Top of the world
Paul Henderson banishes lockdown blues by recalling good times in some of Europe’s hot spots
(a meat stew with beans) and souvenirs. It’s had its fair share of occupiers; Romans, Visigoths and Crusaders.
In 1209, the Cite was besieged by Crusaders and in 1226 the Cite became a royal domain. In 1849, France wanted it demolished but this was halted thanks to opposition. Its restoration ended at the end of the 19th century. ■■tourism-carcassonne.co.uk
The Acropolis
Athens’ crowning citadel is one of the most famous ancient archaeological sites in the world.
Sitting proudly on a limestone hill above crowded Athens, the Acropolis has been a home to kings, a religious centre and now, a much-visited tourist attraction.
The site consists of many temples although the most famous and well known is the Parthenon. This masterpiece was constructed between 447-432 BC. It was dedicated to the goddess Athena and is best known for its Doric columns.
There are 46 in all and they’re slightly tapered to give it a symmetrical appearance. It was once adorned with gargantuan statues including one of Athena herself at 39ft. More controversial is that one piece, the world’s most famous frieze, the Elgin Marbles, is now ensconced in the British Museum after being taken from the occupying Turks in 1801. Negotiations
for its return are ongoing.
Lockdown blues are hanging over us like gunmetal clouds at the height of a global storm. This damn virus is doing its utmost to banish thoughts, or even hopes, of a sunshine holiday to lift the gloom.
But there’s one trip it can’t prevent… the one we take down memory lane.
I won’t be alone, I’m sure, in digging out the holiday snaps – many from the pre-digital era, admittedly – to lift flagging spirits right now.
I’m glad I did. Because holidays are jolly days. And they will return. As a child my first destination in warmer climes was magnificent Majorca –at a beachside hotel near the capital Palma where royalty, celebrities and mere mortals like us love to soak up the sunshine.
I’ve been back many times, for work and pleasure.
My wife Katherine and I loved taking breakfast on the terrace at the Son Vida hotel and golf resort in the hills above Palma. The views over the Med are to die for.
On one newspaper assignment in the 1980s, I even met King Juan Carlos of Spain – at the yacht club where his white-shirted crew were competing in the Copa del Rey. As he answered my questions
about hosting Diana and Charles at the nearby Marivent Palace, a bodyguard told me: “You can’t interview the King of Spain in a bar.”
The king was very kind to this journalist and kept talking. And I had my story. I found a table in one of the excellent seafood restaurants in the marina, scribbled up my report and filed it to London from a pay phone in the bar.
Fortunately there are many marina restaurants to choose from, serving fresh lobster, giant prawns grilled in garlic, clams and a super-tasty mixed paella.
I remember drinking a fine bottle of white Rioja, knowing I could push my expenses to the limits as the editor was so pleased with me. The front page splash headline was The King And I.
Forgive me if I wander – but this is the joy of reminiscing about the good times.
Mediterranean islands have pulled me back many times for holidays and stories.
Katherine got us backpacking around the Greek Islands for a month in the 1970s. We were particularly enchanted by the tiny island of Ios – staying in a tiny room behind the post office. There was a secluded beach close by and the bar facilities were a little different, to say the least. Each day, a donkey steadily descended a cliff – and delivered food and drink.
We met islander Mike Venios and his English wife Sonia in his cliffside restaurant where we had a fight every night trying to get him to let us pay in full for our souvlaki, shrimps, kleftiko and endless bottles of wine. It was the beginning of decades of friendship.
The people on Ios, to this day, are wonderfully welcoming.
On Crete we stayed in the bustling port of Heraklion and the enchanting town of Sitia, where we found a locals’ restaurant to eat and drink for just a few drachma on tables set up each night on the steps of a building that was a bank by day. We became great connoisseurs of retsina, so cheap it was 12½ pence a bottle. All right, it was some years ago!
Paying £4 a night for a room was pushing the boat out, and dinner would have cost about the same.
More recently, we’ve stayed at the five-star Domes of Elounda by the Aegean Sea for considerably more per night. The hotel, whose panorama takes in the Spinalonga island fortress, offers luxury and facilities close to a charming fishing village supplying waterside tavernas.
Kefalonia was a great destination when our daughters Joanna, Louise and Sophia were still at school. Argostoli is the capital and a colourful place to spend evenings away from stunning beaches like Myrtos – made famous in
‘‘ The king was very kind to this journalist and kept talking. I had my story