BUZZ ABOUT
LA ROCHELLE & ÎLE DE RÉ
“Pick up a picnic lunch and then hire bikes from Cycland (Impasse Sully, +33 5 4609 0866, www.cycland.fr; a half-day costs £6.50). Île de Ré is as flat as the proverbial crêpe and covered with a network of cycle paths – wend your way southwards past vineyards and pine forests and you’ll emerge at the dune-backed beach of Le Gros-Jonc.”
The Times
“The laid-back and beautiful Île de Ré, a 20-minute hop from La Rochelle on the mainland, is a quintessential grand vacances destination where you can cycle through vineyards and salt flats and picnic in the dunes. At the lovely harbour of San Martin, you can visit the fish market in the morning. And the cosy but chic Hôtel L’Océan at Le Bois Plage has a great restaurant.”
The Guardian
“As well as the numerous brasseries round the old harbour, a popular daytime bar is the dark and down-to-earth wine bar Cave de la Guignette at 8 Rue St Nicolas, offering great pitchers of sangria. For a bit more local colour, head away from the waterfront to the area around the market, which is less crowded. By far the most authentic of La Rochelle’s numerous Irish pubs is Corrigan’s at 20 Rue des Cloutiers, enjoyed by mainly a local clientele.” The Rough Guide to France
JERSEY
“The Jersey Opera House (Gloucester Street, St Helier, +44 (0) 1534 511 115, www..jerseyoperahouse.co.uk) has performances of Cinderella and Swan Lake by the Moscow Ballet this season. Try The Bar (The Waterfront, St Helier) for beachside cocktails; The Old Court House in St Aubin (Old Court House Inn, St Aubin’s Harbour, +44 (0) 1534 746 433) is a cosy pub, or try The Black Dog at Bouley Bay (Water’s Edge Hotel, Les Charrieres de Boulay, +44 (0) 1534 869 129).”
The Times
“Suma’s (Gorey Hill, +44 (0) 1534 853 291, www.sumasrestaurant.com), provides the perfect lunchtime pit stop, offering freshly caught lobster and line-caught fish, as well as their own label champagne. For romantics, The Boat House (One North Quay, St Aubin, +44
(0) 1534 744 226, www.jerseyboathouse.com) offers a fine-dining experience with views of St Aubin’s Bay.”
Easy Living
“Your heart will be in your mouth, the sand beneath your feet a blur. But you’re bound to end up hooked on blo-karting. It’s a cinch to learn with Pure Adventure (+44 (0) 1543 769 165, www.purejersey.com, £35 for a session). All you need is a small sail, a rope and handlebars for control. With the wind behind you, you can exceed 80kph along the beach at St Ouen’s Bay.“ Sunday Times Travel
CRETE
“Laid out like an exhausted flounder after my excursion in the sea, I was drizzled with hot olive oil then sprinkled lavishly with sugar before some hardcore exfoliation. By the time my therapist [at the Blue Palace Spa] had finished, my skin was as close to being smooth as a baby’s bottom as it’ll ever be.”
Louise Tickle for The Telegraph
“The people on the island have a raw, unpredictable and admirable energy for life, and they burst with hospitality. Cretans are very much of their island and it is hard to separate the two – I couldn’t imagine one without the other.”
Rory MacLean in The Guardian
“As the island’s honeymoon with tourism matures, there has been a renaissance of traditional Cretan cuisine; rather than clobber visitors with yet more wiener schnitzel and chips, new restaurants offer a selection of Cretan dishes. Essential ingredients are herbs and spices and locally grown vegetables and fruits. Lamb is usually baked with four kinds of cheese in pastry and topped with sesame seeds.”The Cadogan Guide, Crete
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