So often, when we think of travelling, our daydreams are of somewhere distant and exotic. But as a new guide to Slow Travel Britain reminds us, our own island is full of fabulous places to visit, great castles to stay in and characterful pubs to eat at, serving fresh and foraged wild food. And not all the most incredible places to visit are the most obvious. Corsica has become the island for wealthy French to holiday in — partly to escape the crowds, partly because there are now so many beautiful luxury villas there. And if you can’t get away at all, then a transporting perfume might help — momentarily, anyway.
Slow Travel Britain
Published by the tiny Hoxton Mini Press, this coffee-table book is part armchair inspiration, part travel guide. Its author, Liz Schaffer, has spent years seeking out the most delightful parts of Britain. In each area, she focuses on one feature: in Cornwall, she explores the landscape through its art and galleries; in the Peak District, she learns about its history through its stately homes and centuries-old pubs; in Islay she learns about its myths via its whisky distilleries. There are characterful and family-run places to stay and eat in, from historic pubs with Michelin-star restaurants to bookshop cafés, historic piles with four-poster beds to folksy shepherd’s huts. A useful and beautifully photographed book. £35, hoxtonminipress.com
The beautiful Isle
Thanks in part to their starring roles in series such as The White Lotus, and film franchises like Mamma Mia!, some of our favourite islands across Europe (such as Paros, Santorini and Sicily) have become a lot less private. Which explains the sudden increase in very smart villas on an island to which previously few luxury travellers ventured: Corsica. As well as being very private — and hard to traverse, thanks to its mountainous interiors — the island, known to many French as L’Ile de Beauté, is significantly cooler than its Mediterranean equivalents, thanks to its pine forests, mountains punctuated by waterfalls, and Unesco-protected nature reserves. Because many of its coves are accessible only by foot or boat, it’s a destination for travellers who don’t mind walking to the beach through the herb-scented maquis, or exploring the coast by yacht.
If that sounds like you, the Thinking Traveller has some of the loveliest contemporary Corsican homes on its books, such as Cala D’Istria (from £6,471 a week, sleeping ten) and Casa di Macine, with its mountaintop infinity pool (from £5,827), and can arrange private chefs, nannies and staff, as well as offering access to a 24/7 concierge. Le Collectionist — which has some of the most exquisite villas across Europe — also has a small selection of great houses, from minimalist architectural creations set on the side of a mountain, such as Villa Caramontinu (from £38,270) and Villa Liccia (from £19,180), to Domaine Argentella — a more traditional villa, sleeping 16, with a private beach (from £10,858). It’s also worth chatting to other leading villa companies that have great connections with private owners, from Red Savannah and SJ Villas to Unique Properties, whose lushly landscaped stone-built Casa Pinarellu is one of the prettiest on the island.
Scent of a holiday
So often the most memorable moments abroad involve scents. A smoky fire, perhaps, under a cool starry sky. Or the heavy, honeyed aromas of cocoa, caramel and nuts of a chocolate shop in Brussels. How about the botanical waft of a pine forest mixed with the exotic fragrance of coconut oil and salt on a hot Mediterranean beach? When Elad Yifrach, the founder of the brand L’Objet, decided to make fragrance, he wanted each one to remind him of his travels. Each of his six Parfum d’Voyage candles evokes a destination: his Grand Bazaar No 30 candle heady with cardamom, cedar and leather; his Thé Russe No 75 all hay, lemon, amber and patchouli; his Jasmin d’Inde No 6 rich with jasmine, balsam and birch. His four perfumes are equally transporting. A spritz of Kérylos, made by the master French perfumer and former Hermès nose Jean-Claude Ellena, evokes the Mediterranean, through its sharp citric notes and earthy warmth; its Rose Noire an exotic garden at night, rich with spices, tea and heavy roses; its Côté Maquis, the Corsican sea-breeze — all hot rocks, labdanum, cashmere wood and salt.
Advertisement
Since he launched the brand in 2004, selling his first range through Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Yifrach has created 600 products — from his original ceramics, crafted in Portugal, to finely inlaid trays from India — which are sold in 65 countries, including the UK at Harrods and Selfridges. His scents are a great way to pretend you’re travelling — even if you’re not. Spritz Kérylos (£200 for 100ml) on your wrists, and the grapefruit, lemons, herbs and earthy tones will transport you somewhere else — which is rather lovely on a wet, grey London day. uk.l-objet.com
• Grand Bazaar No 30 Candle, £115
• Mamounia No 28 Candle, £115
• Jasmin d’Inde No 6 Candle, £115
• Côté Maquis Bath Salt — Large, £160
• Rose Noire Eau de Parfum — 100ml, £200
