The world’s best countries to travel in a campervan…

Let’s be honest. The words ‘Motorhome adventure’ seem about as out of place as a nun and a hunky underwear model holding hands in a cathedral.

The first word in this careless semantic coupling invokes images of house sized monstrosities thundering down miles of god-forsaken tarmac in the middle of nowhere, with pensioners at the wheel giving it their last go – the proverbial last throw of the dice in the game of life before the bucket list gets emptied and a good innings comes to timely end.

Adventure, on the other hand, conjures up images of bold journeys into the heart of lands and cultures where the only thing one can expect is the unexpected. This is where the inexorable pull of new, vibrant experiences and hard, gritty challenges will leave you standing at the end of it all with a much keener appreciation for your life and much more intimate awareness of who you are and what you value as a human being. Danger and delight line the hidden path and courage and curiosity are the fuel that propels your journey.

In the traditional sense, an adventure is undertaken upon horseback, or straddling the well-worn seat of a clapped out motorcycle, or simply on foot. Clambering on board a house on wheels and casting off with cries of ‘All aboard’ is not what one envisions when thinking of an adventure.

So long to the stereotypes

Thankfully, those stereotypes no longer apply, and the motorhomes and campervans of today have come a long, long way from the iconic Winnebago monstrosities most recently brought back into the limelight by that classic opening scene from the hit TV series Breaking Bad – where Walter White wrestles that out of control leviathan in nothing but his signature ‘tighty whities’ through the New Mexican desert.

The motorhome adventure is now something that can be undertaken by budget conscious travelling vagabonds looking for freedom on four wheels to those whose shoestring travel days are behind them and who prefer to step out in true glampervan style and comfort.

The chariot of your choice is there, but the hardest decision to be made remains just where to go. Ruling out war zones, the arctic, and crime-riddled hotspots where after a few hours away from your home on wheels you’re more likely to come back to a chassis on bricks, four obvious choices remain.

1. The USA

The USA is a Winnebago wanderer’s dream. There is so much on offer in this huge country that more often than not the hardest part of the campervan trip deciding just which route to do. We still reckon the classic National Historic Route 66, which stretches from LA to Chicago across some of the most bewildering and awe-inspiring scenery Murica has to offer, is the best way to go.

Glide through the unforgettable hairpin bends in the majestic Black Mountains, hideout in the very secluded cave system that the legendary outlaw Jesse James used to conceal himself from the law in the Meramec Caverns, Stanton, Missouri and be sure to refuel and refresh at the Dixie – Route 66’s most iconic and oldest truck stop which has only been closed 1 day in the near 70 years it has been open.

2. Europe

No other region on earth manages to combine such an alluring fusion of culture, cuisine and dynamic, diverse and startlingly beautiful scenery as Europe – both the west and the east.

Tour the iconic cities of Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona and Munich; lose yourself in the endlessly crisscrossing tarmac ribbons that trail through Alps, forests and along pristine lakes. Some of the most enticing coastal driving awaits and for those with a thirst for off the beaten path adventure the whole of Eastern Europe awaits.

3. Australia

Big, bold and beautiful – Australia is a land teeming with an almost unrivalled offering of wild open spaces, first class cities brimming with culture and fine cuisine and a coastline that stretches on and on and on. Australia is a country practically tailor made for campervan travel – It has a great road infrastructure, it is safe and its natural diversity is truly astounding.

Arguably the most noted campervan route is the iconic Adelaide to Darwin route – which will have you coasting along the Lasseter highway past Australia’s most famous natural landmark – Uluru. This route is extremely campervan friendly with a host of very affordable campsites dotted along the way – many of them situated in national parks.

4. New Zealand

The jewel in the campervan hire holiday destination crown. The land of the long white cloud is synonymous with unrivalled natural splendor, vast and dramatic coastline teeming with a rich diversity of wildlife and the kinds of settings that dazzled audiences around the world on the silver screen as Peter Jackson brought J.R.R Tolkien’s masterpiece to life.

A huge part of what drives New Zealand’s economy is tourism, and a big portion of that is driven by campervan adventurers. In keeping with the theme of adventure we would recommend a circuitous route of the South Island which offers a huge range of natural diversity in so small an area of land.

Start off in Queenstown – the adventure capital of the world and head down through the Southern Alps to the majestic Milford sound, and then up the rugged and wild coast past glacier country and the old gold mining towns that dot the coastline. Tour some of the finest wine regions in the world as you head north past Picton and Nelson and then loop back down towards Christchurch.

Campervan hire in New Zealand is extremely easy and budget friendly. The industry and infrastructure is tailor made for these kinds of trips, making NZ the perfect spot for families, couples or even just a group of friends keen on a road trip in some of the most beautiful settings on the planet.

Nige Burton explains how his wondrous continental rail journeys always start with a trusty Eurostar trip from London’s St Pancras

I looked up at the destinations board abstractedly as I shouldered my way across the concourse of Paris’s Gare du Nord, a smirk of delight spreading across my countenance. Zurich, Cologne, Charleroi, Amsterdam… these were places that I used to think of – and I now really don’t know why – as only being feasibly reachable by flying.

In fact, flying had always been my transport of choice, even for a short hop from Manchester to London. I thought it was quicker. I’d never really had a fear of flying, but I also can’t say that I particularly enjoyed it either; it was always a means to an end, a necessary part of travel.

And then came the three dodgy flights, all in a row like so many spiteful buses, to shake my confidence in aeronautics for life. Having never really given it much heed aside from the boredom, I was suddenly and indubitably aware that hurtling through the sky at over 500 miles an hour six miles up, with nothing but a rinkydink aluminium tube, a seatbelt and a laminated safety card for protection, was no longer so de rigueur after all. Sure – the statistics tell us the chances of anything happening are slimmer than slim, and all the ancient Sages advise that ‘if it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go’, but – what if it’s the pilot’s time to go?

Travel to cities such as Maastricht is surprisingly easy by train, and affords a closer exploration of some of the hidden gems of Europe

Anyway, notwithstanding any of this, and from a pure enjoyment-of-the-journey point of view, I had taken the decision to explore alternatives, and thus found myself all aglow with exultation on the Parisienne terminus. In theory, I could get anywhere by train! Well, nearly anywhere. And it was a revelation.

I have since come to call this little adventure my Pan European Odyssey: in short, my exploration of no less than eight European cities – each in a different country – over a two-and-a-half-week period. I had plenty of time in each one, beginning my adventure in London, from where I gained Paris, Zurich, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava and finally Munich before returning to the United Kingdom.

Chill in laid back Leuven, Belgium’s oldest university seat

All this was undertaken on trains various, each leg revelling in the ever-changing landscape incumbent upon it to be presented with mawkish pride; arriving in the stately Austrian capital with its fine architecture and grandeur; watching the Hungarian countryside melt into the deep blue of the night before settling down in my compact but comfortable sleeper car; slowly sipping a glass of wine whilst dining on the rolling stage of a sunset behind the Transylvanian Alps – all these exquisite moments sparkle in the memory of this behemoth expedition. There was something very special indeed about looking out of window and seeing more than a carpet of clouds whilst holding my breath at every bump or thump, despite the fact that most all of these sounds are perfectly ‘normal’. On a train, I don’t have to look at the flight attendant’s face to see how ‘normal’ the sound was to them; on my dodgy flights, I realised that fear is pretty much fear, and can stare out of the most well-trained and professional visage just as much as the meagre passenger one.

It was at this point I made my decision that, wherever possible, I was going to travel without wings. So many exciting destinations were available to me without my once having to set foot inside an airport terminal – I would just have to plan things a little more carefully.

Time is undoubtedly the biggest single factor you need on your side if you’re going to adopt a similar principle, and it certainly helps that my working life allows me the freedom to operate from most anywhere on the planet. But I still have cats to feed at home, and whilst friends and family will step into the breach and dish out a regular daily bowl of kibbles, for Irma and Gomez that’s no substitute for the first hand company of their Dad. And so I set about experimenting with places and time-scales that would not present a too chronologically challenging undertaking to the vast majority of holidayers who are subject to the vagaries of a more restricted working practice – the 96% of the working population of Great Britain.

The Hague is one of Holland’s best kept secrets and makes for a superb romantic retreat by train

I have since, apart from my eight country extravaganza, taken many wonderful jaunts by train, including a beach holiday in Menorca by rail and ferry. The total trip was completed in exactly two weeks, although just one week was spent on the island. The trick here is to make the journey as much a part of the experience as the destination itself; there was a great satisfaction in hurtling through a vista that slowly, but very perceptibly, changed from the bustling skyline of metropolitan Paris through to the lush, verdant pastures of southern France, and on into the drier, equally impressive Spanish plains. And sailing into Mao harbour at a little before eight on a sunny September Saturday morning is nothing short of sublime, and without a single butterfly in my stomach save for those more welcome ones anticipating the excitement of the week to come. I have also explored those cities which most of us hear of but would never dream of visiting, and I’d surely have been a lesser person without the experiences; the romance of The Hague, the ancient charm of Leuven or the majestic beauty of Maastricht to name but a handful. Oh, and for a true summer break without even the need for a ferry, I became deliciously acquainted with the lazy, hazy, long-shadowed, sun-baked walled city of Avignon; now there is a little corner of perfection.

But, residing on one of our great British islands still seems to present a barrier to some fellow journeymen, psychologically informing thoughts which in turn entertain the notion that one must fly to escape to climes more exotic and meaningful. To these uninitiated creatures, I utter one word of encouragement and hope: Eurostar. That magical conveyance has whisked me tout de suit to either Lille, Paris or Brussels on so many occasions now that I have genuinely lost count. And it is from these three wonderful cities – all worthy of thorough and regular exploration in themselves – that so much more adventure beckons.

Avignon proves that a sun-baked summer holiday doesn’t need a coastline and can still be easily reached from the UK by train

Services are quick and easily undertaken, with journey times shorter than those of many domestic rail trips, Lille being a mere hour and twenty minutes from London’s state-of-the-art international hub of St Pancras, and Paris a very little over two hours away. With eleven daily services from Brussels Midi to St Pancras, and journey times often as swift as a minute over two hours for fares from €88 return, flying seems to make less and less sense. Onward travel is a divine piece of cake, with connections and timetables making planning pretty much as easy as any UK rail journey, allowing the intrepid sojourner a freedom only bound by the limits of his own imagination. But for me, one of the true great advantages of travelling by Eurostar in particular is the generous baggage allowance; each passenger can take on board two suitcases and a single item of hand luggage – after the limitations imposed by airlines, this is extremely liberating.

So, as I plot my next expedition with an eagerness that can be known only to those who have already joined the fold, those fortunate individuals who know that flying is not the only passport to foreign adventure, I oftentimes prepare to simply stick the proverbial pin in the map. I think of the true promise of adventure, and I feel the words building inside me. I can’t stop them, or tell you why I say them, but as I trace imaginary lines across the page, entertaining thoughts of wonder and bliss, these words come to me in a whisper; I say them as prayer, as thanks, as praise; I say… Eurostar… Eurostar…

Tickets are available from eurostar.com or 08432 186 186.

Main image courtesy of Eurostar

Article images by Nige Burton

Situated on Spain’s North East coast, a mere 2 hour flight from London, lies the hustle and bustle of Catalonia’s greatest city. From the sandy beaches of the city center, to the non-stop maze of bars and clubs scattered throughout, Barcelona is the ultimate destination for a weekend abroad with the lads.

If you are within Europe, there are no excuses. Everyday hundreds of cheap flights land in Barcelona’s El Prat airport, with hundreds more hitting the RyanAir runways of the nearby Girona and Reus airports, both within just 90 minutes of Barcelona’s city center. Momondo.com will allow you to search for the cheapest flights to Barcelona, including both the Girona and Reus airports automatically.

Once you have landed the limits are endless. Kicking off with an ice cold sangria on the Barceloneta beach is a sure fire way to get the weekend started right. The numerous “Churinguitos” or beach bars that line the coastline, are a great stop for both beers and sangria. Anything more than this, such as cocktails or a bit of grub, should not be done at these bars. The prices are five star, while the quality is on par with a college cafeteria. The Port Olimpic has some decent options for food, although on summer weekends, it can often be impossible to show up with a group and lack of reservations.

The Port Olimpic is also a great location after hours. Home to Barcelona’s trendiest and most famous nightclubs, this has been the go to spot for this city’s party crowd since its development in 1992 for the Summer Olympic Games. The most recent of these clubs is “Pacha”, a sister club to the world famous Ibiza nightclub of the same name. On average these clubs cost about €15-€20 to enter, often including one drink with the entrance. The cover charge can usually be skipped if you have a rep helping with your vacation. Reps can also be very useful in ensuring you actually enter the club, as many of these big nightclubs frown upon large groups of men. Do not wear fancy dress, they will not let you in. No exceptions. Dress to impress… that means no shorts!

Keep in mind, Spanish partying starts late, very late. It is not uncommon for these clubs to be completely dead until 1:00 AM. If you spend all day drinking in the sun, a traditional midday siesta may be the only solution to allow for more partying.

After closing the club at 6:00 AM, spending an hour trying to find a non-existent late-night kebab shop, yet eventually surrendering to your rented bed, it is not uncommon to wake up well into the afternoon. It is for this reason you should avoid booking any activity before noon. Just like Barcelona’s nightlife, the days here start late, and so long as you are up before 2:00 PM you should be able to make the most of your day.

Barcelona has your typical stag weekend activities; paintball, go karting, limos, the works. Thanks to its coastal placement however, this city is able to offer a whole lot more! The most popular of these unique activities, not just with stags, but with all the travelers alike, are the coastal booze cruises. A couple hours’ unlimited beer and sangria as you party up and down the coast. Some of these boat trips even include an all-inclusive BBQ, as well as a chance to anchor up, and go for a swim.

If an afternoon back on the drink is testing your gag reflex, perhaps a day up in the world famous Costa Brava is a better choice. Kayak and snorkeling trips are a popular way for stag groups to explore the jagged cliffs, and caves, of this amazing part of Spain. Pissup.com offers both these activities, as well as several others. They are well established and provide free consultation so it is a good idea to see what they can offer you before trying to plan everything on your own.

Sundays are a day of rest and relaxation, and in Barcelona, nearly 80% of the city shuts down on this day. This is a good reason to plan for the beach. Most hotels and apartments will allow you to leave your luggage after checkout, so you can pack up, drag yourself to the water, and let the last few rays of sunshine wash away your sins. This is the perfect close to an amazing weekend in Barcelona, and you will honestly be amazed at the curing properties the Mediterranean Sea seems to have on your aching body.

So what are you waiting for? Leave the dreary London skyline behind and lose yourself in the Spanish city that never sleeps!

Some cities tend to rule the roost when it comes to city breaks. They’ve obviously earned their places in our collective hearts, but the sad thing is that they can overshadow some equally wonderful cities – often right on their own doorsteps.

So when planning your next trip, why not take a break from the obvious and try out one of these alternatives – same country, same language, same travel card currency as their more famous neighbours, but offering you a whole new experience…

Hamburg, Germany, may seem like a strange choice with which to start this tour of the lesser known city break destinations. It is no shrinking violet and there is no question over the height of its profile – one of the world’s foremost ports, an important place in the history of The Beatles and the setting for a string of Hollywood movies. BUT… competing for visitors with capital Berlin and its unique west meets east atmosphere, or with Munich and all the oom-pah surrounding Oktoberfest, can’t be easy. There’s no end of things to do in Hamburg, whatever pace you’re looking for – marvel at the stunning architecture of the Rathaus, watch the giraffes being fed at the Tierpark Hagenbeck, or simply relax with a drink overlooking the fountain on the Binnenalster.

When people think of city break and Spanish coast they immediately think of Barcelona and that big church. Valencia’s the place to be though – it too has a golden sandy beach (and a lovely one at that), a cool and cosmopolitan feel, plenty of shops, bars and restaurants and – while Gaudi maybe didn’t make his mark here – it has some eye-catching architecture of its own. Highlights of this bold and bustling town include the Mercado Central, where you can sample some delicious local produce in art nouveau surroundings, and the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences. The latter is a cluster of cutting edge buildings housing museums and exhibitions, including L’Oceanogràfic aquarium – the impressive blue and white structures present an almost cooling sensation in the Spanish heat.

Being capital of the free world should make you the most famous city of all, right? There’s a friendly rivalry between Washington D.C. and its not-so-far-away neighbour New York, and that’s in no small part down to the latter hogging the limelight with its skyscrapers, famous department stores, Broadway shows… But the Big Apple didn’t hog all the good bits – head to D.C. for some truly iconic Americana. There are the landmarks – the White House, the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial to name a few. And it’s not just an open air museum – all these government types need classy stores and cool bars too. And finally, is walking past “her from that thing” on Fifth Avenue a patch on being outside the White House just as the President takes off in his helicopter?

Caxton FX offers the best available exchange rates on both the Euro and US Dollar with its prepaid currency card – the perfect companion for visiting these unsung city break heroes.

Revisiting what we dubbed “the best restaurant in the world” did not come without a sizeable gulp of trepidation.

Our perfect evenings at Sa Pedrera d’es Pujol, nestling in the sleepy village of Torret on the idyllic Spanish island of Menorca, were some years ago. The restaurant has undergone some structural alterations too – would it be as good, exude the same charm, rightfully retain its place at the top of our tree?

Discovering that it is still lovingly presided over by Daniel Mora and his partner, Nuria, was the first reassurance we had when booking; the rest would all become apparent on the night.

That very occasion arrived, and our cab pulled into the driveway of the restaurant as the last of the September sunshine kissed a nearby meadow goodnight. We were immediately greeted by José, our waiter for the evening, and furnished with “special” gin and tonics. So far, so good.

The remodelling of the front of Sa Pedrera needs to be seen in the metal to appreciate it fully. Completely sympathetic to the original building, it enhances the rustic charm with cosseting but clean industrial lines, making a bold statement that this precocious child has come of age; what was excellent is now perfect.

Daniel has totally surpassed himself with his new menu, each mouthwatering delight playing the senses with the reassurance of a familiar instrument, yet one imbued with the vitality of new discoveries, never once pretentious or contrived. This master chef has an inbuilt instinct for the very best culinary adventures, effortlessly marrying flavours and textures in supreme happiness, and presenting the resultant spectacle with his signature style. All this adds up to a magnificent party of delicate indulgence on the palate, leaving you in marvellous anticipation of what’s to follow. Disappointment is out of the question.

So, in summary, is Sa Pedrera d’es Pujol still the best restaurant in the world? Well, if it’s possible, it actually got a little better. And if you have no other reason to venture to this breathtaking island than to discover this for yourself, then your efforts will be amply rewarded.

Visit: www.sapedreradespujol.com

Sa Pedrera d’es Pujol
Caserío Torret
23 – Sant Lluís
Menorca
Spain

Tel.: 0034 971 150 717

Email: sapedreradespujol@hotmail.es

main image © Sa Pedrera d’es Pujol

See also: Sa Pedrera d’es Pujol – the best restaurant in the world!

More frittenish, feline fabulosity from the four corners of the world. You know you want them!

As we’ve already said, it matters not where your travels and adventures take you, it won’t be long before you stumble across (or completely, undignifiedly over) a nearby fritten. They won’t mind. Well, they won’t care actually and will probably just start to have a good old wash, but they’ll still manage to capture your heart, plus whatever you might have about your person that they can munch on.

Some would say they’re full of cupboard love, and I suppose that’s true – they know exactly where the meat and kibbles reside.

So enjoy this latest selection. and remember – if you’d like to post your own, simply email them to frittens@worldtravelblog.co.uk Well, an image of them – frittens themselves aren’t too keen on cyberspace. No food, you see. And please keep them to a meg or under.

And lastly – apologies that some of these aren’t the finest quality images that you’re used to on World Travel Blog. Whilst some of them completely love the limelight, others are just that way out, so you have to grab ‘em while you can and just get what you can get.

Enjoy!

In the sleepy little village of Torret on the Spanish island of Menorca, you’ll find a culinary experience to surpass all others

Imagine the perfect night out; you arrive at your restaurant against the purply orange glow of a soft, mediterranean summer evening, deep in the countryside of a lazy Spanish isle. Your head waiter then leads you into a rambling courtyard, seating you at a candlelit table for two as he takes your aperitif order, and you sigh that most wondrous of sighs, as you realise that something very special is about to take place.

The location is the sleepy little village of Torret, at Sant Lluis on the Balearic island of Menorca, and the establishment one Sa Pedrera d’es Pujol, lovingly presided over by head chef Daniel Mora and his partner Nuria García. The couple, both from Northern Spain, bought the house in 2003 and then set about the major task of turning it into their dream restaurant. But I actually hesitate to call this just a restaurant because, in my opinion, this is probably the best restaurant in the world. A profound and sweeping statement, you may think, and you’d be right. But the thing is, I’ve sampled the cuisine of many restaurants all over the world and there have been some pretty fantastic ones, I can tell you. But if you take the best of the best, and then look at what each of them individually does best, Sa Pedrera simply does it all that little bit better. In fact, to perfection.

I’m a huge believer in the fact that dinner out should not be hurried; I don’t ever want to feel that I’m being processed quickly so they can squeeze another cover into my table as soon as I’m out the door. From the moment head waiter Matthew (from Surrey) shows you to your table, the evening is your own. You can take as long as you like over ordering, eating and, well, just sitting and chatting if that’s what you want to do. The food is an exquisite blend of gourmet excellence from the island itself, where Daniel’s mother was born, and Asturias, the home of his father. With such resplendent starters as home-made duck foie paté with green pistachios and figs cream or white Mahón cheese breaded into sesame with tomato and cardamom chutney, you can only await the drama of your main course with mouthwatering anticipation. Oh, and you might get a beautifully presented quail’s egg while you’re waiting, between trips to the perfectly kept wine cellar in the middle of the restaurant. And then the magic continues, mine with an unbelievably good beef Wellington with gravi sauce and my partner’s with the superb Menorcan lamb, slowly cooked in oil and accompanied by velvety oven-done potatoes. All, of course, washed down with an extremely palatable Rioja. Just when you think things couldn’t possibly get any better, you’re faced with Daniel’s heavenly desserts, my favourite being his very own apple pie, served with home-made apple ice-cream and a majestic apple ‘crisp’.

A post-gastro Xoriguer Menorcan gin, either with tonic, or local-style with Fanta lemon, makes the perfect nightcap as you drift into the garden to soak up the last of the tranquil decadence while awaiting your carriage.

Dinner at Sa Pedrera d’es Pujol is so outstandingly good, not just in terms of the superb food cooked to perfection, but also the unfussy, unobtrusive service and sheer delight of the surroundings. There’s a danger, in fact, that your evening is so blissful that you decide not to return; you know, that silly thing we do when we don’t want to spoil perfection by trying to repeat it. Well relax, because I’ve been back every year since 2004, and believe me when I say that it just keeps getting better.

Daniel and Nuria, I salute you both – and thank you for some of my most special memories. Nos vemos!

For more details, visit: www.sapedreradespujol.com

Sa Pedrera d’es Pujol
Caserío Torret
23 – Sant Lluís
Menorca
Tel: (34) 971 150 717
Email: sapedreradespujol@hotmail.com

main image © Sa Pedrera d’es Pujol

It doesn’t matter where you are, a fritten’s never far away

Wherever you go in the world, you can usually spot a fritten – the World Travel Blog word for a cat or a kitten – within minutes.

They’re usually quite friendly little examples, although in countries where there’s the slightest risk of rabies, petting is not recommended. Frittens are mostly friendly, as we know, but if one of them is that way out, they’ll just as soon take a side swipe at you as look at you.

The choir of furry felines here have been spotted as far afield as Chernobyl in Ukraine to Listvyanka in the depths of Siberia. Each is as fiercely independent as the next one, but equally possesses the unique fritten ability to make a saucer-eyed demand for a fillet of fresh Hake, lightly poached in some milk.

If you’ve managed to capture your own shot of a precocious Persian, a treacherous tabby or an adorable angora, why not send it in to us for inclusion in the gallery.

Email your image (no more than 1 meg please) to:

frittens@worldtravelblog.co.uk

Miaow.

The Balearic island of Menorca is truly the road to Heaven

We Brits still visit Spain by the plane load for our summer holidays, despite the ever broadening geographical horizons demanded by today’s more adventurous and savvy tourist. That said, we are quite set in our ways when it comes to choosing our Hispanic destinations, and particularly so when it comes to the islands. The Canaries are as popular as ever, but when it comes to the Balearics, Majorca and Ibiza still win out for sheer numbers over sleepier Menorca, but that just seems to make this little corner of paradise even more idyllic for those who consider it ‘their island’.

I was won over by Menorca’s many charms quite by accident. I was bound for Turkey in 1999, but was informed at check-out that an earthquake had damaged our hotel, and after many hours spent at Manchester airport, was finally offered either Ibiza or Menorca.

My clubbing days well and truly behind me (oh, okay, I might be seen out in town once every now and then if Belinda Carlisle or Hazel Dean are putting in a comeback appearance, but those are special circumstances) I decided to opt for the latter. After all, I’d never been before and I do love to visit new places.

I flew into Mao airport in the late October sunshine and was promptly transferred to my resort of Arenal D’en Castell on the north east coast of the island. Now – despite the fact that I now love Arenal for reasons which are quite idiosyncratic – had this been my only experience of the island, good though it was, I may never have yearned to go back year after year (something I thought only old people did. Oh, wait, I am old now. Well, my great nephews and nieces think so, anyway. My excuse is that I do go to many other much more diverse and exotic places for the rest of the year, so returning to Menorca is both my only indulgence and my only weakness. Apart from the gin and steak pies, that is). But I was fortunate enough to take a tour of the island, and this led me to my perfect little corner – Binibeca, tucked away on the south west coast.

Binibeca is stunningly beautiful. Not to be confused with the neighbouring Binibeca Vell – a seventies recreation of a typical Menorcan fishing village – Binibeca (also spelt Binibequer) is a quaint, picturesque and gentle settlement built up around one of the most beautiful bays on the island, complete with Los Bucaneros – its very own beach bar. Binibeca itself doesn’t have much to offer the uninitiated tourist in terms of amenities, but literally next door is Cala Torret, which sports a supermarket and a string of seafront restaurants, the best – in my humble opinion, of course – being DPs. Presided over by genial host John, this sizeable establishment manages to be both intimate and friendly, whilst offering superbly cooked food from its extensive menu. It’s not the cheapest, but is always excellent value for money.

Exploring the island is a must, so I’ve broken the Menorcan experience down into the various highlights in order to do them all justice. Have a look through them, and please do add your own comments.