Springtime in Mallorca
Catherine Beattie spends a long weekend in Mallorca where she discovers some of the island’s independent hotels, including a luxury family-run resort by the beach, two traditional Spanish hotels, a restored country finca and a chic boutique hotel in the centre of Palma.
Read MoreBeautiful Mallorca!
Anyone who reads this blog will know that I love Spain with a passion! So I was greatly looking forward to a three night trip to beautiful Mallorca, one of the loveliest islands in the entire Mediterranean. Our EasyJet flight touched down in glorious sunshine late Friday afternoon. By the time we’d settled into our comfortable rooms at the Hotel Bon Sol Resort & Spa in Illetas, a small resort a short drive from Palma, the weather had deteriorated. Saturday was unseasonably cool and cloudy and it rained on and off for most of Sunday. Fortunately, we enjoyed warm sunshine on Monday before our flight home. Despite the inclement weather, we had a fantastic weekend, staying two nights in the charming Bon Sol and one night at the chic Hotel Tres in the centre of Palma. ...
Read MoreHola from the Costa Blanca!
We’re in Spain for our first visit of 2014. It was wet and windy leaving Gatwick on Saturday evening. The pilot warned us that initially, the flight might be a bit bumpy and he was right! The plane was buffeted from side to side as it roared down the runway, taking off so vertically that the unexpected G-force made me feel quite giddy for a few seconds. We were at the back of the aircraft, which probably intensified the sensation. Oddly enough, it didn’t wake Alec, who was snoozing as he often does on take off. It was our first flight with Norwegian and we were impressed. Once on board the 737-800, we found a smart new aircraft with leather seats, modern lighting and a smart and professional crew. The only thing we didn’t like was having...
Read MoreWeimar – the first trip of 2014
I’m writing this from the famous Hotel Elephant hotel in the city of Weimar in the German state of Thuringia. I’m here with about 80 other travel writers and photographers for the AGM of the British Guild of Travel Writers. We flew from Gatwick’s South Terminal on Germania’s new non-stop twice weekly service to the state capital Erfurt – a 30-minute drive from Weimar. Arriving at Gatwick, I hardly recognised the South Terminal, which has had a radical makeover since my last visit with new designer shops, eateries and an expanded Duty Free area that you pass through after Security. The Germania flight was excellent – punctual, great seat (row 2!), friendly service, complimentary sandwich and coffee and even an air bridge at Erfurt, a facility that’s often lacking at Gatwick. So all in all,...
Read MoreWorld Travel Market comes around again
Is it really a year since we were last at Excel for WTM? Monday was a beautiful autumn day and like last year we drove the 60 or so miles round the M25 from Surrey. And just like last year, we got lost at the very same spot when we took a wrong turn on the final roundabout! Finding our way back to Excel, we drove into the ‘free’ section of the vast car park. Last year we parked in the orange section and incurred a hefty parking fine, which because of a lack of signs, I successfully appealed. There were few signs this year either, but we were wise to the situation and made sure we were purple parked! WTM was every bit as interesting and exhausting as ever – I must have walked miles between...
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