Life in the fast lane: Hong Kong – my new home (Photo: Laura Mannering)

From Laura Mannering, Editor, World Out There

I wanted to write a quick note to say a huge thanks – to readers and also to collaborators who have helped put World Out There together in the last two years. It’s been lovely writing for you, working with you, and meeting fellow explorers.

My journey has taken me from London to Asia where I am focusing on other journalism projects now, so it’s time for me to say goodbye to World Out There – with sadness, but also with excitement for what the future holds.

Thanks again for stopping by and happy exploring to everybody.

Laura x

Desert island dins: Jakkajan restaurant is on peaceful Sai Kaew - a pleasant change from Phuket’s crowded beaches (Photo: Laura Mannering)

About the author: Hello! I’m Laura Mannering and I’m Editor of World Out There. Laura’s Travel Notes is the part of the blog where I put my briefer travel tips and thoughts – colourful snack-size travel bites to inspire you.

Overlooking the beautiful northern beaches of Thailand’s Phuket, far, far from the partying crowds further south, Jakkajan fish and seafood restaurant is the first place locals will tell you to go for the tastiest, freshest catch of the day.

This family-run beachside gem is a no-frills outdoor cluster of palm-roofed booths, the tables and benches sitting on the shore front of peaceful Sai Kaew beach at the northern tip of Phuket. The restaurant’s pet rabbit hops around behind the cash till, a warm sea breeze blows through and the atmosphere is welcoming and informal.

A meal with a view: Beachfront dining at Jakkajan, Sai Kaew beach, Phuket (Photo: Laura Mannering)

The menu here includes everything from oysters and cockles to crab, squid, shrimp and whole fish – most of the dishes come steamed, grilled or fried. There are soups and salads too and the classic Thai ingredients of chilli, garlic, ginger, mango and cashew feature heavily.

I went there around 2pm when most tables were taken by local families having a long lunch. It’s best to go in daylight so you can soak up the view, or for a sunset dinner.

My squid salad was memorable, the squid unbelievably tender, the salad crunchy with a kick from fresh red chilli and lime.

Salad with a kick: Spicy squid with a young coconut chaser at Jakkajan (Photo: Laura Mannering)

I followed it with delicious red snapper, casseroled in fragrant lemongrass stock with plenty of coriander and chilli and served up whole in a pan over a small oil burner.

Dishiest fish: Fresh-caught red snapper at Jakkajan (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Bubblin’ hot: Mini oil burners keep the dishes warm (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Washed down with coconut juice and a large beer, the bill came to 600 baht (around GBP13) and if I’m honest, I ate enough for two. It’s not the cheapest you’ll eat in Thailand but for the quality, it’s amazing value.

Jakkajan is one of the many reasons to head to this quieter northern end of the party isle, where deserted beaches and a slower pace mean you really can get away from it all.

TRAVEL TIP: It can be hard to flag a taxi from Jakkajan so it’s a good idea to arrange for whoever brings you to pick you up after the meal. Sai Kaew lies just north of Mai Khao beach and is around 25 minutes from Phuket airport, in the northeast of the island.

If you liked this post, check out WOT’s visit to England’s legendary Norfolk crab shack Cookie’s…

A bar with a view: Sunset cocktails overlooking Stone Town, Zanzibar, on Maru Maru hotel’s rooftop (Photo: Laura Mannering)

About the author: Hello! I’m Laura Mannering and I’m Editor of World Out There. Laura’s Travel Notes is the part of the blog where I put my briefer travel tips and thoughts – colourful snack-size travel bites to inspire you.

At the end of a hot day wandering the historic winding laneways of Zanzibar’s Stone Town, a cocktail is in order – and for a well-mixed drink with beautiful panoramic views, in-the-know locals head up to the rooftop bar at Maru Maru.

A 44-room boutique hotel, it lies a couple of minutes from the sturdy crenellated tower of the town’s fort, not far from the sea front, and attracts a good-looking international crowd to its open-air terrace as the sun goes down. Plenty of people from all over the world have made Stone Town their home and this is one of their favourite hang-outs.

Prices are hiked high for tourists in Zanzibar, so Maru Maru’s 5,000 shilling (GBP2.00) happy hour cocktails are a comparative snip – especially given the location. The rooftop is expansive with comfortable, large cushioned chairs, and the service is friendly and quick.

From above, Stone Town – the old quarter of the island’s capital, Zanzibar Town - is a jagged patchwork of tin roofs, minarets and spires with the Indian Ocean still and blue in the distance.

That’ll do nicely: Enjoying my caipirinha at dusk on the terrace at Maru Maru (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Our mojitos and caipirinhas were cool, refreshing and slipped down far too easily. The margaritas looked better than they tasted, with over-generous amounts of salt encrusting the glass, but we needed to replace what we’d sweated out during the day in any case…

As happy hour ended and we made our way to dinner, a live band was starting up and the rooftop was full – a great place to start or spend an evening in Stone Town.

Maru Maru, Gizenga St, Stone Town, Tanzania. Tel: +255 24 223 8516. Happy hour 4pm-7pm.

If you liked this post, check out our guide to Sydney’s best cocktail bars.

Hong Kong’s best bakeries: The enticing window at Sakurashima (Photo: Laura Mannering)

About the author: Hello! I’m Laura Mannering and I’m Editor of World Out There. Laura’s Travel Notes is the part of the blog where I put my briefer travel tips and thoughts – colourful snack-size travel bites to inspire you.

A cake or pie pit-stop is part of most Hong Kongers’ daily routine, so you don’t have to go far to find a bakery in any neighbourhood – the majority are take away, with customers buying bags of treats for home, work, or if you’re like me, to scoff on the hoof.

I live in Wan Chai, one of city’s oldest neighbourhoods, east of Central, and would recommend a visit here for some of the finest Hong Kong-style bakeries.

These traditional no-frills joints serve up trays of buttery tarts, sticky glazed buns and airy sponges to an enthusiastic audience, from early morning until evening time, for just a few dollars.

There are plenty of posh cake shops in Wan Chai too – multi-coloured French-style macaroons, towering gateaux and expensive high-end biscuits are on display behind glass counters like works of art.

But for no-nonsense hustle, simple flavours and great value, the old-school bakeries are a winner.

Below are my top picks – these places are justifiably busy and the Hong Kong cake queue is dog-eat-dog, so sharpen your elbows and have your pennies at the ready.

Best in shop: Fresh-baked custard tarts at Hong Kong’s Sakurashima (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Sakurashima

For traditional Hong Kong cakes and pastries with a bit of extra finesse, this take-out bakery on Wan Chai Road, one of the neighbourhood’s bustling market streets, is the place to go.

The custard tarts are the best I’ve had in Hong Kong – there are two versions at Sakurashima, one with short-crust and the other with puff pastry, both sweet, eggy and rich, and piping hot.

Another treat are the coconut tarts – syrupy sponge encased in a thin flaky layer of pastry, dense with coconut and with a cherry on top…

Trays of goodness: Coconut cakes at Sakurashima bakery (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Always buzzing, the staff are friendly and trays of fresh breads, buns and pastries are constantly being brought out from the kitchen at the back. The goodies on the right hand side of the window, as you’re looking out,  are the ones to go for as they are kept warm and always taste fresh.

Sakurashima, 55 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Box ‘em up: The Happy Cake Shop brings bakery joy to Wan Chai (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Happy Cake Shop

This tiny take-out bakery stands on Queen’s Road East, which once ran along the shoreline of Hong Kong, before decades of land reclamation built the city further out to sea. True to its name the bakers at the Happy Cake Shop are a friendly bunch, despite dealing with an almost permanent queue out the door.

The best cakes are the fresh sweet buns in baking trays on top of the counter – these have usually recently been taken from the oven so are still warm.

That’s a big old bun: A stonking Bo Lo Bao from Hong Kong’s Happy Cake Shop (Photo: Laura Mannering)

My favourite is a Hong Kong staple – the ‘Bo Lo Bao’ or pineapple bun. There’s no pineapple in it… but the top has a criss-cross glaze reminiscent of the outside of the fruit (sort of). Happy Cake Shop’s version is light and fluffy and with a crispy, sugary crunch from the topping. Also good are their sticky glazed currant buns, with a hint of sweet spice.

Happy Cake Shop, 106 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

An old stalwart: Kam Fung has been dishing out comfort food since 1956 (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Kam Fung Cafe

Hong Kong’s old-fashioned ‘cha chaan teng’ tea restaurants serve up unfussy comfort staples and Kam Fung Cafe on Spring Garden Lane is one of the city’s best-known. In the window and by the doorway are shelves of regularly replenished trays filled with warm pies, tarts, buns and sponges to eat in or take away.

Established in 1956 and standing on the western edge of Wan Chai’s network of outdoor market streets, Kam Fung is most famous for its chicken pies, a dollop of chicken stew in thick, sweet, crumbly pastry (pictured above in the top right-hand tray).

My personal favourite here though are their puffy individual sponge cakes which billow out of paper cases – if you’re lucky enough to go on a day where they’ve made walnut ones (I’ve only seen these once), snap up a batch. The glazed plain sweet buns are also surprisingly buttery and moreish.

Now that’s a cupcake: Fresh warm sponges at Kam Fung (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Cakes here are best washed down with a famous Kam Fung milk tea. Thick, strong, made with condensed milk and served with sugar unless you ask for it without, this stuff is rocket fuel and will propel you through the rest of your day. If you want to have a go at ordering it in Cantonese, a hot milk tea is a ‘yiht lai cha’ and cold is ‘dung lai cha’.

Time for tea: Kam Fung is one of Hong Kong’s best-known ‘cha chaan tengs’ (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Whether you’re taking away or sitting in, there are always queues here, but don’t be put off – the staff are briskly efficient and will get to you quickly.

Kam Fung Cafe, 41 Spring Garden Lane, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

If you need to run off those carbs, check out WOT’s post on Hong Kong’s best-loved running route. For more indulgence, go to our bread-head’s guide to London or read about legendary Madrid bakery La Mallorquina…

Above the city: Spectacular views of Hong Kong from Bowen Road fitness trail (Photo: Laura Mannering)

About the author: Hello! I’m Laura Mannering and I’m the editor of World Out There. I try to run wherever I am and love getting out for a jog to explore somewhere new. WOT’s global running route series is a guide to some of my favourite trails and those of my guest writers. These routes are a great way to get to a know a place and connect with local daily life.

By Laura Mannering, Editor, World Out There

Running in Hong Kong usually involves hills. Not the rolling gentle type. The almost-vertical, possibly-going-to-ping-a-calf variety. Which is why so many runners head to Bowen Road fitness trail.

Hong Kong Island’s most famous running route cuts along a hill side, high above the skyscrapers, is lined with greenery and, more importantly, is flat. The 4km path connects the Mid-Levels neighbourhood, just off Magazine Gap Road, to the junction with Stubbs Road further east.

Gorgeous green: Trees shelter runners along the Bowen Road route (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Car-free most of the way, it overlooks Hong Kong’s spikey concrete-and-glass skyline – the views across the buildings are best in the evening, when zig-zag lights illuminate the Bank of China, the cylindrical Hopewell Centre bears multi-coloured stripes and the domineering spire of Central Plaza stands out against a dark, often cloud-misted sky.

The light fantastic: An evening run along Bowen Road means great views of an illuminated Hong Kong (Photo: Laura Mannering)

On an evening run, nocturnal wildlife chirrups, tweets and calls, and the looming shadows of trees fall across the fairly well-lit path – the latest I’ve run up there is around 9pm, but I have been told the route stays lit until 10pm.

Morning runs on Bowen Road are the ones I enjoy most – incense sticks seep smoke at the small shrines that line the route and elderly Hong Kongers pace along slowly, passing the time of day as they cross each others’ paths.

Morning glory: Incense burns at one of the shrines along Bowen Road (Photo: Laura Mannering)

In what looks like a masochistic morning ritual, these spry older Hongkongers ball up their fists and hit their own legs and armpits to get the blood flowing; others hoik their legs up over railings with youthful suppleness to stretch their muscles; some practise tai chi.

Holy smoke: Morning is a fragrant time for a run… (Photo: Laura Mannering)

If you make it to Bowen Road by around 7am, the route is still quiet and there’s a sense of calm before the storm of another busy day. On a perfect November morning, when the heat and humidity of summer have blown away, breezes move gently between the banyan trees, and banks of dense foliage leading up the hill away from the city look cool and green.

Big banyan: Sturdy roots cling to a wall along Bowen Road fitness trail (Photo: Laura Mannering)

The best-known landmark on Bowen Road is Lover’s Rock, not far after you cross Wan Chai Gap Road, heading east. Steps lead up past a sheltered shrine to this phallic tower of stone reaching out over the city, believed to have the power to grant a happy marriage. Whether or not you want to send up a prayer for your love life, the views across the city are beautiful.

Lover’s Rock: Hong Kong’s phallic symbol of romance (Photo: Laura Mannering)

A more sinister legend attached to Bowen Road is that of its infamous dog poisoner – the serial doggie killer is said to have operated along the route for the past 20 years and is so feared that warnings are posted along the path.

Paws for thought: Warnings to beware of Bowen Road’s serial dog poisoner (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Whoever the killer is, he or she has the pick of the city’s most pampered pups here – all shapes and sizes, coiffed beyond belief, their fur scraped up into hair-bands and paws protected by rubber-soled ankle socks, they are paraded along Bowen Road from dawn until dusk, usually being walked by their owners’ maids.

Best in show: Walkers often grapple with at least three dogs at a time on Bowen Road (Photo: Laura Mannering)

For optimum people- and dog-watching head up to Bowen Road in the middle of the day, especially at weekends, when the track is at its busiest.

Whenever you go, Bowen Road offers a welcome respite from the hustle of the city below, a window onto life beyond the skyscrapers and an easy alternative to Hong Kong’s hillier running trails.

If you liked this post, check out WOT’s favourite running routes in Cortina, Madrid and Panama City.

Who said Madrid’s not cool? Graffitti in the city’s laidback Malasana neighbourhood.

About the author: Hello! I’m Laura Mannering, Editor of World Out There. WOT Features are longer, more detailed travel pieces written by me or my guest writers. This is my first-hand guide to Madrid, where I lived for three years and return regularly. Viva Madrid!

By Laura Mannering, Editor, World Out There

It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon in Madrid and I’m queuing at Casa Labra. Standing in front of me, several carefully-coiffed elderly ladies crane their necks to see the tapas counter. They compile their order and bossily give it to an accompanying husband. He seems proud of his clucking coterie, each showing off an exuberant weekend blow-dry.

Queues stretch into the street for one of three favourite snacks at this classic Madrid taberna – creamy béchamel croquettes (croquetas); bite-sized cod in batter (bacalao); and cocktail sticks of tuna chunks and tomatoes. I ask for one of each, pleased that a tray of fresh, golden bacalao has just been brought out of the kitchen. This really is one of the best mid-shop tapas stops in the city.

Moving inside, I order a beer, which comes in thimble-sized tumblers, and find a spot by the bar where visitors and locals, young and old, chat and eat. You can sit in the back and order a proper meal, but for the buzz of Saturday afternoon in Madrid, the bar is best, or a stool at one of the high tables outside.

Just off central Plaza del Sol, Casa Labra (Calle Tetuan, 12), founded in 1860, is now surrounded by chain shops and department stores. But it stands firm amid the modernisation – there are no frills: just plain white tiles, terracotta paint, and a loyal clientele, with smart waiters in jackets and ties bustling through.

The paper napkins in Casa Labra are printed with the story of the bar. Neat italicised text tells how, in 1900, there were 1500 tabernas in Madrid for 840,000 inhabitants and reminds us that just 12 from that era remain. These form an important part of Madrid’s identity, it says, before a final flourish: ‘Bienvenido a esta tu casa’ – ‘Welcome Home’.

Art and history still hold pride of place in contemporary Madrid – this statue stands near the central Plaza Mayor. (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Ancient History, Modern Art and a New Wave of Creativity

Madrid’s pride in its traditions and history is one of the things that makes the city great. Its grand architecture has visitors reaching for their cameras – the dusky pink expanse of the Hapsburg-era Plaza Mayor; the dome and turrets of the Almudena Cathedral; the clean lines of the Opera House and the warm, meandering lanes of the old city. Christmas and Easter see markets and parades; in summer there are street parties for local saints. The rhythm and culture of the city remains reassuringly unchanged.

A view over the city, from the rooftop of the Circulo de las Bellas Artes (Photo: Laura Mannering).

But amid the antiques are flashes of modernity and creativity which mean Madrid is far from stuck in the past. The brilliant Reina Sofia gallery, which houses Picasso’s Guernica, is a power house of contemporary art with a new wing giving it added clout.

Beefed up sculpture on the roof of the Reina Sofia’s new wing. (Photo: Laura Mannering)

The tranquil gardens at Madrid’s superb Reina Sofia contemporary art gallery. (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Nearby, the Caixa Forum art and performance venue is a revolutionary architectural gem, a concoction of brick and metal which appears to hover above the ground. In the south of the city, the old slaughterhouses at Legazpi have been converted into Matadero – Madrid’s most creative space, hosting everything from art and design shows to film and music festivals. Matadero stands on the River Manzanares, which has recently been regenerated to create a 10km riverside walking and cycle route.

New kid on the block – Madrid’s Caixa Forum art and performance space. (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Independent creative types are making their mark on the city too. Wandering around the laidback neighbourhoods of Huertas and Malasana, the narrow streets are peppered with small galleries and quirky shops. I speak to Clara, who has set up a florist and boutique under the same roof at Adhoc (Calle Leon, 11). Clothes and jewellery from young, mostly Spanish, designers mix with pots of fragrant lilies. ‘People are going away from the big chain stores and want something different, so lots of little shops are popping up,’ she says – and the best thing is the prices are still reasonable. Her dresses average around 35 euros.

Boutiques and small galleries lie tucked away in the streets around Huertas, Malasana and Conde Duque. (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Beds and Bars…

Hotels in Madrid are so much better than before too – a few years back, the choice was between classic expensive luxury (The Ritz, The Palace Hotel), three-star mediocrity and hostales run by scary landladies. Now places like the ME Melia Hotel, overlooking vibrant Plaza Santa Ana, are offering slick, modern getaways for visitors who want to treat themselves. My room on the sixth floor had superb views over the square, the biggest bath I’ve ever soaked in and a vast, comfortable bed. Its rooftop is also home to one of Madrid’s most popular summer bars – bathed in soft purple light the open-air deck is perfect for a cocktail or a large gin and tonic (the drink of choice in Madrid at the moment).

Treat yourself… to a room or, at least, a cocktail at the ME Melia Hotel overlooking Plaza Santa Ana. (Photo: Laura Mannering)

If you like a celeb hang-out, the renovated Hotel Villa Magna in Salamanca has played host to Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp – and even if you’re not staying here, stop for a G&T, one of the bar’s specialities. Mine was infused with ginger and unfeasibly large – a potent start to the evening.

The current new breed of hotel goes for polished minimalism – lots of bright colours and chrome – but can often feel impersonal. That may be about to change with new projects aiming for smaller-scale classic modern deluxe. Next year, the Ayre Hoteles chain, which runs the smart business-focused Hotel Gran Colon near the Retiro Park, is opening a boutique townhouse in a 19^th century palace in the central Calle Barquillo.

Tapas, Churros and Late Nights

As a backdrop to all this progress is what the Madrilenos call ‘mucha marcha’ – or lots of energy. People here love to be out, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner, shopping, an early evening stroll or a raucous night. They are enthusiastic about their city. However old and however uncool, it is completely acceptable for you to be partying at 6am. And this, it seems, will never change.

How it’s always been… soaking up the sun in Plaza Santa Ana. (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Though the economic crisis continues to hit Spain hard and there continue to be frequent anti-austerity demonstrations, on the Saturday night I was last in Madrid, the bars, streets and squares were full of noisy fun. Bars close between 2am and 3am but clubs stay open until at least 6am, with everything from mega venues like Joy, Kapital and Pacha, to the gay clubs of Chueca and late-night live music at La Solea or Café Central.

The spires of old Madrid – explore the winding streets from Sol to La Latina, where history mixes with great tapas opportunities. (Photo: Laura Mannering)

La Latina, with its church domes and bar-filled squares, remains one of my favourite neighbourhoods, either for a night out or a lazy Sunday session. On Cava Baja, El Tempranillo is great for Spanish wines and plates of fresh-cut ham, while super-hip Lamiak on the same street serves Basque pintxos and is always packed with beautiful people. Delic in nearby Plaza de la Paza will see you through the afternoon and into the evening with its cake and famous caipirinhas (lime, strawberry or raspberry).

Chocolateria San Gines provides a constant supply of chocolate and churros, day and night. (Photo: Laura Mannering)

If you manage to pull an all-nighter, as Madrilenos regularly do, head to the historic Chocolateria San Gines (Pasadizo San Gines, 5) near Sol for a pre-bed breakfast of fresh churros and thick hot chocolate – an institution, it is open almost 24 hours, shutting only between 7am and 9am. And that’s not going to change any time soon.

Check out WOT’s tip on where to eat the best locals’ breakfast in Madrid and our post about running tours of Madrid.

Journalist and PR girl Sam left the London 9 to 5 two years ago to hit the travel trail. She now lives in Luxor with her husband Alaa, who she met when she visited the city back in 2009. You can read more about Sam’s world travels here and her Luxor blog here.

WOT: Hi Sam! Thanks for sitting down with us for this month’s Travel Chat. First of all, tell us a bit about your travelling life…

I left my job in autumn 2010 to go and see the world. I had travelled quite a bit before: I had spent six months on a working holiday in Australia before I started university and during my 20s and 30s I was lucky enough to visit many corners of the world. But as I settled into my career and bought a house, I thought my travelling days were probably behind me. As fate would have it though, I was made redundant in 2008 and received a generous payout, which gave me options financially. As I approached my 40^th birthday – and with few ties – I thought it really was now or never. So I gave up my new job as a PR manager for a ‘grown-up gap year’, travelling and volunteering.

WOT: Where did you go on that trip and what were your highlights?

The first part of my trip was spent in South America. I lived in Peru for two months, where I taught English to local children in Cusco, as well as travelling to the Amazon jungle. I then travelled through Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, making my way down to Ushuaia the southern-most city in the world.

After South America I was in Egypt for three months with my boyfriend (now husband) exploring Cairo, Luxor and Aswan. I then ended up south of the equator again, first in Bali, followed by Australia. The last leg of my trip took me to Thailand. Unfortunately for personal reasons I had to cancel my plans to travel through Laos, Vietnam and China so my final destination ended up being Bangkok rather than Beijing.

Climbing misty Machu Picchu – one of Sam’s greatest travel highlights.

The main highlight was without doubt South America. I loved its variety, from its people and culture to its wonderful and varied natural landscapes. It had everything: Inca ruins, jungle, beaches, deserts, canyons, huge glaciers and vineyards, and contrasting wildlife from alpacas and llamas to penguins and monkeys. Climbing up to Machu Picchu in Peru, was truly amazing, but my biggest surprise was Patagonia. I never planned to travel that far down in South America, but I was lucky to meet a fellow solo female traveler, from Germany, and she inspired me to see the glacier Perito Moreno – probably the closest I’ll ever get to Antarctica – and the beautiful lakes and waterfalls of the Torres del Paine National Park. Definitely add it to your ‘Bucket List’!

WOT: Were there any low points?

The low point for me was the volunteering. It was not what I expected and probably wouldn’t do it again – well, not in the same way. I decided to go through a UK company that specialises in volunteer placements and it wasn’t cheap. The cost included accommodation during my stay, a volunteer in-country support officer, a variety of charities in Cusco to choose from, as well as a trip to Machu Picchu and various other tours.

However, the volunteer support was not much help and was only around for the first two weeks, then returned to the UK!  I was really left to fend for myself. In the end, I taught English to some children in an Andean village outside of Cusco – they were lovely and regularly turned up to my lessons, so in the end it was a good experience. I know now though that I could have just booked a flight to Cusco and organised my own volunteer placement for free – but hey, you live and learn.

It can be lonely at times travelling by yourself, especially in a country where you don’t speak the language. All I can say is thank god for internet cafes, Facebook, skype and blogging which kept me occupied. Of course you do meet people along the way and some I hope will be life long friends.

WOT: Tell us the story behind your move to Egypt…

I first met my husband in Luxor, Egypt in 2009 when I came on holiday. We kept in touch and I visited several more times during 2010 before I went travelling. Then I spent three months with Alaa in the first few months of 2011 and that’s when things became more serious and we knew we wanted to be together. I returned to the UK after my travels but didn’t settle and knew I wanted to come back to Egypt. I’ve been in Luxor since December 31, 2011 – in that time, we’ve built a villa by the Nile and got married! It’s funny where life can take you.

Romance in Egypt – Sam met Alaa while travelling and now the two are married.

WOT: What has it been like to live in a country which is undergoing such political change?

I was staying in Luxor with Alaa and saw the revolution unfold before my eyes. The scenes in Luxor were in stark contrast to those in the Cairo. The streets became very quiet, there were no demonstrations here but the tourists stopped coming. Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes, is known as the world’s greatest open-air museum and is home to great temples, Valley of the Kings and King Tut’s tomb. The vast majority of people here rely on the tourism industry, so this hit them hard.

However there was definitely a buzz of anticipation in the air as the revolution progressed and everyone was glued to their television screens, be it in their homes or in the dozens of cafes. I was in Hurghada, a Red Sea resort, with Alaa when we heard the news a few weeks later that Mubarak had finally stepped down. Everyone was celebrating and we even joined in a procession of cars that were driving around the town with people hanging out of their windows waving flags and tooting their horns.

There haven’t been many significant changes to Luxor since the revolution, apart from the decimation of the tourist trade – now is actually a great time to visit as the temples and tombs are virtually empty!

WOT: What have you found hardest to get used to?

It can be a bit isolating as I don’t speak much Arabic, just the basics. It’s not the easiest of languages to learn, but I do try. I would love to be able to have a decent conversation with someone – so I must try harder!

The heat is a killer. From the beginning of May through to September the temperatures are constantly hitting 40 degrees centigrade – 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is very draining and you find that you live like the Egyptians, sleeping in late and saying indoors during the day in the air conditioning and then out in late in evening when it is much cooler.

As a westerner, you do get hassle from shop keepers, taxis, and horse and carriage drivers, all trying to get your business. It can be very irritating and, although I’ve been coming here for three years, I’m still getting used to it.

WOT: Give us your top insider tip to travel in Egypt…

Al Baeirat is a hidden haven on the West Bank of Luxor, overlooking the banks of the Nile and set within a banana plantation. It’s well off the beaten track and if you are looking for seclusion and some peace and quiet then this is the place for you.  It really is an ideal location to enjoy a slice of Egyptian style in a friendly and private atmosphere.

The domed hotel and restaurant has eight rooms which have all been built using traditional mud clay. Enjoy a cool beer and bite to eat as you take in the views of the felucca sailing boats and the city of Luxor on the opposite shore. At night you can watch the bright lights of the incoming cruise liners.

WOT: Complete this sentence: Travel is…

…. more than just seeing the usual tourist sights in any particular place. It’s about engaging with the people, culture and landscape in a more adventurous way.

If you liked this Travel Chat, check out my interviews with Reclaiming My Future blogger Toni White and co-founder of Downtown Traveler, Leslie Koch.

Trout pouts and muscle men at Beiruts premier pool hang out, the Riviera Hotel. (Photo: Sara Oldham)

Sara Oldham is a London-based freelance journalist, specialising in food, travel and lifestyle features. She could not live without books, sunshine or prawn dumplings. A good day should contain all three…

By Sara Oldham

The scars of past conflicts remain in Beirut, shelled buildings a visual reminder of the wars that have taken their toll. Today trouble simmers on the border between Lebanon and Syria, across which thousands of Syrian refugees have flooded. But although the region remains volatile, for now, the Lebanese capital remains unaffected – and Beirut’s younger population sees this as a very good reason to party.

Central Beirut stands on the sea. Along its shoreline, teenage boys and elderly women compete to hawk speed boat rides, while couples stroll hand in hand. The city combines new hotels and sleek boutiques with works in progress – there are plenty of towering cranes and construction sites. Roads are so wide you have to sprint to reach the other side, as they seethe with sleek BMWs, dented Citroens and honking old Mercedes taxis.

I stayed in Ashrafieh, a quiet, affluent area in the east of the city, where cute shops, restaurants and beautiful mansions fill the narrow streets. Our home for the weekend was the four-bedroom Hayete Guesthouse – housed in an art deco-style building, it is light and full of character, with whitewashed walls and splashes of colour from textiles, paintings and vintage furniture.

Breakfast was served by Hayete’s local owners Robert and Carina, who were eager to share the best of Beirut with their guests.

Through them, I discovered that Beirut is considered the most liberal city in the Middle East, which has helped it to build a reputation as a great place to let your hair down. Part Muslim, part Christian, the rules are more relaxed than in other countries in the region. Armed with Robert and Carina’s expert tips, I lined up the ultimate hedonist’s weekend.

Fresh pastries at the Hayete Guest House are essential to fuelling a long hedonistic day ahead. (Photo: Sara Oldham)

10am: A breakfast of champions

When a day of drinking looms, a Lebanese breakfast is perfect to line the stomach. Mornings in Hayete begin with a plentiful spread of breads, pastries, salad and boiled eggs, washed down with tea and coffee and freshly-squeezed orange juice. My highlight was zaatar – flatbread with wild thyme, sesame and olive oil – slathered in tangy yoghurt. And knefé pastries, which Robert ran out to buy so we could eat them hot. Made from sesame dough stuffed with melted cheese, and topped with sugar, honey and rose-water syrup, they were an indulgent and sticky treat. Robert and Carina recommend buying these from oriental sweet shop Al Rashidi in Sodeco.

They buy bread and pastry from Bread Republic, a small, modern bakery in Ashrafieh where businessmen quietly sip coffee, and women in traditional scarves natter in Arabic and French. If you’re staying more centrally, the bakery also has a shop in Hamra. Don’t be surprised to see croissants on the menu. France temporarily had a mandate in Lebanon between 1918 and 1946 and the morning croissant is typical of a general fondness for all things French.

People watching is the perfect way to unwind with a glass of wine at the Riviera Hotel, Beirut (Photo: Sara Oldham)

12pm: Pouts and partying by the pool

Beirut is well known in the Middle East for it’s all-day pool parties. To join in, you’ll need to line your pockets with cash. The hotels charge double what you’ll pay in some local bars, but for one day we thought it was worth it. Jump in a cab to the Corniche, the wide boulevard that curves along the Mediterranean Sea. Head to The Riviera Hotel, follow a passage beneath the Corniche, and emerge at the beachside pool bar. You can’t access the beach itself, but a sea of sun loungers shine white under a cloudless sky, surrounding a large swimming pool jutting above sea.

Now you’re ready to dip your toe into a world of Middle Eastern bling. Waft the twenty-dollar entry fee into the hands of an assistant, follow him to your sun lounger and tell him your drink of choice (we drank a bottle of Lebanese rose, for an ostentatious 50 USD). Then pout, readjust your bikini and lie back for the best people-watching in the world. Identical noses, all impeccably straight, swollen lips, pairs of beach balls restrained by string bikinis and impossibly inflated male bodies, mingle, swim and dance in the pool, as a DJ ramps up the volume on an uplifting house soundtrack.

These are the rich and young of Beirut and visitors from across the Middle East who come to enjoy the liberal attitudes here. It’s reality television waiting to happen. TOWIB (The Only Way is Beirut), as we affectionately called it.

Contrasting cultures in Downtown Beirut, where fashion meets tradition. (Photo: Sara Oldham)

5pm: A sobering stroll

On our way back to freshen up for the evening, we took a stroll north along the Corniche to see the sparkling new exterior of the five-star Phoenecia Hotel, revamped in 2011 for its 50th anniversary.

It’s a far cry from the 1970s, when it was destroyed during the civil war. Behind it, the Holiday Inn – also once a popular target for rocket launchers – is still an empty shell. We continued north from here through Downtown, where immaculate yellow stone buildings are filled with opulent gourmet restaurants and luxury fashion boutiques.

I looked up on our stroll to see a boy and girl embracing on a poster for Burberry. Behind their bare, entwined limbs, a huge ornate mosque shone in the evening sun.

You can’t go wrong with meze at locals’ favourite Le Chef in the Gemmayze district. (Photo: Sara Oldham)

9pm: A trip to Gemmayze

This area next to Ashrafieh is one of the oldest in the city and one of the best-looking, with its French-built art deco architecture. Its bars and restaurants are full of locals in their 20s and 30s and it’s a great place to start the night. We ate at Le Chef, a small bistro. It’s a little rough around the edges with formica tables, strip lighting and plastic flowers, but serves the best- priced meze in Beirut. Le Chef serves a mix of Lebanese and French food. We had globe artichoke dipped into vinaigrette. Fatteh (yoghurt with chickpeas and fried flatbread), spinach pastries, chicken cassoulet and wine for less than 15 USD a head.

Next, we stopped at Saifi Urban Gardens, a hostel with a busy taverna-style bar, where an Egyptian birthday was in full swing. We drank the local beer and tried to avoid looking ridiculous as we were pulled on to the dance floor for Egyptian folk dancing.

Finally, we headed to Behind the Green Door, where we settled into plush velvet booths to an R&B soundtrack.

Round off the night at new open-air club B018 – just watch for the male piranhas circling the dancefloor… (Photo: Sara Oldham)

2am: Clubbing under the stars

To top off the night we head to B018 nightclub, which boasts a strong line-up of international DJs who come to play as day breaks. In the industrial district of Quarantine, it’s the city’s newest club and is famous for a retractable roof over the dancefloor that lets its revellers watch the sunrise. The taxi will drop you off in a car park and in the middle you’ll see what looks like a landing strip. Closer inspection will reveal a crypt-like hollow where hundreds of local 20- and 30-somethings dance.

As we made our way past gruff bouncers downstairs into the club (entry between 20-50 USD), we walked into a crowd of local men. We could count the women on one hand – two Western students, and three locals with short trendy haircuts. Here, the fashion isn’t for diamond rocks and plastic bodies.

As the night went on, the more mashed-up dancers were only interested in the music. Meanwhile, on the edge of the dancefloor, predatory blokes sized up which woman to pounce on. I was called beautiful, told my boyfriend was very lucky, and declined offers of drinks, dances and rides home as I bounced from one chat up line to the next. For one night only, I felt like the most attractive woman who ever lived…

Before you visit Beirut, check on the latest travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Life and colour in San Pedro, Guatemala (Photo: Rachel Cocker)

Rachel Cocker is a London-based freelance journalist with wanderlust. She has just returned from a solo round-the-world trip and is planning future adventures.

By Rachel Cocker

I had a smattering of Spanish behind me and nine months more travel through Latin America ahead when I reached San Pedro la Laguna, a tiny town so laid back it was basically sliding into the waters of Lago de Atitlán – Guatemala’s unbelievably beautiful answer to Lake Como, but with fewer millionaire playboys and more dormant volcanoes.

If I was ever to get off the gringo trail, I knew I needed to master much more than ‘muchas gracias’. But although San Pedro is famed for its language schools, I wasn’t sure I was in the mood to knuckle down to more than a week of study.

San Pedro sits on the shores of Lake Atitlan (Photo: Rachel Cocker)

A Tourist Trap?

I wasn’t even that keen on the town itself at first  – it felt too touristy, a backpacker’s hub of foreign pubs, Thai grub and macramé-making hippies who’d forgotten to save enough for the flight home.

Older US and European ex-pats owned most of the prime waterfront property that hadn’t been claimed by the steady rise of the lake (you could kayak through what was once someone’s front room) forming a gringo ghetto at the foot of the town. Meanwhile, much of the Maya population lived in labyrinthine breezeblock alleyways winding high up the hill to the market.

There was no denying the ‘us and them’ feel in the air. Local women washed hand-woven clothes and waist-length hair in the lake, while we watched from cafés, listening to reggae and eating falafel while surfing the high-speed Wi-Fi. At night, the mayor had started sending the local police car to strictly enforce a new 11pm curfew – so sick of bars pumping drugs and bass into the night, he’d begun to bite back.

Back to School…

With four hours of classes starting at 8am, I didn’t mind the early nights. Luckily, the one-on-one tuition at Escuela Cooperativa wasn’t just cheap; it took place in a lake-view garden that seemed less classroom, more sanctuary. I’d been hoping that improving my Spanish would help me move on from San Pedro – here, I felt the first inklings it might make me stay.

I was surprised by how quickly I hit it off with my teacher, Clemente, a local guy who’d moved back to his family home after a few years and too many muggings in Guatemala City. We were both pushing 30 (although he looked a lot younger) but our lives were worlds apart, and I enjoyed slipping tales of London into my homework every afternoon that made him choke or chuckle the next morning.

Early morning classes with Clemente – better than school! (Photo: Rachel Cocker)

By return, his lessons and local insights helped me bridge the gap with the other side of San Pedro. Between conjugating my verbs I began taking more and more trips up the hill.

The Real San Pedro

Every week, I accompanied the teachers who took basic food parcels to struggling families as part of the school’s social aid project. As my Spanish improved, I ventured further, finding an ancient seamstress with a hand-crank sewing machine to mend clothes that had lost their fight with the laundry, getting the lowdown on the local elections from the old men who sat for hours, surveying street corners, and sneaking my way into the back of evangelical church services that sounded more like soft rock concerts from down the road.

Catholic Church in San Pedro, Guatemala (Photo: Rachel Cocker)

My lessons with Clemente began covering more and more Maya history (no, the end of the world is not nigh) becoming as much a cultural as a language exchange. Every Friday I signed up for ‘just one more week’ until suddenly four had passed and I was still in San Pedro, still at school and feeling less like an outsider, more at home.

Getting to know people in San Pedro, Guatemala (Photo: Rachel Cocker)

When we reached the subjunctive, the tense that deals with dreams and doubts, I confessed I still had no idea what to do next – after school or after this trip, full-stop. So Clemente hailed a tuk-tuk and took me to San Juan, the next town along the lake, to meet the shaman who’d helped guide him into teaching when his dad had decided he was lacking direction.

Move Any Mountain?

He was the world’s most unlikely-looking holy man: dressed in a vest and sat in his backyard, surrounded by turkeys. Inside his dark, dirt-floored house he calculated the date of my conception (awkward), then consulted a well-thumbed book that established my ‘nahuals’, the spirits said to govern other significant dates in your life.

Some of mine, it seemed, were inauspicious, but he promised a cleansing ceremony would reverse both my bad luck and lingering coccyx pain, the result of an ill-advised leap into a rock pool six weeks earlier.

Changing into a traditional hand-embroidered two-piece, he began chanting in Tz’utujil – the local Mayan language of guttural sounds and glottal stops – over a blaze of incense, pausing only to swat me round the head with a swatch of pine needles soaked in sacred water, which he then threw in the fire.

A shaman prepares to sort out Rachel’s ‘nahuals’ (Photo: Rachel Cocker)

What my future holds…

Translated into Spanish by Clemente, his pronouncements sounded somewhat less prophetic: ‘Good things will be waiting for you at home,’ and ‘When you’re sad, spend time with trees…’ It was only afterwards that I realised I hadn’t been mentally translating them from Spanish to English, but soaking them up, understood. And my pain in the arse was gone.

Later, I’d meet other travellers who sniffed they hadn’t thought much of San Pedro, and I could see where they were coming from. But then I’m not sure any of us had seen the half of it.

http://www.cooperativeschoolsanpedro.edu.gt/ is a community-minded cooperative of local teachers offering one-on-one Spanish classes and homestays in San Pedro la Laguna. A 20-hour week of tuition costs around £60, or £100 including homestay and three meals a day. A percentage of students’ fees go directly to the school’s outreach programme, providing food, housing and education for impoverished local families.

Sunshine on a rainy day: Pink roses stand up to the elements in Regent’s Park rose gardens, London (Photo: Laura Mannering)

About the author: Hello! I’m Laura Mannering and I’m Editor of World Out There. Laura’s Travel Notes is the part of the blog where I put my briefer travel tips and bits – colourful snack-size travel bites to inspire you.

By Laura Mannering, Editor, World Out There

To anyone visiting Britain this summer – I’m sorry. You have timed your stay to coincide with our brand-new monsoon season, in which garden furniture and barbecues have been replaced with flood-protection sandbags and Wellington boots.

We’re trying to make the best of it – the London Evening Standard today recommends an outdoor swim at one of the city’s open-air pools. Well, you’re going to get wet anyway. Or perhaps a surfing session at the temporary wave generator we have in the city…

If this kind of summer deluge becomes a regular occurrence, perhaps we’ll embrace it. Summer sports will take in umbrella jousts and Wellie throwing. There will be underwater picnics and wet T-shirt contests. And hosepipe bans will become a thing of the past. But as it is, we’re going about our business in a fairly grumpy manner, praying for sunshine.

And there were ten minutes of it today in London – glorious, proper, blinding sunshine. We bathed in it, lapped it up, our grateful faces turned skywards to drink it in.

In the hope of a warm wander, I made my way over to Regent’s Park rose gardens, part of the Queen Mary’s Gardens section of the park, and one of my favourite places in summer.

Clouds gather: Heavy skies over the rose garden in Regent’s Park, London (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Five minutes from the gate, the rain began again.

The rose gardens themselves were the floral equivalent of the Battle of the Somme – beautiful blooms cut down in their prime, withered and brown due to our terrible weather.

Initially, I was disappointed. ‘I guess it looked better a couple of weeks ago,’ a plaintive American lady said to her friend. Yet if you look closely, within these battered rose beds, there are still miraculously perfect flowers which have withstood the elements. Their sweet fragrance hangs in the air, reminding us that summer hasn’t been obliterated altogether.

She wears it well: Raindrops make this yellow rose look more perfect than ever (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Shelter from the storm: This rosebud stays tightly shut as the rain falls (Photo: Laura Mannering)

By the time I reached the nearby café, the sun had emerged. It reflected in puddles on the paths and in the droplets of water on the green metal surfaces of the outdoor cafe tables. More brief showers came and went, but the sun finally won out and there was another blissful 15-minute stretch of sunshine.

Super-wet cappuccino: Coffee at the Regent’s Park cafe as the sun shone through (Photo: Laura Mannering)

As I walked back through the rose gardens under blue skies, a Japanese photographer was lining up a shot. ‘It looks just like a postcard!’ he said. Possibly one of those that reads: ‘I came to London – and all I got was this lousy umbrella.’

Hallelujah! A blue sky moment over the rose gardens, Regent’s Park, London (Photo: Laura Mannering)

I will survive: This orange rose braved the downpour (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Whether you catch it during rain or shine, the Regent’s Park rose gardens really are worth a visit – it’s only right to pay tribute to those brave blooms that are sticking two fingers up to the weather, and to drink in the smell of summer.

For more information on Regent’s Park and London’s Royal Parks go to the Royal Parks website.

The mountains around Cortina d’Ampezzo in northern Italy boast some of the world’s most beautiful running routes (Photo: Laura Mannering)

By Laura Mannering, Editor, World Out There

Cortina d’Ampezzo lies in northern Italy’s Dolomite Mountains, some of which still cradle smooth white patches of snow in summer time. But, when the weather warms up, most of this renowned ski resort’s frozen landscape gives way to green fields and forests, clear lakes and mountain streams. And with the thaw, runners, hikers and mountain bikers hit Cortina’s trails.

Something of a running mecca, this year Cortina has already hosted a 120km ultra marathon, a 50km trail run and a straight 30km run to the neighbouring town of Dobbiaco. There are plenty of vertiginous rock-strewn routes zig-zagging up and down mountain slopes. But there are also some good, gentler trails for those who, like me, enjoy a run around for an hour or so to make room for another delicious pasta dinner…

On a recent visit, I met local runner Marianne Moretti-Adimari. Here she explains why Cortina is a brilliant place to run – and I try out one of her recommended routes, followed by a whopping slice of cake and a rather nice local aperitivo.

Marianne in action (Photo: Guiseppe Ghedina)

Marianne says:

‘I’ve been running for years now – I started as a teenager running in Norway, where I’m from, then ran the streets and parks of London for years after I moved there. For the last three years, I’ve been running in the splendid Dolomites.

I generally participate in all the races, short and long, that take place in the area. In winter, I do ski mountaineering races and cross country races to keep up my fitness when snow prevents me from running.

Running in Cortina and the Dolomites is about more than just getting physically fit. The beauty of these mountains blows my mind every time I am out there – the mountains lift you, inspire you, give you energy, make you fly. It soothes your mind and spirit and makes you feel at one with the nature around you.

My most recent race was the Cortina–Dobbiaco 30km run over a mountain pass along the former Dolomite railway – I ran it for the fourth time this year in a time of 2hrs 18mins, which is a 7-minute improvement on last year. The race was the brainchild of Gianni Poli, a New York Marathon winner who trained for marathons and did his race preparation in Cortina. I also ran my 4th marathon in Venice last November, and again achieved a personal best of 3hrs 25min. The great thing about long-distance running is that you only get better with age! Now, in my 40s, I am the fittest I have ever been, and am setting new personal bests in every race I participate in (long may it last…).

Cortina is an ideal place to run for beginners as well as professional runners. I started out on the flatter routes along the former Dolomite railway and along the river. There are many great runs in the forest going down the valley. I then progressed and always found new challenges and routes that pushed me a little further. The list of my favourite routes is endless, from the mountain route around Tofana de Rozes, starting at the Dibona refuge, to the two-hour loop I do from the village of Fiames, which takes in the Val di Fanes waterfalls. 

In the mountains the weather is always somewhat unpredictable – make sure you are equipped for sudden weather changes – in particular if you go for longer runs. The
altitude will take a few days to get used to, so start easy -  but you will really see the benefit when you return to sea level.’

My Cortina run…

I took Marianne’s advice and went for an 8km run in a loop from Cortina – a good one if you’re not quite used to running at altitude but want to challenge yourself with some decent hills and uneven terrain. The hiking map of Cortina, available in most hotels and in the Tourist Information Office in Cortina, has walking and running routes clearly marked. The best time for non-ski sports is from June to October, when there’s plenty of sunshine and temperatures can reach mid- to high-20 degrees centigrade.

The route: Cortina – Mortisa – Lake Pianozes – Campo di Sopra – Cortina

I left the town in the from the Park Hotel Franceschi in the west of Cortina, crossing the River Boite and climbing the hill up to the village of Mortisa, with its barn-like houses and carved balconies, laden with red geraniums. One elderly man was in a field, gathering grass for hay and piling it into a wheelbarrow. Mortisa is a very pretty first landmark, which made the uphill climb worthwhile.

The hills are alive: A stunning view over fields and mountains from the village of Mortisa (Photo: Laura Mannering)

The fun really begins after Mortisa, when the asphalt road turns into a woodland path, sometimes muddy, with tree roots creating bumps along the way. The trail goes through evergreen forest, where towering firs are eventually cut through by a foaming river, spilling over boulders. This stretch still has a fair number of uphill climbs, but the stillness of the trees, the trickle of tiny streams and the scattering of yellow and purple wildflowers along the way are a winning combination.

Deep in the forest: Evergreens and a mountain stream on one of Cortina d’Ampezzo’s scenic running routes (Photo: Laura Mannering)

After crossing the river, I took a left off the forest path path and onto a very welcome downhill stretch of road leading Lake Pianozes. The water rippled in a slight early evening breeze as families ordered rounds of coffees and beers at the waterside cafe. Children ran and played around the lake as their parents and grandparents watched.

A beer with a view: Peaceful Lake Pianozes has a cafe overlooking the water if you want to quench your runner’s thirst (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Following the road round and down, the final part of the route cut through the fields below Mortisa and the village of Campo di Sopra, with its tiny chapel and beautiful houses, again with carved wooden balconies hung with flower baskets.

Small but beautiful: The chapel of San Candido in the village of Campo di Sopra (Photo: Laura Mannering)

The villages here and Cortina itself are pure Alpine style and feel more like Austria than Italy – the area itself was Austrian until after the First World War.

The road home: Winding through fields from Campo di Sopra back to Cortina (Photo: Laura Mannering)

As the clouds gathered over the  mountains, I ran back into town past Cortina’s stables and headed straight for my favourite bakery for a post-run treat. Pasticceria Alvera, on the main shopping street of Corso Italia, is open all day and I congratulated myself with a slice of traditional grano saracena – a local buckwheat and almond sponge with raspberry jam in the middle and an icing sugar heart sprinkled on top…

It’s cake o’clock! Slices of delicious grano saracena at Pasticceria Alvera in Cortina (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Then I washed it down with a refreshing Spritz Aperol at nearby bar Open Space – a friendly hang-out which is also open all day and late into the evening.

The best apres-run drink in town: An ice-cool Aperol spritzer at Open Space bar in Cortina (Photo: Laura Mannering)

A Spritz Aperol is very much the aperitivo of choice in Cortina, and rightly so – the mix of Aperol (a traditional aperitif including bitter orange, gentian and rhubarb), prosecco and a dash of soda water, with lots of ice and a slice of orange, is an ideal après run…

Running at altitude definitely had me puffing more than usual (I’m used to pounding the streets of London) – but the scenery, fresh air, beautiful villages and post-run rewards made it a memorable run which I’d love to repeat.

For more information on running routes, hiking or any of the other outdoor activities Cortina has to offer, go to Cortina Turismo.

If you liked this post, check out World Out There’s guides to running in Madrid and Panama City.

Hi Toni! Thanks for doing Travel Chat this month. First up, tell us a bit about your travel blog Reclaiming My Future.

Essentially, Reclaiming My Future is about the travelling life for people in their 20s and everything that entails. It’s geared more towards women, but there is a little something for everyone – humour, travel hints and tips or just inspiration to get you out into the world.

You’ve spoken on your blog about depression and feeling stuck in a rut – has travel helped you to cope with and confront difficulties in your life?

Whilst you may still have the problems in your mind, whether it’s regrets about your life or problems you tried to leave behind, travel gives you the isolation you need to gain perspective – it helped me in ways I could never truly put into words. When in Africa I realised that some of the happiest people I met were also the poorest and it really made me re-evaluate my life and the direction it was going in. I would recommend travel to anyone who’s had difficulties in their life…

When did you laugh the most on your travels?

A very easy question to answer – it would be the two weeks I spent in Bali where I made friends with two English girls and we ended up travelling around the island together. We climbed volcanoes, laughed until our jaws hurt and fell in love with each other as friends. We found laughter in the most mundane situations and for those two weeks my heart was over-flowing with happiness.

You’ve written a lot about romance on the road – is that an essential part of any trip? Tell us about your most romantic travel moment.

I definitely think that having a romance on the road is essential, whether it be with the partner you are travelling with or people that you meet. It’s not necessarily about the act of romance itself but the connection that you make with that person; it all adds to the excitement and fun that you experience on your travels. My most romantic moment was on a boat in the middle of the Similand Islands in Thailand, where my dive guide and I fell asleep under the stars on the sundeck of our boat; pure magic.

World Out There is all about insider tips – give us a couple of offbeat must-dos from your experiences in Africa and Asia…

A pretty big tip for Africa is that, during dry season, you can walk over Victoria Falls on the Zambia side. The ‘viewpoint’ side which looks directly at the Falls, but if you walk around to the right you can walk over the rocks and sit on the very edge of Victoria Falls. It’s not for the faint-hearted and you are taking your life in your hands, but what an experience  and photo! For Asia, I would say that the best tip is to ditch the map and get lost. I found some of the most beautiful (and quiet) places in Bali doing this.

And one from closer to home – where should we go on our next trip to your home county of Devon?

Victoria Upton recreates the Dorset landscape she loves for new exhibition Hidden World, at London’s Little Black Gallery.

About the author: Victoria Upton is an award-winning photographer, particularly known for her black-and-white images of tribal people around the world. For this new series of art works, she has produced photographic montages of the Dorset coastline, using oils and plaster combined with her photos. These landscapes are currently on show at the Little Black Gallery in London.

By Victoria Upton

I moved from London to Dorset with my husband and two children four years ago. Since then, it has become my everyday view and inspiration. The sea is where I and my family needed to be.

Anywhere along the Jurassic Coast is a favourite place – each stretch of coastline offers different textures and spaces which change depending on the weather at the time. I never really mind where I go, I always end up somewhere interesting.

Victoria uses images taken from her travel photography archive to create the Dorset landscapes in her paintings.

All the paintings in the new show, Hidden World, are tied in with past travels. I have been all over the world in my career as a photographer, and some of the photographs in the paintings are torn up images from these trips. So the immediate inspiration and final work is Dorset, but the landscape paintings are constructed of images from 26 years of travel.

The rugged Dorset coast is a constant source of inspiration for Victoria Upton’s landscape paintings.

When I have time out in Dorset, I like to go to Sladers Yard Gallery at West Bay – their eye for artists and their work is a constant inspiration. Other times I may go to Axe Valley Birds just outside Axminster – a small family- run bird and animal park, which never fails to enchant and surprise both kids and adults every visit.

While Dorset is now my home, as a travel photographer, I will always want to return to Cuba again and again – I have family there. People visit and assume too quickly that they understand the country; they see what the government wants them to see. Its a complex, sad, frustrated country, a nation of people who, under great adversity, still manage to sing and dance and survive, as well as living their lives with good old-fashioned family values. I learn afresh what we have lost and take for granted in the UK every time I return there. It’s always very humbling. One day the travel editorials will want to show pictures of the real Cuba, rather than endless images of cigars and Old American cars! I have an enormous archive of work when they are ready…

Hidden World runs from July 2 to July 31 at The Little Black Gallery in London.

The Prada shop that isn't - Marfa, West Texas (Photo: Laura Mannering)

About the author: Hello! I’m Laura Mannering and I’m Editor of World Out There. Laura’s Travel Notes is the part of the blog where I put my briefer travel tips and bits – colourful snack-size travel bites to inspire you.

By Laura Mannering, Editor, World Out There

West Texas is cowboy ‘n’ oil country – rodeos and ranches, shuffleboard and ice-cold beers, mechanical oil diggers endlessly hammering into the parched earth. But it’s not all about enormous steaks and gun-slinging.

On a recent visit, I was surprised at the creative side of this part of the Lone Star State. In Lubbock, the home of Buddy Holly, there is now a huge arts centre, The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, which includes the brilliant Charles Adams gallery and rooftop space, featuring work by young local artists.

Graffiti and a heart: LHUCA arts complex, Lubbock, Texas (Photo: Laura Mannering)

In the virtual ghost town of Tulia (I didn’t see a tumbleweed, but felt there was one around every corner) Kenneth Wyatt goes for a more traditional artistic style at his rambling home/gallery/studio. A mischievous octogenarian with a colourful CV (he has worked as a Methodist minister, farmer and magician, among other things), Kenneth has created more than 9,000 pieces of cowboy art, most of which depict atmospheric rural landscapes, Texas sunsets and men being exceptionally manly. His works have been sold to a host of international dignataries, from the Bush family to Queen Elizabeth II. Drop in, have a browse at the art works and cowboy memorabilia, chat to Kenneth and marvel at his lovely home’s shag-pile carpets – so deep they would surely make Miss Ellie green with soft-furnishing envy.

When men were men: Kenneth Wyatt's cowboy art, Tulia, Texas (Photo: Laura Mannering)

But my favourite piece of Wild West artistic genius was the brilliant Prada Marfa installation. Sitting in splendid isolation on Highway 90, around an hour north-east of the town of Marfa itself, it is an exact replica of a Prada store. Alone at the side of the road – a desert highway which heads to El Paso – the familiar black and grey signage echos that found on the world’s poshest designer boulevards.

Sorry ladies, you can't go in: Prada Marfa on Highway 90, Texas (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Inside, like museum pieces displayed against a perfect white backdrop, are Prada heels and bags. I press myself up against the window and push the door, just in case, but it’s firmly sealed.

Window shopping only at Prada Marfa, Texas (Photo: Laura Mannering)

This is no ordinary boutique. Prada Marfa was created as a permanent installation by Scandinavian artist duo Elmgreen and Dragset in 2005. It might seem strange to have chosen this scorched and little-populated corner of Texas to make an artistic statement, but Marfa itself is a hub of creativity.

It all started when minimalist artist and sculptor Donald Judd left New York and set up there in the 1971. Suddenly this tiny desert town became a remote mecca for bohos and arty types who wanted escape the city. Prada Marfa was part funded by Ballroom Marfa, a non-profit contemporary art space based in Marfa itself.

The long and unwinding road, Highway 90, Marfa, Texas (Photo: Laura Mannering)

All the treasures inside this roadside anomaly are genuine Prada products from its autumn 2005 collection. But if you’re driving through the desert and suddenly feel the urge to splash out on a designer handbag, your retail therapy will have to wait. ‘The sculpture will never function as a place of commerce, the door cannot be opened,’ says the plaque beside the installation, just in case you were wondering.

A railroad runs through it: Highway 90, Marfa, Texas (Photo: Laura Mannering)

As I cross back over the dusty road between Prada Marfa and our parked van, a freight train rumbles past, box-car doors open. We wave and the train honks, while the Prada boutique stands silent, pristine and untouched. A stylish tribute to the creative side of the Wild West.

For more info on travelling in West Texas, go to Texas Tourism or try Fodor’s online West Texas guide.

Taste of London: Welsh cheese board at Wales the True Taste's riotous food tent (Photo: Laura Mannering)

About the author: Hello! I’m Laura Mannering and I’m Editor of World Out There. Laura’s Travel Notes is the part of the blog where I put my briefer travel tips and bits – colourful snack-size travel bites to inspire you.

By Laura Mannering, Editor, World Out There

With 12 festivals world wide throughout the year – from Sydney to Amsterdam, Cape Town to Milan – Taste Festivals are magnets for food lovers. Small producers from home and abroad gather to promote their wares, while each city’s finest restaurants whip up mini-plates of goodness. These outdoor festivals are a great way to discover truly brilliant local brands and the stories behind them, as well as giving you a taster of the best restaurants on your doorstep.

This weekend, Regent’s Park in London hosts marquees, stalls, stages and stands for Taste of London. It’s kind of soggy in the English capital right now and most festival-goers had dressed cautiously in wellies when I visited. But the rain held off and on an almost-sunny post-work Friday evening I spent three hours grazing.

Lots of tents do free samples, but it’s worth paying to try some of the restaurant dishes. Stock up on tokens or ‘crowns’ when you arrive and use them instead of cash. A book of 20 tokens costs £10 – most restuarant dishes cost between 8 and 12 crowns each.

Here are my top three highlights from this year’s Taste of London. If you missed the festival, don’t worry. You can order most of this produce online and pop in to the restaurants when you are next in London.

Mfanwy whips up a lamb risotto at Wales the True Taste, Taste of London (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Lamb, cheese and wine at Wales the True Taste

A boisterous, friendly tent with cooking demos and the best local produce that Wales has to offer. I tried chicken liver, cointreau and orange pate from Patchwork plus creamy chunks of blue cheese and natural goats cheese by Blaenafon (who also make cheddars). There were also unbelievably tender lamb chops, straight out of north Wales, and freshly-made pots of lamb risotto. If there’s any Bara Brith bread out, make sure you grab a piece. Moist fruit bread smothered with butter, it’s the best tea time treat I’ve tried for ages. Good for washing it all down are the Ancre Hill white and rose wines made in Monmouth. All the samples at Wales the True Taste are free.

Incredible calamari at Busaba Eathai, Taste of London (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Stellar dishes from London restaurants Busaba Eathai and Pollen Street Social

There are so many restaurants in London and so little time – Taste of London gives you the chance to dip in and try food from those places you always meant to go to. Most of the restaurant stalls only take crowns, rather than cash.

Busaba is famed for great Thai food served up around chatty communal tables – its stand at Taste of London was offering salmon and mango salad, Thai calamari with ginger and peppercorn, duck curry and ostrich stir fry. I went for the calamari for 8 crowns – crisp, sweet and piping hot, garnished with a sprig of green peppercorns. Superb, my favourite dish of the night.

Crab cocktail at Pollen Street Social, Taste of London (Photo: Laura Mannering)

Over at star chef Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social, they were going for a three-course menu: crab salad with avocado puree and sweetcorn mousse, slow-cooked ox cheek with apple pomme puree and braised turnip, and white chocolate and coconut panna cotta with mango, kaffir lime, pineapple and pistachio oil. I chose the crab (8 crowns) – a three-tiered cocktail glass of pure deliciousness, topped with a sprinkling of rock salt, which was the perfect foil for the sweetcorn mousse.

British bubbly: Me and Cat with our Chapel Down fizz at Taste of London (Photo: Laura Mannering)

British booze from Chapel Down and Sipsmith

The UK isn’t best-known for it’s wines, but Chapel Down, from the southern English county of Kent, puts out some great bottles. I like their roses and tried their sparkling pink for the first time at Taste of London. Light, fruity, zingy, not too sweet – it went down a treat. They have a big open-sided marquee with tall tables so you can linger a while. It takes cash rather than crowns and a glass of fizz was £5. To finish off the night I headed to Sipsmith, London purveyor of fine spirits – my vodka tonic, made with lemon cordial and Fever Tree tonic, was the perfect way to end the evening (£4 for a single or £6 for a double – they take crowns, cash or cards). A soothing palate cleanser which left me pleasantly fuzzy for the journey home…

You can buy Taste of London tickets at the entrance for £28 – the queues are pretty long but the festival stays open until past 9pm, so there’s plenty of time.