inside - CV Villas

ISSUE 2
2013
Inside
A Hidden Gem in India
Pleasures of Provence
B o r n F r e e W i t h V i r g i n i a MC k e n n a
FROM CV Travel
ISSUE 2
2013
welcome
Cepheus House
Welcome to ‘The View’, the newly
styled travel and lifestyle magazine
from CV Travel.
Corfu, Kassiopi
We hope that we can inspire you to see
countries, regions and islands from
a different perspective, and that you
will consider visiting some of these
exceptional destinations.
04
The Editor
CONTENTS
02
12
T r i b u t e to Pat r i c i a
13
03
Lefkada
04
A s h o r t h i s to r y o f T r u llo
06
A Hi d d e n G e m i n I n d i a
07
14
Pleasures of Provence
08
Born Free
10
E n c h a n ti n g Vi e w s
Credits
12
Contributors: With thanks to all contributors
notably Gina Lowes, Daphne Forte,
Sarah Vanstone, Carolina De Capell Brooke,
Virginia McKenna, Matt Frei and Catherine Leech
R o n d a - Hi s to r i c C h a r m
& D r a m ati c Vi e w s
Front Cover Image: Torre Sponda,
Positano in Italy
Design & Production: Strattons
(www.strattons.com)
13
Fo c u s o n J a m a i c a
Printed on 100% recycled paper
The View is the magazine of CV Travel, Skyline
House, 200 Union Street, London SE1 0LX
www.cvtravel.co.uk
All information is deemed correct at the
time of going to press.
Inside Front Cover: To view some our
finest fully staffed villas, please visit
www.cvprivatecollection.com
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16
Remote Islands
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Ta k e j u s t o n e i n g r e d i e n t. . .
01
The Lure of
Patricia
Cookson
Patricia Cookson founder of Corfu Villas, later becoming
CV Travel, has died aged 66. Much loved here at CV Travel,
Patricia had many connections with the company even after
she sold it in 2004. Her ex-husband Richard Cookson, cofounder of Corfu Villas, still works for CV Travel in Corfu.
At her memorial ser vice Patricia’s four sons paid tribute to
their mother and asked that their mother's legacy live on
through giving generously to the Corfu Centre of registered
Greek charity, The Smile of a Child.
Corfu Villas became well-known for putting the nor th-east
par t of Corfu on the holiday map of the rich and famous
attracting pop stars, actors and even Royalty with the Duke
and Duchess of Kent and the Duke of Cambridge visitors to
the island.
Patricia grew up in Beverley, Yorkshire with her Danish
mother, English father and siblings, Mikey, Carole and Jennifer.
After leaving school Patricia moved to London and worked
in the records office of the House of Lords, but it was
her job on the QE2 that helped her see the world and
how she discovered her beloved Corfu. Once there she
was determined to converse with the locals and set about
learning Greek which undoubtedly helped her find that ver y
first rental villa and how Corfu Villas was born.
Setting up in business was far from easy and the first Corfu
Villas brochure was simply a notebook with pictures glued
in. All clients were asked to please return it when they were
finished. Learning on the job provided many a mishap and her
siblings were roped in to help with double booked villas as
well as drunken guests - the result of a free wine special offer!
As the company grew, so did Patricia and Richard’s family
with the addition of four sons. All the boys played a par t in
the company and were often seen ser ving guests at weekly
drinks par ties hosted by the couple. This warm and friendly
family welcome, alongside luxurious villas and beautiful sea
views, meant that guests returned time and time again to
sample the Corfu Villas experience.
Perigiali View
Porto Katsiki Beach
Conquered by the Ottoman Empire and with pronounced
Turkish influences, the capital Lefkada Town boasts narrow
alleys, pastel coloured balconied houses, a lovely central
square, many churches and a harbour full of yachts. Nidri,
half way down the east coast, is the island's major resor t, set
amongst mountains and small islets whilst Vassiliki fur ther
south has become known as the finest wind-surfing centre
in Greece, helped by the local winds which pick up in the
afternoons. The small seaside towns and villages on the east
coast, some lying at the head of fjord-like inlets, are known
for their safe anchorages and abundance of fish restaurants.
Corfu Villas continued to grow with villas in other Greek
islands, Italy, Spain and Por tugal added to the por tfolio.
Then with the addition of Morocco in the 1990s, Corfu
Villas became CV Travel. When the business was sold in
2004, Patricia remained in Corfu. She threw herself into
refurbishing her home that she loved so much, turning it into
an elegant and beautiful villa with far reaching views of the
Corfu coastline.
Here’s how some of our staff remember her….
“Working with Patricia was great fun and her contribution to
making CV Travel the go-to-place for luxur y villas has made the
company what it is today. “
“Patricia will be sadly missed and I for one will always
remember her terrific energy and enthusiasm for giving clients
the best ser vice possible.”
“Each year I can vividly remember Patricia setting us the
challenge of finding our brochure cover photo - the amazing view,
the traditional car and the beautiful pool …. it all had to be
there and this is what set CV Travel apart from other companies”.
02
Kite Surfing
Despite being linked by a causeway with a floating bridge
from the mainland, the green and mountainous island of
Lefkada remains one of the most unspoilt islands in the
Ionian, its hillsides and valleys dotted with old villages,
windmills, lagoons, olive groves and cypress trees. Winding up
countr y lanes to visit ancient monastries, seeing older local
ladies in traditional dress and hearing the sound of goat bells
through the olive trees merely enhances the feeling of time
standing still. Hiking and walking enthusiasts will enjoy the
scener y at Syvos with its natural springs and waterfalls whilst
those seeking an authentic experience will love the mountain
village of Kar ya, known for its embroider y, and the villages
surrounding Lazarata, including Spanohori.
For many, the lure of Lefkada is the sea, the stunning beaches
and sea-spor ting oppor tunities. From the village of Agios
Nikitas, on the island's magnificent west coast, a whole series
of beautiful white beaches run nor th to south below dramatic
cliffs including some of the most breathtaking - Por to Katsiki,
Kathisma and Pefkolia. The cliffs can make access to these
beaches quite tricky, in fact some are only accessible by boat
03
or water-taxi, but this of course just adds to their charm. For
thrill-seekers, there is kite-surfing at Milos Beach, scuba diving,
water-skiing and wake-boarding at Nidri and even paragliding
from the hill of Kathisma to land on the beach below. A boat trip to the surrounding islets including the island
of Skorpios is recommended as is a trip to Meganissi. Situated four nautical miles off the south east coast of
Lefkada, Meganissi has tiny hamlets and a small por t, Vathy,
watched over by twin churches to bless those arriving and
leaving. With its wooded hillsides, sheltered bays, quiet
beaches, cr ystal waters and imposing cliffs, the colours of
this island are quite beautiful, and it is a haven for a peaceful
day trip and for discreet celebrity watching! And of course, it
is easy to visit the mainland for a day out too.
For the visitor who wishes to enjoy the sparkling sea,
fabulous beaches, lovely countr yside, good seafood and
superb views, the lure of Lefkada beckons.
A Short
History of the
Trullo
A trullo is a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical stone
roof and a pinnacle. These intriguing, iconic constructions are
found in the ’ heel’ of Italy, in Puglia, peppering the countryside
and towns in the fertile Valle d’Itria, in particular in
Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to
the high concentration of these distinctive trulli
(plural for trullo) houses.
Above: Trulli Le Rose can be booked via CV Travel
A typical trullo has a cylindrical base with a steeply angled
cone roof with a hand-worked pinnacle on top – a disk,
ball, bowl or polyhedron, said to be the signature of the
stonemason who built the trullo, and reference to the pagan
ritual of sun worshipping. Other symbols, some Christian,
others pagan, can often be seen painted on the roofs, adding
to the mystique of these curious buildings.
The really old trulli were made of rocks, hewn from the land,
built ‘a seco’ or ‘dr y’ making them examples of mor tarless
construction whilst in the latter par t of the 18th centur y,
they appeared to be made from limestone from local
quarries. Their thick white-painted stone walls ensured
coolness in the summer and warmth in the winter, their lack
of windows historically making them quite dark inside.
Originally built as temporar y shelters and storehouses or as
permanent dwellings by agricultural labourers in the 16th
and 17th centuries, trullo domes were built singly or in
groups of up to five, sometimes in large farmyard clusters,
but never for the occupancy of more than a single rural
family. In Alberobello, groupings did not exceed two trulli as
evidenced by 19th centur y notarial deeds. Whole families
would share two or three cones with a large fireplace as a
focal point, arched alcoves providing sleeping space.
There are many theories behind the origin of the design. One
is the shor tage of wood for building when deforestation took
place years ago in Puglia to make way for agriculture as the
remaining olive trees were not suitable for construction and
indeed were a valuable source of income. Another is the
influence of various settlers in Puglia, including the Greeks,
who built using their own ‘dr y’ masonr y techniques, whilst
another relates to the tax laws of 17th centur y Italy when
the nobility imposed heavy taxes on any permanent dwelling.
So it goes that the poorer people of Puglia created dr y
wall constructions so that they could be dismantled when
inspectors were in the area. With a conical roof depending
05
largely on the top stone to stop the roof caving in, the owner
literally had to pull this out to demolish their home, and once
the inspectors had gone, they put their house together again!
Whatever their true origin, these unique trulli continue to
fascinate, and today many have been restored and conver ted
into delightful holiday homes.
For villas in Puglia, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Sicily
& Sardinia, please visit www.cvtravel.co.uk
Pleasures
of Provence
By Gina Lowes
A HIDDEN GEM
By Carolina de Capell Brooke
India took me completely by surprise. In 2004, a friend
invited me to a wedding there. I booked a flight, secured
a visa and thought little more of it. From that first trip, a
week of par ties culminating in a spectacular ceremony and
a whirlwind tour of Rajasthan in a white Ambassador car,
(sprinkled in brightly coloured powder during Holi, the
festival of colour), I have been captivated. In India there is
ever ything that I love about Europe and more: magnificent
monuments and architecture, unique and often quite
eccentric hotels of great charm and elegance in breathtaking
locations, strong ar tisan traditions, and wonderfully warmhear ted and hospitable people.
In late 2008, just ten days after the Mumbai attacks and as
the financial crisis unravelled, an oppor tunity came up to
travel off the beaten track in southern Rajasthan. And so that
was how on a warm December day, I came to be travelling
by vintage jeep on dir t roads through fields of mustard,
cotton, sugar cane and red chillies to Bundi. With a wellpreser ved walled old town with ochre havelis (similar to
Moroccan riads), tucked below the imposing palace complex,
this market town is one of Rajasthan’s little visited jewels.
On arrival at Bundi Vilas, a boutique homestay, the efficient
Brahmin owners greeted us with garlands of heavenly
scented pink roses and marigolds, and we were shown to
pretty rooms with supremely comfor table beds.
Our hosts immediately invited us to walk around the old
town. Weaving through the narrow streets, life unfolded
before us and we felt as if we had taken a step back in time.
We passed locals sitting in a street front barber shop having
a wet shave, and were invited to tr y different kinds of chai
(tea) and delicious samosas at street food stalls. Musicians
rehearsing for a local wedding greeted us and we chatted
to the ladies in the colourful vegetable market whilst a
decorated elephant meandered through the streets in the
distance. One of our favourite stops was to a weaver who
was making beautiful scar ves which would not look out of
place in a European boutique. Our next por t of call was
with an elderly miniaturist painting typical Rajasthani motifs
on old postcards and cour t documents. In the main bazaar,
noisy and fun, we caused much amusement as we tr y on
Lac bangles in jewel colours of ruby red and emerald green
and bought metres of gold braid for wrapping Christmas
presents. Ever ywhere we are welcomed with warmth and
interest, with waves and beaming smiles from schoolchildren
walking home, boys playing cricket or ladies looking down
on us from the windows of their home.
On our return from town that evening we enjoyed
Sundowners and a lively dinner on the roof terrace
overlooking the town and the Nawal Sagar lake. The ladies
of the family are impressively good cooks and treated us
to delicious dishes ser ved out of brass pots. Bundi is a ‘dr y’
town and cour tesy of another guest, Indian wine from the
Sula winer y was ser ved.
lodge, an idyllic spot for a Raj style picnic under a shady
tree and then on to another extraordinar y, deser ted
lake shore palace. Scrambling up rocks to look over the
perimeter wall, we imagine par ties gathering after tiger
hunts. Seldom visited temples, the Rajput palaces of Dugari,
Indragarh and Ranthambore are an easy drive through the
countr yside. Our par ty wonder if India will act to save its
magnificent heritage.
Bundi is a perfect spot to relax and enjoy the slow pace of
‘village life’. Since this visit, I have been back to India four
times. As ever ywhere, but perhaps no more so than the
Subcontinent, opting for ‘the road less travelled’ ensures
a far more memorable experience.
Enjoy a trip to Bundi with Journeys of Distinction. Visit
http://www.jod.uk.com or call 0161 491 7616
The next morning, fuelled by a breakfast of sweet milk tea,
toast and omelette, we wound our way up a shor t steep
path to the enormous palace complex. Seemingly little
documented, the palace is made from the locally quarried
hard stone that does not lend itself to car ving. Perhaps this is
the reason why it is decorated with the finest wall paintings
found in Rajasthan. One of the most spectacular sections, the
Chittra Sala overlooks a hanging garden, a green serene spot
with bougainvillea. The murals here, painted in an unusually
sombre palette of turquoises, blues and blacks are of the
finest quality – most of them showing scenes from the life
of Krishna. The only other tourists are Indian families who
wish to take our photograph. Sadly, much of the complex
is in dangerous condition and therefore other rooms with
magnificent murals are not easily accessible.
Fur ther afield, an easy bicycle ride along leafy lanes leads to
the picturesque but rather neglected Sukh Niwas, a royal
summer palace on a lotus-filled lake, where Kipling wrote
par ts of Kim and The Jungle Book. The track winds fur ther
round the lakeshore to an impressive deser ted hunting
06
Many of us use the term ‘Provence’ quite loosely, but to
set it within its geographical context, Provence largely
corresponds with the modern French administrative
region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and includes the
departments of Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-de-HauteProvence and parts of the Alpes-Maritimes and Vaucluse.
For many people, it is the sight and smell of the lavender
fields of Provence that so epitomises arriving in the South
of France, it is the thought of delicious cuisine, a chilled
glass of rosé wine, the sparkling Mediterranean Sea and
sunshine. This landscape full of shimmering meadows, small
villages, vineyards and famous mountains has long been
associated with artists, writers and as a holiday destination.
And I for one have had the good fortune to spend many
holidays in this most beautiful part of France.
Growing up in Paris, my summer holidays as a small child
were spent in a beautiful rented villa just outside Les
Issambres between Ste Maxime and St Raphael. As the car
sped down l’Autoroute du Soleil, my mother and I would
have our heads out of the window, breathing in the scent of
lavender, feeling the warm breeze on our faces. Long, lazy
days for me were spent in the paddling pool in the front
garden of the villa overlooking the sea watching the boats
and yachts gently pootling by.
Favourite haunts included the two hilltop villages of Grimaud
and Gassin, both with wonderful views over the bright blue
bay of the Golfe de St Tropez. Gassin, one of ‘le plus beaux
villages de France’ with its ancient streets, one l’Androuno
purpor ted to be the narrowest street in the world, and its
wealth of delightful restaurants was, and still is, the perfect
place for an al fresco lunch, where the scent of jasmine wafts
in the cooler air up from the coast.
Mural scene in Bundi Palace. Indra, the Vedic god of thunder
sends forth a deluge as the villagers worship Mount Govardhana
instead of him. Krishna lifts Mount Govardhana for seven days
and nights to protect the village from the deluge.
A par ticular treat was the purchase during the holiday of at
least two ‘santons’. These small, colourful terracotta figurines
are an emblem of Provence and originally were the primar y
characters of the ‘crèche’ (nativity/manger) introduced it is
said to Provence by Franciscan priests in the 13th centur y.
According to records, the first clay santons were created by
Jean-Louis Lagnel of Marseilles during the French Revolution
when churches were closed. He made these ‘little saints’
for the general population at an affordable price, depicting
them carr ying out their trades in traditional costumes on
their way to the nativity – spinners, milkmaids, fishermen,
scissor grinders, chestnut sellers and many more. Today,
santon fairs take place in towns and villages in Provence,
keeping this wonderful tradition alive.
As I grew older, the annual summer ‘pèlerinage’ (pilgrimage)
continued to the south of France, largely spent in or around
Cannes, which opened up new doors of discovery. In the hills
above, the historic village of St Paul de Vence is known as one
of the most celebrated enclaves for ar tists in France. A visit to
the renowned Fondation Maeght, an extraordinary building in
beautiful gardens, with works by Miro, Giacometti and Kandinsky
amongst others, followed by dinner at La Colombe d’Or is a real
treat. Once the hangout of ar tists, many of whom paid for their
meals with their works, the walls of this famous restaurant are
adorned with paintings by Picasso, Braque and Chagall.
A visit to Grasse is a delight. The town was originally a
centre for leather tanning but thanks to Catherine of Medici
who established a fashion for perfumed gloves during
the 16th centur y, Grasse merchants were encouraged
to cultivate the aromatic plants that tanners needed to
supply perfumed leather to the aristocracy. Enjoying a
mild Mediterranean climate and with an abundance of
water, Grasse was perfect for cultivating flowers including
jasmine, lavender, orange blossom, roses and wild mimosa,
and over the centuries the town established itself as ’la
capitale mondiale des parfums’. I used to love visiting the
perfume factories of Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard,
and purchasing a small memento, and guided tours are still
available to them today.
In my twenties and thir ties, my par tner and I would embrace
long drives south usually aiming for Drôme to visit family
and friends. Officially in the region of Rhône-Alpes, the
southernmost tip of Drôme nestles neatly into Provence,
earning it the nickname of ’La Drôme Provençale’. It bursts
07
with charming villages including La Garde Adhémar, with
its splendid views and bougainvillea pergolas over outdoor
restaurant terraces lining its tiny winding streets, with
bountiful lavender fields and is home to the magnificent
Chorégies d'Orange, the annual summer opera festival held
in the ancient Roman open-air theatre, accommodating
almost ten thousand spectators.
A drive to the Vaucluse is no distance for a day out at
the Garlic Festival in Piolenc, for visits to the vineyards of
Gigondas producing delicious robust red wines, or a trip to
Mont Ventoux, a mecca for cyclists worldwide, and a famed
ascent on the Tour de France on numerous occasions. It is
the most extraordinar y experience to leave the countr yside
below on a sunny day, and drive up to the bare limestone,
almost lunar landscape, of the summit where the wind blows
hard, hence the name.
During my for ties, holidays to France centred on Palatina, my
par tner’s boat, as she motored her way along the beautiful
coast between Marseilles and Monaco, taking in views of
the Côte d’Azur from the Mediterranean Sea, an entirely
different perspective. The small fishing por t of Cassis with
its pastel coloured buildings, its little harbour bobbing with
boats, and restaurants ser ving traditional bouillabaisse
inspires visitors, as it did for Derain and Dufy. Motoring in
to the deep blue calanques, a series of limestone cliffs, fjords
and rocky promontories where pine trees cling to gleaming
rock was a magical experience, as was visiting L’Île de
Porquerolles, the pearl of the L’Îles d’Hyères, with its unspoilt
beauty, pine and eucalyptus trees, bustling small village and
turquoise waters. It is easy to take a ferr y to the island from
Toulon, and well wor th a visit.
Mooring in the outer harbour of St Tropez, and a visit into
the village brought back memories of childhood, albeit
some cold beer s at the famous por tside café, Sénéquier,
reminded me that we were paying these days! Leaving our
mooring behind, Palatina chugged fur ther along the coast
past a rather beautiful villa in Les Issambres, just visible
from the sea…
Born
Free
4
1
By Virginia McKenna
One moment I have always remembered – because I was so
astonished – was years ago in Zambia. I had taken a small group
on safari and we were staying at a simple camp near a river.
A few days later, on our journey back we saw a veritable
rainbow of animals – primates, birds, antelope, zebra. Then,
coming towards us, was an open-topped Land Rover carr ying
two ver y disgruntled visitors. We stopped and said hello
and, hardly pausing for breath, they informed us of their
deep disappointment at not seeing ‘The Big Five’. When we
told them of all we had seen they were totally unimpressed.
They continued on their unseeing way.
2
Africa, at least many par ts of it, is the great wildlife treasure
chest of the world. The iconic species – elephants, rhinos, lions,
leopards, cheetah, giraffe, buffalo, through publicity (and some of
them tragically, because they are the main targets for poachers,)
are the focus of press and public attention. Some people, like
my grumpy travellers, think that if they haven’t seen these, they
haven’t seen anything. That, of course, isn’t true and because of
their obsession they have missed ever ything.
3
7
5
In my life I have been blessed to have visited several
countries on that breathtaking continent. The first was South
Africa, where I was evacuated as a child during the Second
World War, where I saw my first wild lions lying under a tree,
in Kruger National Park.
The second was Kenya, where my husband, Bill Travers, and I
went in 1964 to make the film ‘Born Free’. It was there that
the animals, the landscape and the essence of Africa entered
our soul, never to leave. So profound was our experience,
that Bill formed his own wildlife documentar y company
and then, in 1984, we and our eldest son Will founded our
charity. Known then as Zoo Check and, since 1991, as The
Born Free Foundation.
1Giraffe, © George Logan
Having witnessed animals in Kenya, living free and wild, we knew
those same animals should not be held captive – some deprived
of just about everything that makes life wor th living. So our
rescue work began and our journeys to Africa multiplied!
2 Elsa's Kopje – Sundowners
in Elsa's Infinity Pool
3Leopard, © George Logan
4 Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna
on the set of ‘Born Free’,
© Columbia Pictures
5African elephants, © George Logan
6 Elsa's Kopje – Cottage
7 Virginia McKenna, Alwyn Coates
6
08
I have two spiritual homes. The first is my home in the English
countr yside. The second is Kenya, where the stor y of Elsa the
lioness, George and Joy Adamson and ‘Born Free’ began.
09
I have often taken small groups of travellers – many of whom
have remained friends – to Meru National Park, where Elsa
lived and died. We stayed in the unique Elsa’s Kopje Lodge,
which looks down on the little area where George had his
first camp in 1965. We have a quiet and wonderful bush
breakfast in the clearing near Elsa’s grave, and we think and
talk about this still unspoiled fragment of wilderness, rich with
plants and tree and animal species of all kinds.
The wild flowers are jewels in the scrub and the massive and
extraordinar y cloud formations move across the sky in everchanging shapes – yet never hide the sun. As I write I feel I
am there. I wish I was.
Having spent so many childhood years in South Africa it was
with especial joy that, thanks to the vision and invitation of
Adrian Gardiner – who at that time owned Shamwari, nor th
of Por t Elizabeth on the Eastern Cape – we opened our first
rescue centre there in the mid 1990s (we now have two).
The Julie Ward Centre is home to many rescued lions and
leopards mainly from zoos and circuses in Europe. What
makes the centre ver y special is that they are within the
environment of the Shamwari Reser ve itself. There you can
see all creatures great and small, finding their niche in the
contrasting landscape of the Park. Life goes on all around
you as you sit and watch and listen and learn.
Nothing is too small to wonder at – so I would like to
suggest that the ‘Little Five’ are equally wor thy of your
interest. The buffalo weaver, the ant lion, the elephant shrew,
the leopard tor toise and the rhino beetle.
The complexity of nature is what keeps it balanced. The
beauty of nature is what uplifts our soul. The freedom of the
animals is what warms our hear ts. And the welcome and
hospitality of the African people is what really makes us long
to return.
Virginia McKenna OBE, is a British stage and
screen actress, author, wildlife campaigner and Founder
of the Born Free Foundation. Find out more about her
work at www.bornfree.org.uk
No Hong Kong Chinese wanted to live there. But from the
semi-circular balcony that wrapped around our large living
room you looked out over the warren of sky scrapers, over
the harbour with its flotilla of container ships and past the
islands down towards Lantau and the new airpor t. At sunset
a large orange orb, magnified in size and colour by the
humidity would hang like a bauble at the end of our view. It
was spectacular visual theatre, especially when the lights on
the sky scrapers came on and began competing with each
other as if in some metropolitan disco. The Citibank building
had a ripple of colours cascading up and down all 85 floors.
Once an Aeroflot pilot almost - apparently - mistook them
for the landing lights at the old airpor t, which was right
in the hear t of the city, Then there were the cold white
geometrical lights that divided the sleek Bank of China Tower
into a cubist stack. This view changed constantly. Penny,
my wife, and I spent hours sitting on the balcony taking
it in, watching it change accompanied in the morning by
homemade cappuccino, made from a complicated wedding
present or at sunset by something that sharpened the
perception but blunted the logic. There was one downside
Matt Frei is a television news journalist, writer and presenter.
to this view. We lived right on the fog line and for several
months a year the fog would descend and the cur tains close
Enchanting
on this spectacle. Then it was like being in a ski resor t on a
Views
ver y bad white out day.
Swiftly on to the next view. My brothers-in-law chalet in
Chamonix, which looks up to Mont Blanc in helpless awe
and kneeling deference. That view is all about the power
of nature. The mountains tower above you. You trust them
not to crumble or produce avalanches that make it all the
way down to the village of Les Houches. Again this view is
constantly in flux. depending on the light and the time of day,
it goes from blinding blue to sultr y maroon. And on cloudy
By Matt Frei
days you look up in the general direction of the mountain,
slightly blind, hoping for the clouds to par t however briefly
and Mont Blanc to put on a peep show. And on days when
the weather refuses to cooperate my mind goes back to
Views are my mental post
cards that I have filed
away over the years
and access in moments
of acute nostalgia,
discomfort, or when
stuck on the PicCadilly
Line at rush hour! As the
electronic squawk warns
me to 'mind the gap' my
mind wanders to my short
list of favourite views...
the filing system and might come up with the view from
the horizon pool at La Meridiana, a villa in the Sabine Hills
outside Rome, where your eyes roam around the ancient
olive groves with their silver y leaves and you listen to the
There was the view from our terrace in Rome. We had
But let's just say I stuck to the wide shot. Above all of it
is acid green and the rest of the house is still asleep. It is like
a penthouse apar tment in what used to be called the
was a spectacular Roman dome of a sky, which delivered its
sitting in a botanical garden. The cacophony of over excited
Jewish ghetto on the banks of The Tiber. In old Roman
best colours - a fluorescent turquoise - at dusk when it was
birds is hilarious and yet we are only ten minutes drive from
family palaces the top floor is in fact the least smar t with
also filled with the mad swarm of starlings, a whoosh of a
the White House.
the lowest - unpainted - ceilings, where they shove the
thousand wings right above your head, nature's best fly past.
unwanted guests or the most junior and impecunious
Like all great views this one had sound effects to go with it.
relatives. Or the foreign correspondents for that matter.
A Polish friend who is an architect drew the view in ink pen
personal memor y, car ved into the mind, indestructible, held
But the top floor also has the views. This one skimmed just
when she came to stay once and left it as a leaving present.
onto defiantly, especially on the Piccadilly Line. If it gets too
I could bore you with so many more gritty views - the view
above the roofs of Rome. It was a maze of tiles and turrets
The picture has hung on our wall in the jungle of Cleveland
curdled with nostalgia my fickle mind just moves on to Hong
through my shattered taped up window at the misnamed
and TV antennae. There were dozens of domes and spires
Park in Washington D.C ., home for the last decade or so.
Kong where we lived in a gloriously run down apar tment
Holiday Inn in Sarajevo during the war, the fleeting view of
and as your eye settled on the scene you noticed a hive
Here too a favourite view has etched itself on the memor y
with panoramic views onto all sides of the island. We were
our hotel in East Timor as it was being licked by rebel flames
of activity. A neighbour hanging up the washing, a mother
bank with a mixture of intrinsic beauty and familiarity. It is
Top: La Meridiana
on a Mini Peak next to Victoria Peak. Ours was called Mount
and the Chinese owner was cr ying quietly as he watched his
Above: View from our Chalet in Les Houches
Cameron, no relation to the Prime Minister, I think. It had
life's work turn into a plume of thick black smoke. But stop.
Back to the Sabine Hills. Pass me a Prosecco. Wait a minute.
distant sound of a farmer berating a stubborn animal, or
a wife berating a stubborn farmer. Somewhere at the end
of the valley, out of sight but not of mind, the great city of
Rome pulsates with numbing urban purpose. But here in the
This is the best kind of view. The view that has become
hills ruffled by the summer breeze the view is serene. It also
hasn't changed in centuries. That too makes you think.
pleading with a child, a couple having a domestic, the pale
the morning view in early May from our screened porch. The
faced mathematician from next door doing his taichi. They
dogwood tree is weighed down by creamy white blossom. All
been a Japanese for tress and prison during the occupation.
were all oblivious to you or each other. If I had had a pair
around the azaleas are an outrageous purple, red, pink and
The place was deemed to be haunted and vexed by some
I have arrived at Holborn. Time to mind the gap and forget
of binoculars the view would have been more voyeuristic.
white. The wisteria has star ted to bloom and smell. The grass
truly appalling fang shui which is why the rent was affordable.
the view... for a minute.
10
11
Focus on
Jamaica...
Ronda – Historic Charm
a n d D r a m at i c V i e w s
One of Andalucía's loveliest towns, Ronda, is spectacularly situated
and steeped in history. It is perhaps most famous for its dramatic,
plunging river gorge which divides the medieval (old) part of town
from the 18th century (modern) part, and for being the birthplace
of modern bullfighting, home to the oldest bullring in Spain.
Why visit?
To see the town itself which is delightful, richly endowed
with a heritage of magnificent buildings and centuries-old
houses teetering on the cliff top, and to take in the views.
The town sits astride the deep El Tajo Gorge car ved out by
the Rio Guadalevin over the centuries, and the 18th centur y
Puente Nuevo ‘new bridge’, which straddles the 100 metre
chasm below, provides unparalleled views of the valley and
out over the Serrania de Ronda mountains.
When to go?
Spring is always a lovely time to visit especially if rain has
contributed to the surrounding hills being carpeted in
flowers but, even in the heat of summer, shade can be found
in tranquil squares and parks away from the many tourists
who visit during the day. The evenings are calmer as the day
trippers head back to the Costa del Sol.
There are many fiestas taking place in Ronda throughout the
year when the town bursts into a riot of noise and colour.
What to see?
The cultural legacy of the Moors is to be seen throughout
the city, in its palaces, winding cobbled streets and by its
imposing city walls with their proud entrance gates. The old
town exudes historic charm with some exceptional buildings
including churches, cloistered convents and mansions, still
home to some of the town’s titled families. The leafy Plaza
Duquesa de Parcent is one of the town’s most lovely public
spaces and there are national monuments to explore such
as the Alminar de San Sebastián (San Sebastian Minaret),
formerly the tower of one of the many mosques of Ronda.
The town museum is well wor th a visit given it is housed
in the Palacio de Mondragón, with its Moorish patios and
trickling fountains, as is the Museo del Bandolero, which
commemorates the tales and traditions of the bandits who
once roamed the local hills.
A shor t walk down the hill leads to the peaceful, restored
Baños de los Arabes (Arab Baths), returning back to cross
the gorge at the Puente Viejo ‘old bridge’, rebuilt in 1961
with its one arch just 30 metres long.
The delightful 19th centur y Alameda del Tajo Park is the
front garden for a town where nobody has a front garden
and provides plenty of shade for visitors and local families, as
well as the perfect place for a peaceful stroll.
Ronda and Bullfighting
The beautiful Plaza de Toros, the bullring in which the rules
of bullfighting were first laid down more than 300 years
ago by Pedro Romero, and its attached museum, offer a
fascinating insight into Spain’s bloodiest tradition, for those
visitors who view bullfighting as an ar t form and an act of
braver y. This legendar y Romero broke away from horseback
bullfighting and created a style where matadors stood their
ground on foot against the bull, his exceptional feat of
killing some 5,000 bulls without sustaining a serious injur y
remembered in the annual September Feria, known as the
Feria de Pedro Romero. The statue of the other great fighter
from Ronda, Ordoñez, known simply as El Maestro and
claimed by many to be the greatest fighter to have lived, is
located outside the famous bullring.
The Lure of Ronda
Ronda's spectacular Paseos (walkways) celebrate two famous
visitors, Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, both of
whom were inspired creatively by Ronda. Hemingway used
the town in one of his greatest novels ‘For Whom the Bell
Tolls’ and Orson Wells was so taken by the town that he
requested that his ashes be scattered there. Fur thermore,
the gardens of the centur y-old, British-built Hotel Victoria
inspired the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke whilst the
Argentinian author Jorge Luis Borges, almost completely
blind, thought he heard 'memories of deser ts' in the water
at the Alameda del Tajo Park.
Surrounding area
The surrounding landscape is dotted with dazzling white
villages, the ‘Pueblo Blanco’, including the village of Casares
nestled in a hillside, and Gaucin, a spectacularly beautiful
mountain village of twisting, narrow streets, commanding
sweeping views to Gibraltar and the Rif Mountains of Nor th
Africa. Visitors to the region will also enjoy the beautiful
mountain scener y either driving up to Ronda from the coast
or heading west from the town to the lakeside village of
Zahara de la Sierra.
CV Travel has a collection of exceptional villas in Andalucia, please visit www.cvtravel.co.uk
12
Sitting amid the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica is the third largest of the Caribbean Islands and is perhaps
the most famous of them all, known for its own distinct culture and heritage.
Boasting lush tropical vegetation with hundreds of rivers
within its interior and the Blue Mountain range forming
its spine, Jamaica seems to have ever ything for the exotic
and sun seeking visitor, from rocky coves and white sandy
beaches to delicious coffee and jerk chicken dishes, not
forgetting the traditional Jamaican rum.
The Jamaican people are well known for their hospitality and
their love of music, being the home of reggae. To find out a
little more about life in Jamaica I talked to Cherine, who has
Jamaican heritage and first-hand experience of the island.
She paints a vivid picture of the delights of the Blue Lagoon,
Reggae Sumfest and jerk lobster!
Talking to Cherine Smithson
Cherine, what is your own connection with Jamaica?
It’s where my parents are from and where they were raised. A
lot of my family are still there, my one remaining Granddad and
a lot of my uncles, aunts and cousins.
Tell me about the last time you went there. What did you do?
I was there two years ago. Funnily enough my parents won a
holiday to Jamaica, for two weeks, so me, my sister and uncle
joined them. It was a great holiday as I got to explore parts
of the island that I did not know. I went to the University
of Jamaica, as my cousin studied there and is a Professor of
Botanicals & Plants. I also went to Little Ochie, a seafood
specialist on the south coast where I had jerk lobster which was
delicious, and I visited the Blue Lagoon in Portland, where you
are taken on a wooden raft along the deep, bright blue river
into the calm waters of the lagoon.
Tell me about the local food and the culture.
It’s ver y friendly in Jamaica. The island often gets a bad
reputation about not being safe compared to other Caribbean
Islands, yet I have never felt unsafe there and sadly any trouble
is between the locals, as tourists are well respected in Jamaica
being the islander’s main source of income. The resorts can
scare you into not leaving the grounds but it’s for their own gain
most times. You have to go to the local colourful markets and
see the people to experience the countr y you are in, otherwise
you could be anywhere. The food is amazing, especially the
jerk dishes, a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meat
or fish is dr y-rubbed or wet-marinated with a ver y hot spice
mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. The fried dumplings are also
delicious - you can taste the sunshine in the food, I say!
What would you say are the top things for any first time
visitor to do?
Duns River is a must as is YS Falls, each offers a different
experience. YS Falls is set in rain forest, it’s a smaller wider
waterfall, and has a Eco park, pretty gardens, river tubing,
canopy rides and a shop on site. There are horses and other
animals too so it’s a small farm setting. The YS Falls are easier
to manoeuvre down as the river is not so fast. I really enjoyed it
there, but I think Duns River is the best for thrill seekers.
Above: Delivered in style...
RIGHT: Noble House can be booked through CV Travel
The Black River is really interesting. You have a guide who takes
you on a boat down the river telling you about the crocodile, the
nature and birds around you. He makes the crocodiles come up
to the boat, feeds them and pats them on the head. Then the
boat stops and he jumps into the river saying “come join me
and the crocodiles”, which is pure madness! Guests are free to
jump in and swim, however I didn’t trust that.
The Blue Mountains are an extraordinar y experience. Located
north of Kingston on the eastern side of the island, they rise to
elevations of 2,350 metres. The coffee bean that is cultivated
there is mostly Arabica Typica. The coffee thrives in the fertile,
volcanic soil, with the regular rainfall and, most importantly,
under the island’s misty cloud cover to shade it from the
burning sun. All these factors combine to develop coffee with
exceptional sweetness and aroma, a rich flavour, and full body
with mild acidity. It falls in the categor y of champagne coffees
so it’s quite high end and expensive but it is exported all over
the world, the biggest buyer being Japan! If you’re scared of
heights then the trip up the mountain will be heart stopping for
you but once you get to the top the views are amazing and it’s
so cool and peaceful.
If you like adventure there is a forest area you can go zipwiring in. Mystic Mountain Rainforest Adventures, one of the
top attractions in Jamaica, is a zip line adventure in Ocho Rios.
13
You whisk through the rainforest canopy and glide from one
platform to another, while you catch a glimpse of the Dunn's
River Falls near Ocho Rios.
If all you want to do is chill out, enjoy the sunshine and lovely
long sandy beaches, of which Negril is one of many, then
Jamaica will tick many perfect holiday boxes.
Any good venues for live music on the island?
I went to Margaretville in Montego Bay. This club by night and
a restaurant bar by day is popular with tourists and locals.
Reggae Sumfest is an annual festival in July with many reggae
artists performing over the week; again it’s ver y popular with
locals and tourists who go specifically for this event.
In your family’s opinion, has Jamaica changed in recent years?
My parents say it still feels like home for them, but there are
changes of course. There are more people moving to Jamaica,
to set up businesses and build hotels so there are architectural
changes, many of them sympathetic to the landscape. The
island is more multi-cultural than ever with German, Spanish
and Chinese parts. For me, this just makes Jamaica an even
more fascinating Caribbean island destination.
game action on the water. We didn’t want to have to dress for
dinner and all we wanted from our hotel was a comfor table
bed and proximity to the ocean. We knew it would be windy
– and it was – but the heat and sunshine were a glorious
tonic, knowing how wet and chilly it was back at home.
We chose well.
Our days were a gentle mix of beach walks, swimming,
fishing (for him) and time around the pool with a Kindle
and Factor 30 (for me). We explored Santa Maria by day
(scruffy in par ts) and by night (vibrant without ever feeling
remotely threatening) and enjoyed the various markets, the
local shops and plethora of bars from rooftop reggae to
sophisticated cocktails in our hotel bar.
Dining out was a treat – the fish and shellfish (including
the ‘Percebes’ barnacles so sought after in Spain) were
exceptional and never more than a few hours out of the
water. There’s nothing fancy or sophisticated in the Michelin
sense but prices are sensible, the ser vice is exceptionally
friendly and the settings are mostly delightful.
R e m ot e
Islands
Opposite: Crystal clear water
Above: Street scene in Santa Maria
Far Left Top: Pe cust, sam, dolut
Far Left Bottom: Kite surfing
Left Top: Pe cust, sam, dolut
Left Bottom: Catherine Leech
SAL, CAPE VERDE ISLANDS
B ackground
The islands were discovered and colonised by the Por tuguese
in the 15th centur y. Due to their strategic location, they
became an impor tant staging post in the slave trade and for
mariners but as the slave trade declined in the 19th centur y,
there were few natural resources to fall back on.
In the absence of sustainable investment by the Por tuguese,
a budding independence movement was born, culminating in
1975 in independence for the archipelago. Today, the political
climate on Cape Verde is characterised by social peace and
stability with a predominantly ser vice-orientated economy,
mostly focused on tourism.
The islands themselves are largely volcanic but var y
enormously in terrain and topography from the arid salt
flats of Sal to the mountainous peaks of Santo Antao and
verdant valleys of Santiago. Most islands have beaches –
some, on Boa Vista and Sal for example, are wor ld-class
with wide and incredibly long stretches of white sand and
gloriously clear water.
The population is an engaging mix of African, Brazilian and
Por tuguese origins with Por tuguese the official language and
Creole commonly spoken. With a good education system,
English is also widely spoken.
The Cape Verde Islands may be remote but there are direct
flights from the UK to Sal and Boa Vista (six hours non-stop),
and flights via Lisbon to Santiago and Sao Vicente. There are
some (patchy) inter-island flights which ser ve Fogo, Maio,
Santo Antao and Sao Nicolau and there are some inter-island
ferr y ser vices too.
14
To be frank, we could have happily stayed in and around
the hotel and Santa Maria for the entire week but we love
to hire a car, wherever we go, and explore. Our day out
with a hire car was our only mistake! There’s ver y little to
see and what there is to see – a blowhole, a fishing village,
salt mines and a lagoon – is best seen on a half or full day
excursion as the signposting (and vehicle suspension) is close
to non-existent. We would have enjoyed our day more if
we had simply parked up on ‘Kite Beach’ and watched the
kite-surfers whip through the waves (Sal is a mecca for kitesurfers and wind-surfers). What a glorious sight!
I knew before we went that there had been a proper ty
boom on Sal. A few years ago, it was tipped as THE new spot
for a place in the sun. Sadly, there are now several attractive
but ver y empty villa and apar tment developments – the
market has simply collapsed.
By Catherine Leech, Co-founder, 101 Holidays (101holidays.co.uk)
The Cape Verde Islands, officially the Republic of Cape
Verde, are an intriguing archipelago of nine inhabited
islands, one uninhabited island and eight islets. They are
located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator
in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres west of the
coast of Senegal, West Africa.
My par tner enjoyed the local beer, Strela; it is brewed on
Santiago and is refreshingly moreish. Beware the strength
though – it doesn’t have preser vatives and so the longer it’s
been in stock, the more potent it is. An English expat told us
that a recent strength test in some of the bars indicated a
range from 6% to 14%! I loved the Caipirinhas in our nearest
beach shack of a bar and enjoyed wine from Fogo as well as
some more familiar choices from Por tugal and South Africa.
My Holiday on Sal, March 2013
You know that feeling, I’m sure – your holiday aircraft
is descending towards the airpor t, somewhere new. You
strain to look out of the tiny window with bated breath,
the anticipation even more delicious if it’s somewhere
completely unfamiliar. You soak in the aerial views of your
chosen destination be it snow-capped mountains, undulating
paddy fields, golden beaches, coral reefs, a glittering city or
terraced vineyards. It’s exciting, isn’t it!
On that first evening, as we ambled along the glorious white
sand which fringes Santa Maria, we passed a group of African
drummers and dancers and were intoxicated by their sheer
exuberance, rhythmic sounds and movement. Fur ther along the
beach, we saw local fishermen weighing in a huge Marlin and
struggled to choose between a traditional local eatery, a romantic
French courtyard restaurant complete with Moroccan lamps, rugs
and scented jasmine or pizzas with our toes in the sand.
As my par tner and I flew over Sal, our hear ts sank. All we
could see was a flat brown expanse of nothing, albeit fringed
by azure sea and topped with cloud-free blue sky. The fifteen
minute transfer through arid brown nothingness to our hotel,
close to the main tourist town of Santa Maria, didn’t raise
our spirits but once we had checked in and wandered down
to the beach for our first swim and Caipirinha cocktails, we
were hooked!
That first evening summed up our entire week on Sal – it
was gently exotic, blissfully unpretentious, colourful and
thoroughly relaxing. It was also extremely reasonable, which
is always a bonus.
We chose our early-March week on Sal because we wanted
guaranteed sunshine, no jetlag, no anti-malarials or jabs and
– for my fishing-mad par tner – the chance to catch some big
15
Interestingly, the majority of people on our flight were
staying in one of the big all-inclusive resor ts. Like most of
the apar tment developments, they are pretty discreet and
somewhat out of town (but they are gargantuan). People
we chatted to when we were at the airpor t en route home
said that they thought that Sal was boring – they hadn’t even
ventured in to Santa Maria and seemed to have spent their
entire holiday in a vir tual enclave - their loss.
We will definitely return to Sal for a winter week’s sun and
R&R – in fact, we’re almost counting the days, not least my
other half who is twitching at the prospect of hooking a
Yellowfin Tuna or Marlin next time to supplement the catch of
30 (smaller) species on his day out with two local fishermen!
With the luxur y of more time, we would love to explore
some of the other islands. It seems that each is ver y distinct
culturally as well as scenically but I reckon you would need
two, preferably, three weeks to do them justice, and to deal
with the vagaries of inter-island transpor t.
I wrote a review on our 101 Holidays Blog on our return
and summed up Sal as ‘Marmite Island’ which we felt was ‘the
perfect description for this beguiling and unique island’. You
will truly either love it, as we did, or hate it!
Take just one ingredient…
Olive Oil
By Sarah Vanstone, Senior Travel Expert, CV Travel
The olive tree has always played an impor tant role within
histor y and appears so frequently in ancient mythology, ar t
and cooking that even today we are not cer tain of its exact
stor y. Suffice to say that the formal cultivation of olive trees
for oil began around 3000 BC in the Mediterranean Basin,
for use as a skin emollient and as a fuel for lighting.
Today, we primarily associate olive oil with cooking, cosmetics
and pharmaceuticals, accepting its nutritious qualities and for
being wonderful on hair and skin. For those of us who live in
the Nor thern Hemisphere, I think we associate it with Spain,
Greece and Italy primarily, borne out by our travels to these
countries, and from our supermarket shelves boasting an array
of olive oils from these regions. The British are drizzling ten
times more olive oil over our food than in 1990!
Olive oil is the pure oil obtained from the fruit of olive trees.
No oil using solvents, re-esterification processes or mixed
with other vegetable oils qualifies under this description,
and the best quality olive oil, as many of you will know, is
described as 'extra virgin' (although some say this is too loose
a term). Organoleptic proper ties, those as experienced by
the senses including taste, sight, smell and touch, lead us to
describing olive oil as ‘fresh’,’ fruity’,’ pepper y’ amongst many
other descriptions, but ultimately with such an enormous
choice these days, it is a personal thing, inevitably linked to
the terroir, the variety of olive, the maturity of the fruit, the
weather, and the ethics and skills of the producer.
But how is the olive industr y faring these days in these key
Mediterranean producing countries?
I was lucky enough to visit the Greek Island of Paxos in 2012,
dotted with over 200,000 olive trees introduced by the
Venetians in the 16th centur y, and known to produce olive oil
of a superb standard. Our driver, Andreas, told us that these
days the production of olive oil was no longer the island's
economic mainstay, tourism having taken over. I was pleased
to learn that The Paxos Olive Project hopes to change this
by encouraging local farmers to har vest the olives by hand
with the help of tourists, thus combining an historic way of
life and eco-travel, something I believe in strongly, and an
echo that Greece still leads the world in per capita olive oil
consumption, with each person consuming nearly 18kg yearly,
according to figures from the European Commission.
Spain is the Saudi Arabia of olive oil accounting for nearly
half of global production with more than 250 varieties of
olives. But a drought in Spain in 2012 had a devastating
effect on production, compounded by a bumper har vest
in 2011 leaving olive trees weakened by the strain. It
appears that Spanish olive oil expor ters were unconcerned.
Australia presses squeeze out just 20,000 tonnes a year and
California’s merely 7,000 tonnes compared to 1m tonnes
from Spain, but perhaps they should fret more – after all
Europe’s wine makers ignored the early signs of the rise of
the New World vintners. That said, on a trip to Andalucia not
long ago, Pierre, from the hill-top town of Gaucin, introduced
me to some of the countr y’s signature dishes, and I was lucky
enough to enjoy ‘Bizcoccho’, a lemony desser t made with
olive oil and ‘Pescaito Frito’, crisply fried local fish on the
Costa de la Luz, proof that olive oil is fundamental to the
cuisine of Spain.
Lemon olive oil cake
Serves : 8
Ingredients:
275g caster sugar
In an area possibly more associated with fish and the sea,
the cultivation of olives is one of Puglia’s greatest resources,
with the region producing more olive oil than the rest of
Italy put together (around 40% whilst Tuscany only supplies
the market with 3%). The low, fer tile hills rolling down to
the sparkling Adriatic Sea are covered in huge ancient olive
trees, knotted and gnarled with robust trunks twisted by
time, wind, sun and man. Some of the groves and estates
have been producing olive oil for hundreds of years, a time
honoured family tradition, with many saying that the olive
oil from ‘the garden of Italy’ is some of the most palatable in
the world, characterised by its digestibility and high vitamin
content. While on a recent trip to this beautiful region, I
enjoyed following the ‘Terra d’Ulivi’ (Olive Oil Route) visiting
Bitonto (nicknamed ‘the city of olives’), and enjoyed visiting
some of the farms which are also masserie and agriturismi,
where one can stay the night.
3 medium eggs
So in my view after looking at these regions, it seems that
growers in the Mediterranean Basin are faring well. That
said, it is clear that climatic changes are afoot. Some say
than in less than for ty years, three quar ters of the wine
producing areas on Ear th will not be suitable for vine
farming, and many believe that olive producing areas will
follow, especially in the Mediterranean Basin. Olive trees are
tougher than vines and can thrive on many different terrains
and under various weather conditions, however warmer
weather could render groves on lower altitudes and plains
unproductive. Fur thermore, emerging players of the olive oil
industr y like Australia, China and India with their vast lands
could threaten Mediterranean growers in the face of ever
changing weather. Traditional olive powerhouses such as
Greece, Spain and Italy, take note.
Prep 15min
Cook 1hr
Ready in 1hr 15min
Meantime on my travels to these wonderful countries, I will
continue to seek out local producers and always aim to
have a bottle or two of delicious extra virgin olive oil in my
kitchen cupboard in London.
17
1 ½ unwaxed lemons, zested and juiced
120ml extra virgin olive oil
100ml milk
275g plain flour, sieved
1 tablespoon baking powder, sieved
1 pack fondant icing
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
2 tablespoons lemon curd
icing sugar for dusting
Directions:
1Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4.
Line the bases of two 24cm cake tins
with parchment paper.
2 Whisk 275g sugar and eggs together
until fluffy and pale. Add the lemon
zest and juice from 1 1/2 lemons.
Stir in olive oil and milk. Fold in the
flour and baking powder. Carefully
divide mix between the two tins and
smooth over tops.
3 Bake for around 45 minutes or until
tops are firm and a skewer inser ted in
the middle comes out clean. Leave to
cool in the tin, then turn out onto a
wire rack.
4Roll out fondant thinly on a worktop
dusted with icing sugar, then cut out a
circle to fit the top of the cake.
5For the decoration, place the 1
tablespoon sugar and lemon zest from
2 lemons in a pan and heat gently until
sugar caramelises and coats zest.
Remove from pan and leave to cool
and become crunchy.
6To assemble cake, spread one cake
with lemon curd, generously. Place
other cake on top. Finish with the
circle of fondant icing, and perch the
crunchy caramelised zest in the middle.
With thanks to Jo Simmons, Head of Sales
Greek Islands, CV Travel (for the recipe and
who is also a super cook!)
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