Checking in... Kirstie Allsopp
EARLIEST HOLIDAY MEMORY?
VISITING the Isle of Wight. My father was good at building sandcastles and took a proper garden spade away with him. He was proud that his buildings survived the waves when the tide came in.
FAVOURITE DESTINATION?
I’M LOOKING forward to revisiting India. I last went nine years ago. Its diversity, colour and huge variety of food, landscapes and people are so appealing. India is like a continent in its own right because the difference between north and south, from the hills to the beaches, is astounding.
FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE UK?
BEER in Devon. The bay is wonderful and there’s something special about sitting on the beach throwing stones into the water. We visited recently and, after eating fish and chips, swam in the calm waters — it was bliss.
WHERE NEXT?
WE’RE off to Switzerland for a week. It’s such an underrated destination. We visited last August and enjoyed it so much, we’re going back.
It’s a cliché, but it’s breathtakingly beautiful. We’ll do plenty of walking in the mountains and swimming in the Alpine lakes.
WHAT CAN’T YOU TRAVEL WITHOUT?
A POT of Nivea cream, mosquito repellent (I’m inclined to be bitten by anything) and high-factor suncream because I go lobsterred. I’ll always pack a swimming costume, too. I love to swim in the sea, rivers — anywhere. As a child, the most painful thing was visiting a place where it wasn’t safe to swim. I must have been a seal in a previous life.
EVER HAD A BAD FLIGHT?
ONCE, in the Bahamas, the plane took off in a massive storm. It was just me and the pilot and the rain was crashing against the window. Ultimately, you know it’ll be fine but that doesn’t stop you being nervous.
DO YOU RELAX OR KEEP BUSY ON HOLIDAY?
AT HOME I’m very tidy and domesticated so am often fiddling around in the house or organising things. When I’m away, I can’t do that, so I relax.
WHO IS YOUR DREAM TRAVEL COMPANION?
THE Queen. I’d love to accompany her on a royal flight and discover how she trains her dogs. Perhaps she could give me some tips so I could train Dandy, my border terrier. Picture: JEFF SPICER/GETTY
YOUR FAVOURITE WALK?
IN DEVON, we drive to Branscombe Beach, park and walk up a steep hill and along a ridge. There’s a two-storey house, with one room at the bottom, one at the top, and I look at it every time I walk that path. It overlooks the sea and I’ve decided it’s where I want to live when I’m old.
■ Location, Location, Location: 20 Years and counting, is on channel 4 on august 27 at 8pm.