around Formentera, he is slightly fanatical about sticking to the coast, no cutting corners which can sometimes mean you will find yourself on a foot width path with a sheer drop, but he will give you warning and an alternative option.
I was in a group of 17 mainly female group, with a mean average age 45 plus, all armed with sensible walking shoes, backpacks filled with a lunch prepared by Toby and lots and lots of drinking water.
Day one – meet up at ferry in Ibiza to take the 0900 crossing to the neighbouring island of Formentera, then it’s bags down and straight out onto the walk, turning right out of the hotel in La Sabina. The group moves as fast as the slowest walker, so even though some people are naturally fast walkers, Toby will always stop and wait for everyone stay as a group. Our walk took us north along the beach, and past exclusive restaurant Es Moli, closed for the season and now home to a stranded yacht, crashed on the shore. In the afternoon, a coffee stop, a luxury not guaranteed on these walks, where we all re-introduced ourselves in an attempt to remember each other’s names. Roughly 9 miles walked.
Day Two – the bus took us back to where we left off the day before, and the pace picked up again. As you walk, you talk and I discovered that one of my walking companions had tackled Kilimanjaro and Everest base camp, great training for Toby’s adventure walks which are certainly not a walk in the park, the terrain can be tough. Each day Toby comes up with a word and today’s word was ‘Freedom’, so we had the freedom to walk unguided for the first hour with the incentive of a café that may or may not be open which was all I needed to kick start the morning pace. After the coffee break, a walk up an old Roman road with fabulous views across the bay, then up onto the top of the cliffs with lots of scratchy scrub for those of us in shorts and then the chance for a swim near the harbour at the end of the day. Roughly 9/10 miles walk.
Day Three – billed as the toughest longest day and with no guarantee of a toilet stop but by this time, we were well adjusted to relieving ourselves in the bushes. Each day starts with a hand holding circle and a new word, Velocity, so that we can think about our speed of walking in relation to others, no need to rush. The first hour we were asked to be silent, a big ask of 15 or so women, but it was lovely to hear the cockerels in the distance and the sound of our boots touching the ground. The route took us along the back of people’s gardens and then onto a little beach bar. On along the coast to what felt like miles and miles of boardwalk, which was surprisingly hard on the feet, past the Gecko beach club, a hotspot for the more glamorously dressed then onto our final extreme swimming spot option. I opted out but the brave edged down a narrow stone cliff face to take a high jump into the water. I am sure this was a rewarding swim but not for those of us nervous of heights and as Toby says, this is a coastal adventure walk. Roughly 15 miles.
Day Four –word of the day ‘Acceptance’, accepting our limits and the option to do a two parter, missing out a steep valley climb with limited grip options. I already had deep scratches down one leg, so I didn’t want to add any further injuries and wanted an easier run. The first section was all on the flat, the only hardship, navigating some large rocks that one landowner had specifically placed to put off walking groups like us, we carried on, undeterred. The hardcore walking group carried on but a small group of us took the taxi to the beach with a guaranteed easy swim. After a few hours relaxing on Cala Saona, we headed off on a slow walk back to the hotel, and wait for the faster walkers to catch us up.
This is billed as an adventure walk, so prepare yourself for long walking days, no guaranteed toilet or coffee stops and drinking lots of water, but you will leave feeling as though you know every piece of coastline on the island, have made new friends and embraced the wild outdoors.Facebook Ibiza Outdoors
Flight to Ibiza with Ryanair
Wedding Weekend – 24 hours in Puglia
Puglia, feels like the Norfolk of Italy, extremely flat with lots of wind farms and not particularly stunning, it has more of an agricultural feel to it. It’s located just above the heel of Italy but within this plain expanse there are little pockets of prettiness.
Day One
Arriving at Brindisi airport (or Bari airport also close), it was then a two hour drive to Alberobello, the town famous for the walnut whip roof design on the Trullo houses. On approach, I wasn’t sure if my sat nav was correct as I appeared to be in a very modern, unattractive town with a dedicated pedestrian area linking the old trullo houses. With restaurants and ice cream shops through the centre and most of the trullos now souvenir shops and not actual homes, it felt more like a theme park than an historical area. I stayed for about 30 minutes maximum, and was disappointing.
Next stop Matera, and on approach, my heart sank again, I was entering an ugly looking modern town with no sign of the picturesque old town that was featured in the James Bond 007 film, No Time to Die starring Daniel Craig. Once parked I spotted an old brown heritage sign with ‘Sassi’ so I hoped this would lead to something a bit more visually appealling. Instant relief, at the end of one of the main promenades as you come across a wonderful sight, the old part of Matera, perched on the side of the hill and in the distance the old caves. This place is well worth a visit and the area is sprinkled with restaurants and bars, where you can sit and absorb this unusual place.
Onto the Hotel Torre Fiore, just outside Pisticci, an old renovated flour mill overlooking vineyards and the Ionian sea. Complete with pool and very well furnished rooms, this was the perfect location for a wedding celebration and a chance to sample the local orichette pasta plus tiramisu for pudding. Hotel Torre Fiore
Day Two
Time for a quick trip to the small town of Bernalda, where film director Francis Ford Coppola’s family have transformed the Palazzo Margherita into a 5 star hotel. You cannot enter the hotel unless you are a guest but there is a cafe next door, full of photos of old film stars and a welcome stop for a drink and a slice of yoghurt cake. Palazzo Margherita
White Lotus Weekend – 48 hours in Taormina, Sicily
Friday Afternoon – after landing at Catania airport, a pre-booked taxi takes 45 mins to the centre of Taormina, the location for the second series of White Lotus. Location 1 – Isola Bella beach, where Daphne and Ethan went for their suspected tryst at the end of the series. The beach is accessed by a steep stone stairway which becomes a vertical boutique selling sundresses and water shoes in the summer. The beach is entirely covered in huge pebbles so water shoes are vital for smooth passage across the beach and entering the water.
Friday evening – take the cable car up from the Isola Beach area, to Location 2 – main town Taormina, but try to avoid ‘rush hour’ around 6pm, when the beach starts to clear. In the summer you can queue for over an hour as each of the four cable cars only takes 12 passengers max, cost 6 euros one way or 10 euros return. At night everyone dresses up and people watching on the main Corso Umberto or Piazza IX Aprile is a great way to pass the time. This vibrant area was used for several scenes eg, when Mia and Lucia go shopping, and where Valentina bought her morning coffee.
Try dinner at Osteria Del Rita, an authentic Italian restaurant complete with checked tablecothes and one of the most popular eating places in town so be prepared to queue.
Saturday day trip – a day sightseeing trip which includes Location 3 – Noto where Daphne takes Audrey away from the boys. Tour group Etna People takes us first to the Neopolis archeological park in Syracuse, where you can see the remains of an ancient Greek and Roman towns interspersed with huge works of art.
Next the nearby island of Ortigia, where majestic cream coloured buildings tower over the square and side streets, it only takes about 90 mins to walk round the whole island.
Then onto Noto, which is mainly just one long street, with the distinctive buildings used in White Lotus very easy to spot.
Saturday evening – the main Location 4 – San Domenico hotel for dinner, the 5 star hotel overlooking the sea where most of the filming took place. Only hotel guests allowed but dining is permitted in one of the two restaurants if booked ahead, otherwise you will not get past the security desk. Early arrival and a drink at the bar is possible but smart clothing is strongly advised if you wish to experience the interior of the hotel before dining. Once past the entrance wall, the familiar front facade of the hotel looks just as it did in the programme.
Sunday morning – After breakfast Sicilian style, an iced coffee granita and pistachio croissant, it’s time to head up to Location 5 – Teatro Antico di Taormina, where the Di Grasso family went on their day trip. This also allows wonderful views of the coast and Mount Etna, plus a cafe with cakes and snacks near the top.
Finally it’s back to San Domenico hotel for lunch and a chance to walk round the stunning gardens and see where some of the main scenes were filmed.
Day Tour to Syracuse, Ortigia, Noto with Etna People – https://www.etnapeople.com/
San Domenico Hotel – https://www.fourseasons.com/taormina/
Osteria del Rita – https://www.instagram.com/osteriadarita
Royal weekend – Balmoral Castle
Standing outside Balmoral castle front entrance with nine other Interior ticket holders felt like waiting for Willy Wonka to take us on a tour of the chocolate factory. We had all joined the online rush to purchase the 3400 available slots to see inside Balmoral for the first time and at the given time, the command was given to ‘open the doors’.
Once inside the entrance hall, one of our two guides asked us to please put on shoe covers as we were now about to enter a private home, phones had to be switched off and bags kept at a low height. Looking down on us were 22 stags heads, placed evenly around the top of the walls, shot by various members of the royal family since Prince Albert’s day.
Onto the Red Corridor, decorated with flocked wallpaper commissioned by Queen Victoria from her pal William Morris but the eye was drawn to a large white marble statue of Prince Albert at the base of the stairs. This was set upon a revolving plinth so that as Queen Victoria went upstairs to bed, the statue could rotate so that his eyes could follow her path. This was not far from a portrait of Prince Albert painted so that, again, his eyes could follow Queen Victoria around the room.
We had some insight as to how the Victorians spent their time elaborating the household items of the time, for example putting a rams head on wheels so that it could be rolled up and down the dining table as a snuff box.
Through into the dining room, where the King still entertains, previous visitors include Florence Nightingale, Eisenhower and the Tsar and Tsarina of Russia. King Charles keeps up his mother’s tradition of having a piper play to the guests after dinner, and his late mothers piper Paul Burns who also played at the funeral, currently has the task.
Exquisite priceless paintings line all the walls as we learn that Lancier was a great friend of Queen Victoria and regularly commissioned for paintings, as was German artist Franz Winterhalter who did portraits of the Queen, Prince Albert and their nine children.
We walk through the Page’s lobby, the highest ranking member of staff who is the last and first to see the monarch each day, then into a less formal family dining room. A place where the family take breakfast and afternoon tea with a glass case that holds what appears to be a set of silver cake slices but is actually a set of trowels that were used to lay some of the foundation stones. The original castle was actually where the front lawns are now but was knocked down as it was not a suitable size for Queen Victoria’s large family, a plaque marks the spot where it used to stand.
A moment of breath and anticipation as we’re told we are about to enter the room where the Queen’s last photograph was taken, our guide gives us a silent moment to take in the scene. Since the famous photograph, the carpet has been changed to stewart tartan and the chairs recovered to match the Victorian period but you can still imagine the late Queen stood by the fire, the only working one in the castle, to have her photo taken. Here again we are reminded of Queen Victorias love for Prince Albert with two paintings either side of the fire, one depicting how life was when Prince Albert was alive, and one now that he was dead, with Queen Victoria dressed in black sat on a horse.
The last room is the library, used by King Charles as an office and apparently for the late Queen Elizabeth to watch the racing on television, a small cosy room with views across the gardens.
The tour cost £100 and lasted 45 minutes but also includes access to grounds where King Charles is doing work on the gardens, creating a maze, a sunken garden and a row of autumnal trees.
Access to Balmoral Grounds and surrounding Cairns walks is possible during the summer months when the family are not in residence and unsurprisingly the largest Cairn is a granite pyramid with the first stone laid by Queen Victoria, a Cairn to the memory of Prince Albert overlooking the valley beyond.
TV Film locations – The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald
We filmed four episodes for Channel 5 with singer and travel presenter Jane McDonald, travelling to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, using the ferry to move between the islands and staying in hotels situated in popular holiday resorts.
TENERIFE
Hotel – Spring Hotel Vulcano & Up – Playa de las Americas Hotel Playa de Las Americas – walking distance to main beaches, bars and restaurants. All rooms overlook the pool which gets very busy, and can be very noisy with the resident DJ. If you like peace & quiet to read your book this hotel is not for you. You can pay extra to access the private roof terrace and pool.
Activity – Siam Water Park Siam Water Park just a five minute drive from Spring hotel where you can spend all day on the water rides, high slide and fake beach with wave machine.
Nature – Banana Plantation Banana experience great place to learn all about bananas and try banana products such as wine and jam
Culture – La Oratava La Orotava beautiful old town showing the ‘real Tenerife’ in the cooler climate of the North of the island. Take a walking tour round some of the old sites including Victoria park with the mausoleum and end with a traditional barraquito coffee.
LA GOMERA
Take one of many regular ferries across to the neighbouring island of La Gomera for a day trip, you can walk round the old town of San Sebastian, learn about the whistling language of Silbo, where the shepherds used to communicate across the mountain ranges. Learn about sustainable crafts like basket weaving up in the mountain village La Laja with Zdenka. Expedia Zdenka basket weaving
GRAN CANARIA
Hotel – Seaside Palm Beach Hotel, Maspalomoas Seaside Hotel very convenient for the long Maspalomas beach, sand dunes, restaurants and bars all within walking distance.
Activity – Tour of North of the island with Fabien & Olivier Trip Advisor Fabien & Olivier we visited the small village of Firgas, famous for the patterned tiled steps, waterfall and association with watercress. Watercress restaurant Firgas
Nightlife – Ricky’s at the Yumbo centre in Masapalomas for the Drag show that takes place every night, around 11pm, club opens at 8pm until 4am Rickys Cabaret Bar
Nature – Sand Sculpture Masapalomas beach – sand artist Abel can be found down near the lighthouse, there is an annual sand sculpture competition up in the north of the island around Christmas time in Playa de las Canteras known as the Las Canteras Beach nativity. Abel Sand Sculptor
Sport – Golf lessons all over the island, we had a lesson with Angel at Maspalomas Golf where you can play right next to the coast.
Shopping – Puerto Mogan market – held every Friday across the pretty coastal town from 9am to 3.30pm, this market is dedicated more to souvenirs, clothes and shoes with some food stalls. Puerto Mogan is a man made place a bit like Puerto Banus in Spain, but a pretty place for a half day visit.
Activity – Jet skis – Jet Skis Aquasports zip about on jet skis for an hour to see the Gran Canaria coastline and pump up your adrenaline.
LANZAROTE
Hotel – Radisson Blu Adults only hotel, Costa Teguise centre, with three pools and easy walking distance via coastal path to main beach in Costa Teguise. Lanzarote hotel
Activity – Swimming lesson – ironman and swimming coach Paul Cardwell Hounam holds open water swimming lessons on Playa Grande or one of his team will come to your hotel and teach you there https://swimlanzarote.com/
Activity – Playa Blanca Spoon hunt the famous spoon in concrete has been a local phenomena since the 80’s, although recently mysteriously removed, the spoon is now back in place. Trip Advisor Spoon in Concrete
Vineyard – Bodegas Rubicon see the grapes growing in the volcanic ash and then taste the local wine in the shop. Cafe also on site https://bodegasrubicon.com/en/winery/
Nature – Timanfaya national park visually dramatic park created from the volcanic eruptions that last for six years in the 18th & 19th century. Also take time to visit El Diablo restaurant where the chicken is cooked by the heat of the volcano
Culture – Villa Teguise the former capital of Lanzarote before it moved to Arrecife, and the oldest town in the canaries. Home to the timple museum, plus a good choice of boutiques and cafes. Villa Teguise
Nature – Mirador del Rio Mirador Del Rio spectacular view over the 8th island in the Canaries, La Graciosa, reach by ferry to see the streets lined with sand, plus local restaurant
Nature & Art – Jameos del Agua Jameos del Agua where art and nature collide, artist and architect Cesar Manrique turned this volcanic lava hole into a must-see destination.
Activity – Pottery lesson with Pottery master, Juan at the Casa Museo del Campesino
Fuerteventura
Hotel – Barcelo Fuerteventura Royal Level – Barcelo Hotel Adults only, small apartment type rooms connected with a red path and slightly complicated numbering system. Buffet style meals and easy access to the huge beach, although more gravelly than sand.
Activity – Lobos Island boat tour Lobos Boat Tour Info only 400 people allowed on the island, morning and afternoon to book in advance to secure your position on the boats that take you the 15 minute journey across to the island where you’ll find some lovely beachs and two places to eat.
Culture – El Cotillo – El Cotillo info very cute village up in the north west section of the island, bars and restaurants right on the waterfront and the Clean Ocean Project started by Wim Geirnaert near the centre of the village.
Tour – Simon Go Go Tours – Go Go Tours energetic British expat Simon will take you off the beaten track round the island, we created a bespoke tour that included the Aloe Vera farm, the Statues of Bettancuria and a walk across the sand dunes at Corralejo.
Nature – Horse mindfulness – Fanny at Tara Fuerteventura will teach you mindfulness through communicating silently with horses, the ranch also offers horse rides in the area and treks along the beach Tara Stables Mindfulness
Food – Goats Cheese – Goats Cheese Farm popular cheese farm to meet the goats, learn how the cheese is made and buy the cheese.
Activity – Naked holiday retreat with Karie Naturist retreat Naturism is very popular in the Canary islands and particularly in the south of Fuerteventura, we visited Karie when a yoga retreat was taking place but it’s primarily just a holiday home for people who like to live naturally.
Winter Weekend – 48 hours in Copenhagen
Copenhagen – a city where you are never far from a bun, a bicycle or a bridge
Day 1 - Lunch / Hotel check in / Culture - Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen was the tune playing in my head as I took the 15 minute train from the airport to Copenhagen Central Train station then straight onto the 7A bus to Frederiksberg, home to the highly rated Hansens Gamle Familiehave, a cosy family restaurant complete with checked table cloths and mature waiters, recommended for its traditional Danish fare. A confetti of paperwork arrives with a choice of hot food from the main menu or a long list of Smorgasbord. Hotel check in next at the Villa Copenhagen, newly renovated and opposite the Central Train station, Tivoli gardens and a five minute walk to Stroget, one of the longest shopping streets in Europe. The hotel also has the only outdoor heated 25 metre pool in Copenhagen, perfect for a morning dip all year round.
Late afternoon, the Metro line with a standard cost of 24 kk (£3) per journey up to Kongens Nytorv ‘The Kings New Square’. This is the popular public square at the end of Stroget, home to the posh 5 star Hotel D’Angletterre and one of the many Christmas markets scattered all over the city serving mainly hot dogs, Glogg & hot chocolate. Evening at The Old Stage Theatre, situated in Kongens Nytorv to see the Nutcracker suite accompanied by the Royal Danish Orchestra, considered one of the worlds oldest orchestras.
Day 2 – Sightseeing / Shopping – Morning, time to start ticklisting those photo opps with the Hans Christian Andersen statue in City Hall Square, opposite Tivoli Gardens. The Danes love a bronze statue and this was created by Henry Luckow-Nielsen and erected in 1965. Across the square, and just into Stroget, for a Pistachio Croissant at Buka cafe, so utterly divine I went back again the next day. The filling is a light and delectable mix of pistachio, heavy cream and white chocolate.
Heading from Buka, upto the boho/secondhand shopping street Larsbjørnstræde which has a feel of Notting Hill before it became expensive, lots of second shops and vegetarian style cafes.
It’s easy then to keep walking from Larsbjørnstræde to Rosenberg Castle, built by one of the most famous Danish Kings, Christian IV, in the 17th century. The beautiful castle features 400 years of royal treasures, the Crown Jewels and Royal Regalia. At 11.30am you can follow hot on the heels of the Danish Royal Guard as they march from Rosenborg across to Amalienborg palace for the changing of the guard ceremony that takes place every day at 12pm. If the flag is up at the Queen’s palace, you will experience the marching band as well.
From Amelienborg castle, it’s an easy flat 15 minute coastal walk up to see the Little Mermaid, bronze statue again, that was unveiled on 23 August 1913, a gift from Danish brewer Carl Jacobsen to the City of Copenhagen. Head along the coast from the Little Mermaid back to Nyhavn, the iconic strip of multi-coloured houses, originally a commercial port and full of restaurants, bars and in winter, lined with Christmas markets as well.
Nyhavn is also where you can pick up one of the Canal boat tours, that go for 60 or 90min trips round the waterfront and canals, a great way to get a feel for the geography of the city and learn about the history as well.
As the light fades, it’s the perfect time to head over to Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagens city central theme park that was said to inspire Hans Christian Andersen and Walt Disney. I think it’s best seen at night when it’s wall to wall fairy lights and twinkliness, plus for the thrill seekers some pretty scary rides.
Day 3 – Culture / Shopping – Start your last day with a visit to the Niels Bohr Institute to hear about the fascinating life of Danish physicist Niels Hernirk David Bohr, as told by resident archivist Robert Sunderland. He tells the life and loves of this Danish genius who made foundational contributions about the atomic structure and quantum theory, and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. Before the flight home, a visit to the district of Norrebro, Copenhagens culturally diverse neighbourhood and the location of Hans Christian Anderson and Niels Bohr’s gravestones in Assistens Cemetary. Just over the road from the cemetery, take a walk down Jægersborggade a wide cobbled street with some cool looking coffee shops, restaurants and arty shops.
Nørrebrogade is the main thoroughfare not far from Jægersborggade, and a good bet to try some of the best schwarma in the city. We headed back to Central Station along Blågårdsgade, a narrow street off Norrebrogade, full of cafes, bars and second hand shops. In summer this is a great place to sit outside with a drink.
TRAVEL TIP: With a Copenhagen Card in hand you get free admission to Tivoli and over 80 attractions as well as free public transportation in the whole capital region.
Yoga weekend- Zest Life, Plas Cadnant, Anglesey
The last time I shared a room with a complete stranger was on a school trip to France when I stayed in a dormitory with five other giggling teens. Sleep was lowdown on our list of priorities so, when 40 years later, I was requested to tick a box stating that ‘I would be happy to share’ I was filled with slight trepidation.
I had booked a three night wellness retreat staying in Plas Cadnant, an historic country estate close to the Menai Bridge, Anglesey offering yoga, wild swimming and relaxation. After settling into our rooms and deciding who preferred which bed, we were called onto the lawns for our first group session – outdoor restorative yoga. Stretching and relaxing as the sun slowly set behind the Welsh mountains was the perfect start to the weekend.
After a delicious freshly prepared vegetarian evening meal, a feeling of dread filled the room as it was announced that we would be doing introductions. Thankfully, it was a painless and enjoyable experience that involved playing a game to memorise each others names. A great icebreaker, and then time for bed, and my first communal sleepover. My new room-mate and I quickly settled into an unspoken routine where one of us used the bathroom and the other got undressed. I read with the light on, my new friend instantly fell asleep, it was if we had known each other for years.
Pre-breakfast, a yoga class was scheduled out near the lawns, a gentle way to start the day and limber up for our first outdoor swim. We were heading to Llyn Padarn, one of the largest natural glacially formed lakes in Wales, set in the stunning Snowdonia landscape. The chilled deep blue water of the mountain lake was refreshing and invigorating, with the added bonus of a comforting mug of hot pea soup to warm us up at the end. Our afternoon was thenfree for walks in the stunning hidden gardens on the 200 acre Plas Cadnant estate, the option of a relaxing massage or another refreshing dip in one of the nearby waterfalls.
The next day was a sea swim at Newborough, the picturesque Anglesey beach famous for long white sands edged with an evergreen pine forest. After a pep talk from Dave our safety instructor about all the bitey stingy stuff that we might encounter, we swam cautiously in the shallow lagoon as the tide slowly ebbed in. Our small group of mainly single 40 something ladies were all good friends now, and as we swam a former police inspector told of tales of life at the cutting edge of crime. It was fascinating.
Back at Plas Cadnant, we tucked into tea and home made cake and then rested in our rooms until the next yoga session came round. I hung out with my new room mate, chatting about everything and nothing and I realized that room sharing can be a very enjoyable and life affirming experience. You start sharing with a stranger but end up sharing with a friend.
Celebrity wellness retreat – Palazzo Fiuggi, Italy
Tucking into my calorie controlled Michelin starred lunch, I took a moment to pause and savour the delicious food. A group of ladies were walking to their table, all dressed in standard issue white towelling robes with one of the group slightly behind. As I sipped my vanilla chai tea, I started to process that the tardy diner was one of the most famous faces in the world. A media giant who was known by her first name alone. I had booked onto this hard core wellness retreat as a challenge to myself but now all that all seemed relatively easy compared to the impossible task I was about to set myself. How could I get a selfie with Oprah?
I had arrived a day early to Palazzo Fiuggi, a five star hotel that was to be the base for my luxury wellness retreat in the Italian countryside. The 5 day health programme is an outpost of the award winning Ranch retreat in Malibu California which is based round hiking, vegan food and yoga. Oprah, although a previous guest of the Ranch in California, was not on my programme but was one of the Palazzo’s private wellness guests. All our Ranch activities were to be held in a separate wing of the Palazzo which greatly reduced my chances of ‘accidentally bumping into’ Oprah. I had to therefore schedule in some daily stalking time as part of my activity plan.
6am the next morning, I jumped out of bed ready for my portion-controlled vegan breakfast – homemade granola and almond milk. After 30 minutes of stretches we set off for our 4 hour uphill hike. The walks are based on time not length so you can set a personal pace for a couple of hours and then turn back again when the radio message comes through. This was my first time using walking poles which gave me a helpful extra push up the hill, especially when rocky under foot. A pacer sets the route with small red flags so the chances of getting lost, if you do end up walking on your own, are very slim.
Lunch was a surprisingly filling chickpea salad on lentil crust, with the same meal being served to all 25 Ranchers, 22 ladies and 3 men. An eclectic mix of successful mover and shakers – a Hollywood writer, a high profile divorce lawyer, a New York architect. Afternoons were free so I opted for a swim in one of the many pools dotted round the hotel with a sideline plan to stake out Oprah. My hopes were raised when I spotted Gayle King, Oprah’s BBF relaxing by the jacuzzi pool. As I swam endlessly up and down, it became apparent that Oprah would not be joining her friend poolside.
The following morning, we had a variety of health tests – blood, urine, heart, weight and blood pressure and then we were back out on the rain soaked Italian hills. The walk was shorter as the wet conditions made the mountains more treacherous and landslides possible. Back at the hotel, there was no sign of Oprah at her usual lunch spot and my selfie plan was fading fast. ‘I think they’ve left’ I said to my fellow rancher, ‘oh no she said, they’ve just gone out for the day, their security guard told me’. I was relieved, there was still hope but time was not on my side. For the next few Oprah free days, I enjoyed the routine of 4 hour morning hike, vegan lunch, afternoon swim, evening yoga and then dinner with the Ranchers, overlooking a spectacular view of the old town of Fiuggi. After dinner I cruised past the main Palazzo restaurant, the gym and paced the spa corridors but no sign of Oprah. Spontaneous opportunities were rapidly diminishing and I had one day left.
My last day arrived and giving myself a break from Oprahwatch, I booked myself a facial from Palazzo Fiuggi’s extensive beauty menu. Feeling all fresh faced and plumped, I headed back along the spa corridor towards my room. Then, slowly walking towards me in the distance, I could see a very familiar solitary figure. There were two of us in this corridor, one person was me with heart pounding and knees shaking, and the other person was Oprah. We drew closer, with my tight throat and quivering hand, I managed to set the phone to photo mode and meekly asked ‘can I please have a selfie with you?’…. Oprah smiled, stopped in her tracks and said ‘Sure’ as she turned to face the camera. The rendezvous was over far too soon but it was enough. I was ecstatic. The perfect ending to what had been a fabulous few days at the Ranch in Italy.
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TV Travel Tales 