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ʻQUITE FRANKLY, THE SOUTH PACIFIC WAS OTHERWORLDLY COMPARED WITH MY ENGLISH EXISTENCE. I MADE IT THERE IN MY EARLY TWENTIES, AND IT WAS EVEN MORE INCREDIBLE THAN IʼD IMAGINEDʼ
iji was one of the first exotic destinations to find its way on to my personal bucket list as a young teenager. Through my other passion in life – rugby – I’d come across pictures of people on the whitest, sandiest beaches I’d ever seen, playing (rugby) in the shallows of the bluest waters that even my most extensive of felt-tip pen collections couldn’t colour-match. Then there were tropical fish that lived in and around its famous coral and the fact you could also go on mountain adventures. Quite frankly, it was otherworldly compared with my English existence. I made it there in my early twenties (so, obviously, just a few years ago!) and perhaps most remarkable of all, it was even more incredible than I’d imagined. The South Pacific is a special place – in later years, I travelled to other parts, including Samoa and New Caledonia – and its breathtaking remote beauty never fails to enthrall. And, trust me, it’s always worth the flying time – read more on p93. Of course, you don’t need to fly to the other side of the world to get inspired. This issue we begin a new series on Italian wine and food trails that will see us travel the length of Italy from the far north to the islands over our next five issues. Read the first, focused on Gavi wine and the Piedmont region, on p81. Elsewhere, iconic Spanish chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho will have you yearning for the Basque Country (p32); our treehouse and cabin recommendations (p100) will make you want to go into the woods (and stay awhile), and who doesn’t love a foraging expedition? You can do one of those without even leaving our shores (p88).
And, as you’d expect from us, we’ve also got plenty of culinary inspiration, with no fewer than 34 seasonal recipes in this issue. Finally, don’t forget to vote in our reader awards (p30), sponsored by the Italian National Tourist Board, and give your favourite chefs, hotels, restaurants and destinations a nod.