The winner takes it all...

Whatever you might think about Piers Brosnan's singing talents, there is a clear winner in the movie version of Mamma Mia: the picturesque Greek island of Skopelos where the film was shot.

For the uninitiated, the completely bonkers 'plot' links together a whole series of Abba hits and tells the tale of Donna (Meryl Streep) who runs a hotel on a Greek island. Her daughter, Sophie, is about to marry and decides to invite her mother's 3 former boyfriends - anyone one of whom could be her father - to the wedding. The whole thing is utterly daft but very funny - mainly down to brilliant performances from Julie Walters and Christine Baranski (Donna's two best friends).

Meryl Streep's finest moment is her stirring rendition of 'The Winner Takes it All'. The shot that supports this song - at the foot of a steep path leading up to the hilltop chapel where the wedding is to take place - will surely do tourism to Skopelos more good than any advertising campaign. That, and the sparkling emerald seas are enough to make you jump on the next available flight...

For info see http://www.skopelosweb.gr/

Haunting Breaks

In our mission to provide an eclectic mix of holiday inspiration, our latest travelguru.tv outing took us this week to Ludlow in Shropshire for a Haunting Break. Our venue was the suitably atmospheric Feathers Hotel, a remarkable 17th century timber frame building positively oozing history from every beam. In the oldest part of the hotel, creaky floors, low beams, plenty of dark knooks and crannies, stained glass and tapestries build an atmosphere where you wouldn't be at all surprised to see someone float through a wall. Mercifully though, the newly refurbished (and very impressive) rooms are more condusive to a good night's sleep.


Ludlow itself is a gorgeous market town and on a glorious July afternoon it was looking very fine indeed. Complete with castle, a splendid Parish Church and over 500 listed buildings, not to mention a number of exceptionally good restaurants, delis and cafes its the kind of place where you could easily lose a few days. In typical travelguru fashion though, we of course had no time to linger - we had to get on with the serious business of filming an evening exploring the paranormal.

I'll admit to being slightly apprehensive about this particular filming assignment - I would put myself in the sceptics camp but there is no question that some things just cannot be explained.

To my relief though, this was less about running around in the dark looking for ghosts and more about learning about the different techniques that can be used to establish energy fields - dowsing for example. You'll have to watch the video to see what went on but, suffice to say, it was an evening full of surprises!

Notes from...Sardinia

Just back from our latest travelguru.tv shoot in Sardinia and, for once, we managed a complete 5 days with no weather issues - clear blue skies and perfect heat. June really is a beautiful month in the Med.

Concentrating on the north of the island, we started out in Alghero then drove across to check out an inland rural hotel (Su Gologone) and finally headed up to the jet set playground that is the Costa Smeralda. Renaldo was in town apparently and there was much discussion as to whether the very swanky Hamliton II yacht docked in Porto Cervo belonged to Lewis.

Sadly we had no celebrity encounters but the whole team, including travelguru Paul Gogarty, were very impressed with the island - so much so that all of us plan to revisit for personal holiday. Its hard not to be seduced by the stunning coastline, crystal clear water and sublime food. What I really loved though was the individuality of all the hotels - no high rises here - each has been carefully planned to blend in with environment and make the most of some truly outstanding settings. Our tour operator partner, Just Sardinia, know the island inside out and have a great selection of properties.

The results of our filming will be up on the site within the next month but in the meantime if you happen to be heading Alghero way - top tip - plan a lunch in the Old Town at the Osteria Macchiavelo. Grab a table outside in the shade with a lovely sea view and try the local speciality spaghetti with lobster - bliss!