ScribbleStu

Hollywood is one of those wow-factor destinations that we all feel like we know a bit already.Preceded by its reputation as the dazzling heart of the world’s entertainment industry, it’s synonymous with celebrity, glamour, wealth and showbiz success - and revered for its incredible movie and tv history. It’s consistently adapted and reinvented itself over the years, resulting in a strange mixture of simultaneously old and modern, gleaming, groovy, and gritty. Uniquely, almost every...

Situated at the very heart of French wine culture, the city has a long and varied history, beautiful buildings, stunning old town and is a great place for a short trip or cultured weekend away. I spent 5 nights in Bordeaux at the height of summer and here are some of my top things to see and do. 1. Try some wine. I was actually quite surprised by the city’s lack of visual references to its relationship with wine. Maybe I was missing something, or perhaps it’s because the French aren’t so...

Thoughts of Rio de Janeiro conjure up an exotic concoction of carnivals, parties, beaches, mountains, sunshine, enormous Jesuses, Olympics… …and crime.Renowned for its gang culture, gun crime and high death rates, the city of Rio is a microcosm of Brazil’s widespread corruption - largely stemming from many of the country’s politicians at the very top. But I’d urge anyone thinking of going not to forget all the great stuff too....

Part of what I love about travelling is the random inspiration you can get from some of the most unlikely places… Sitting in my local barber’s having my hair cut some time ago, I happened to mention that I’d just booked to stay in Bordeaux… it turns out that the guy who owns the barber’s has family with a house in the same area. After a brief conversation, I left with a hand-scribbled list of things to see and do along with a dashing new haircut (even if I do say so myself!)...

I’ve just got back from a couple of weeks in the swelteringly sunny South of France. The main reason for the trip was to celebrate my brother-in-law’s 40th birthday: he hired an enormous château near to Agen and invited his friends and family to stay and party with him for a few days. Flights: I chose Ryanair flights out to Toulouse from London Stansted, flying with lots of my partner’s family. And then British Airways flights for just him and myself back to London City Airport from...

Recently I took some time out to spend a month exploring Italy. The plan for the first 10 days was to visit the Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi area, seeing as much as we could with the kids who were travelling with us. Then give them a taste of true traveller life by moving on to Rome for a few days before they flew back home. And it was relentless. Exciting and brilliant, but also tiring and relentless. Did I mention relentless? Kids safely delivered back to the UK, we moved on to Tuscany. Having just...