It's staff holiday time!

Before Melissa set off for her California holiday we asked her if she'd gather up some tips on where to eat and what to do while they were over there. Her plans were to start off in San Francisco, do a quick whizz round the Napa Valley wineries and then head off down Pacific Coast Highway to end in Santa Monica.

We guess she's landed safely then; this is what she's got to say.

San Francisco is a really buzzing, cosmopolitan city and has quite a continental/European feel to it that I like. It's famous for its thick fog which will normally disappear by lunchtime in the summer but that makes it always pretty grey in the mornings and not the clear blue skies we were expecting from California! There's plenty to do though - Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, Golden Gate Bridge, China Town, Italy Town, lots of galleries and museums and of course the usual American stores (Saks/ Macys/ Bloomingdales/Abercrombie etc).

More later, we hope...(and maybe a bit about where to eat as well, please Melissa?)

CT

Grenada's a royal favourite

I've never yet been lucky enough to visit the Chelsea Flower Show and so was thrilled to get an invite this year from Grenada Tourism. We were to gather inside the Great Pavilion beside Castaway, the Grenada exhibit http://www.grenada-at-chelsea.org.uk/ created by Suzanne Gaywood and her team.

It was fantastic news to hear that Suzanne had again won a gold medal at the show, her ninth, for her recreation of Grenada's tropical idyll complete with traditional thatched shack and just the hint of a nearby jetty on a deserted beach. The native bamboo and flamboyant array of flowers, foliage and spices had all been painstakingly packed and flown in fresh from Grenada just a few days earlier. A less arduous journey though was had by the sand that was trucked in from the local builder's yard and with the aid of good local bleach rather than tropical sunshine made to acquire the Grenadian sun-bleached look.


Earlier that morning the Queen had made an unscheduled stop for a chat at the Grenada stand. Suzanne's annual exhibit is one that the Queen always looks out for at the Show and apparently Grenada one of the Royals' favourite islands.

One of my favourite places on Grenada is the Calabash Hotel, one I'd always recommend for peace, quiet, excellent dining at Gary Rhodes' restaurant and, I understand, just over the water from the lavish private island of Calivigny that's now available to hire for just over £25,000 per night. Bargain. Christmas party sorted.

CT