At KOL, a Celebration of Mexican Flavours in 9+1 Parts

Of all the countries I've visited, Mexico is the one I'd most love to return to. When I spent two weeks there in 2015, food was among the highlights, from the street food in Mexico City (and elsewhere) to tasting menus and cooking classes in Oaxaca. It's no surprise, then, that I was muy emocionada to hear about the opening of Santiago Lastra's KOL restaurant in Marylebone a year ago. Lockdown and not managing to book far enough in advance meant that I was only able to visit with my parents a couple of weeks ago, but it was well worth the wait.

The Caffeine Chronicles: Kapihan

UPDATE: Unfortunately, this location of Kapihan has now closed permanently. But they have reopened at two locations on Battersea Park Road.

Two recurring themes in my London coffee shop write-ups during this year-and-a-half of COVID have been: the power of coffee shops to connect people amid the loneliness of lockdown, and the ability of coffee shops to transport you and allow you to experience a taste of other places and cultures even when travelling is much harder than it once was. Both of these ring true at Kapihan, a Filipino coffee shop and bakery close to Battersea Park, which I visited again at the weekend.

How To Spend Nine Days in Malta

This my final post about my recent trip to Malta, rounding up my overall experience: my itinerary and how it worked out, where I stayed, what I did and how I travelled around. You can also read my other Malta posts here: Valletta city guide; day trips from Valletta; and four days on Gozo.

How To Spend Four Days on Gozo, Malta

This is the third of four posts about my recent trip to Malta. You can read the other instalments here: Valletta city guide; day trips from Valletta; and how to spend nine days in Malta.

Gozo, known locally as Għawdex, is the second-largest island of the Maltese archipelago, lying just north of the island of Malta and about 50 miles south of Sicily.  I spent four days on Gozo after my time in Valletta; read on to find out what I did.

Three Great Day Trips from Valletta, Malta

This is the second of four posts about my recent trip to Malta. Check out the others: Valletta city guide; four days in Gozo; and how to spend nine days in Malta.

Malta is small — the main island is just 17 miles long by 9 miles wide — and because it's easy to get around by public transport, I based myself in Valletta and took day trips to three amazing places. Read on for turquoise waters, ancient fortified cities, stunning geological features and perfect sandy beaches!