Luxury Travel
Early one bright and sunny morning in May, we packed up the bike and headed east. Our bike for this journey was the 2026 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST. Born from the sun-baked asphalt of the American West Coast, the Pan America ST represents a fascinating paradox: the seamless intersection of unyielding Milwaukee iron and genuine apex-hunting intent.
Ducks waddled passed the sash window, rabbits hopped across the lawn, whilst bees and butterflies traded places on the heads of flowering plants. In the far distance the dramatic Great Glen High Route, climbed steeply through ancient forests to open moorland, beckoning us towards them.
Arrival in Poreč: Bentleys, Marble and a Very Good First Impression
There is a particular moment on any holiday when you know, with total certainty, that you are going to be fine. Mine came approximately eleven seconds after arriving at the Pical Resort, Valamar Collection in Poreč, when I clocked a Bentley Continental GT, a Ferrari and a Lamborghini Urus parked outside the entrance like a pair of expensive bookends. This, I thought, is no ordinary family resort. Quelle surprise.
The queue for LeShuttle's Flexiplus lounge told its own story. McLarens, Ferraris, Lamborghinis — you name them, they were there, idling politely in line like schoolboys waiting for the tuck shop to open, their owners doing that studied nonchalance that only a man leaning against half a million pounds of carbon fibre can attempt.
The early afternoon sunshine is streaming through my wide-open window. There’s a gentle breeze carrying with it the chitter-chatter from the terrace down below. I’m curled up on my sun-kissed armchair, a book in one hand, and a glass of chilled rosé in the other. No children demanding snacks, my to-do list firmly cast to the back of my mind. This moment is my definition of perfection.
There is a precise moment, mid-manoeuvre in a strong crosswind on the surface of the Indian Ocean, when you understand exactly how a seaplane docks. It does not glide in serenely like a swan. It fights. Our pilot had the throttles open, one engine forward, the other thrown into reverse, the whole aircraft pivoting against the wind while we ran the length of a neighbouring island that was not even our destination.
It could be straight out of Jane Austen novel – the winding treelined drive, the crunch of gravel under foot as one navigates the carriage circle in front of a stately façade. The architecture blends 17th century Jacobean and Victorian Gothic features of red brickwork, octagonal turrets and finished-off by a duo of mythical stone griffons perched on the roof.
I had some unfinished business in Obergurgl-Hochgurgl; the last time I had skied at this very resort was in November 2024 during the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup Race, where the likes of Mikaela Shiffrin and Dave Ryding were competing on the Kirchenkar race slope. At that time, seated upon a chair lift, Dominik my ski-instructor had pointed his ski-stick towards ‘Top Mountain Star’ and said your goal is to ski down from there.
Stepping-out from London Bridge, I crossed the River Thames, admiring London’s defining landmarks ‘Tower Bridge’ and ‘The Tower of London’, alongside several medal waving participants who had - 48-hours earlier – completed the London Marathon and, obviously, decided to stay on in the capital. Just five minutes later, I was stood in front of ‘Onefifty Fenchurch Street', a brand new luxury aparthotel.
British travellers often overlook the Belgian coastline in favour of the medieval centres of Bruges or Ghent nearby. This is a habitual oversight. While the inland cities offer history and canals, the westernmost point of the country provides an environment defined by expansive natural spaces and a specific history. De Panne sits directly on the border with France. It is the location where King Leopold I first entered the country in 1831 to claim the Belgian throne.
