Celebrity playground

My piece on Capri, from the Insight Vacations media trip, was published in the Sunday Star Times  newspaper last Sunday (click here to read the online version).

  

When in Rome

My story about the Colosseum, visited on the Insight Vacations' Best of Italy media trip, is published in this week's NZ Woman's Weekly (click here to read).

10 Days in Italy

The first of my stories from the recent Insight Vacations famil to Italy was published in yesterday's Sunday Star Times. Here's a link to the online version.

Venezia

It's my third visit to this magical UNESCO World Heritage site, and yesterday I fell in love all over again.

It is simply stunning, especially outside of summer when more than 60,000 tourists pass through its digestive system, many of them disgorged from hideous ocean liners and touting the most annoying invention of modern times, the selfie stick.

Instead, when autumn ticks over into winter and a moody fog hangs overhead,, like a cold compress, is when this floating city comes into its own.

We were so, so lucky to be staying at the appropriately named Hotel Splendid, smack bang on one of the watery arteries, and to arrive, James Bond style, on a speed boat..

There was a so-cheesy-it's-cool gondola ride, a tour of St Mark's Basilica, a visit to a Murano glass factory and lots and lots of wandering around the tiny cobbled alleyways where getting lost is standard practice. This city is, in fact, made for getting horribly, terribly lost - and discovering all sorts of gems as you attempt to find your way.

  

Pisa

The Insight Vacations media famil continues to roll through Italy. Yesterday we were in the ancient city of Pisa.

I've been here before - a long time ago, though - but time hasn't made me any more mature. It must surely be enshrined in Italian law that anyone who sets foot in Pisa has to pretend to 'straighten' the 12th Century bell tower.

That aside, another stunning stop.

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The world's longest flight

A few months back I wrote about taking the 17.5  hour direct flight from Auckland to Dubai, currently the world's longest air route. Tomorrow, I'm doing it again.

Before that there will be lunch in Auckland with my old mate Lil and some work in the lovely Emirates lounge before being herded onto the plane for what seems like forever. This time, sadly, the Travel Gods were off having a long lunch and I wasn't able to get into business class. But at least I scored some lounge passes so I can have a shower in Dubai before the next 6.5 hour schlep to Rome.

I shall miss my two boys, especially given the aftershocks that are still rumbling through the region. Poor Bristol is so freaked out he'd rather sit in the garden, even in the rain, than come inside. It breaks my heart. Here's hoping the quakes stop soon.
 
See you on the other side....

11 days in Italy?

Don't mind if I do...

On Friday I fly to Rome for a media trip with Insight Vacations' 11 Day Best of Italy tour. 
It's going to be a tough gig, eating and drinking and swanning around Italy. But someone has to do it.

I'm well aware of the irony of swapping one earthquake-infested place (800 aftershocks since Monday) for another but what's a girl to do? Say no to Italy???!!!