vickygoestravelling

my journey to health and well being via exotic destinations


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One day this summer: Chelsea Flower Show & Buckingham Palace!

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Detail from Chris Beardshore’s Morgan Stanley garden

My host Jane and I meet bright and early – 7.45 am to be precise – at Sloane Square to get to the gates before the throng, or so we thought! Our expectations are soon dashed as it seems the whole world has the same idea. We wander through the stalls selling all sorts of garden-related stuff (but I am in a no-buy mode) until we hit the show gardens. Continue reading


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Five days in Marrakech

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The grandest of the Saadian tombs

We are celebrating Ross’s second retirement. He said he wanted a rite of passage to get him out of pharma mode and back into real life. So here we are! On advice, we have decided that five nights downtown in a hot, noisy Riad is probably too much so we are staying in the Palmeraie district in a lovely place, Les Deux Tours, set in luscious gardens complete with vegetables, goats, hammam, large pool, hidden 4-poster beds for a post-prandial nap, and immaculate service. Our room lies behind a Mediterranean blue door and has its own secret garden. Spoiling indeed. Continue reading


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Day trip to the Atlas Mountains

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View of the Atlas with Branson’s’ Kasbah silhouetted

Any visit to Marrakech longer than 3 days necessitates a day trip to the Atlas Mountains. If you’re there for a week I would recommend an overnighter so you can enjoy some trekking in this magnificent scenery. May is a good month, before it gets too hot and while there is still snow on the peaks, rendering the views spectacular. Continue reading