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Loyd Grossman

Author and broadcaster

MEMORABLE PLACE?

THE South Pacific island of Bora Bora (pictured). I got to go scuba-diving and saw lots of varieties of shark. They’re the most fascinating creatures in the wild.

EARLIEST HOLIDAY MEMORY?

AS A child growing up in America in the 1950s, I’ll never forget visiting New York after Thanksgiving one year and seeing the window displays in the big Fifth Avenue department stores.

FAVOURITE PART OF THE U.S.?

I GREW up in Boston, New England, and love Maine’s rocky Atlantic landscape.

FAVOURITE RESTAURANT?

I ADORE the Minetta Tavern in Greenwich Village. It has the most wonderful ‘New York in the 1920s and 1930s’ feel and serves amazing hamburgers.

TOP TIPS FOR VISITING THE U.S.?

EXPLORE small-town America — you’ll find it fascinating. And remember that American coffee can be quite weak — it’s why diners offer you endless refills.

WHERE DO YOU LIKE IN THE UK?

I’VE just discovered north Norfolk with its stunning beaches, churches and delicious food. I ate the most amazing crab there.

ANYWHERE ELSE YOU WOULD RECOMMEND?

GLADSTONE’S Library, which is an extraordinary monument to one of our great Prime Ministers, in beautiful North Wales.

A SILVER LINING TO NOT TRAVELLING?

DEFINITELY. It’s a chance to remind ourselves just how many wonderful places there are in the UK.

WHERE NEXT?

SICILY — as long as it’s not on the quarantined list.

DREAM DESTINATION

PERU or Ecuador, to see the heartland of South America’s ancient civilisation.

■ Loyd’s latest book, An Elephant In Rome: Bernini, The Pope And The Making of The Eternal City, is out now. YORK MEMBERY