Debbie Oakes

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Debbie Oakes Unspoilt butter-coloured beaches sunbathe along 145km of stunning British coastline. In Norfolk, pristine sand lies in great expanses, edged by marram grass-dotted dunes under huge denim skies.

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Debbie Oakes Round as a football and just as playful, Gran Canaria has natural, culinary and cultural experiences galore. There are black lava and white sand beaches, rugged cliffs, volcanic craters, ancient villages, mountain hikes, verdant nature reserves and – of course – mouthwatering local gastronomy all fuelled by volcanic soils, clear seas and perennial good weather. Gran Canaria’s famous for its subtropical climate and sunshine offering all year round.

Finding a villa in Italy villa took two years. Two years of long summer days dressed in denim-blue. Years spent smelling the espresso, sipping Negronis at Aperitivo o’clock and passing of art and culture so thick you could paste it on bruschetta. All that time I bumbled around Central Italy on fast trains, slow trains, full trains, regional trains and late trains. Never knowingly under-packed and not speaking a word of Italian. It’s nothing short of a miracle I made it anywhere.