So, what do you do with the new Ferrari Purosangue, starting at £312,845? How about getting six of them and tearing around the southwest of France? A luxury tour from Biarritz to Bordeaux with friends, stopping at some of the finest hotels and vineyards along the way.
Gleefully, I hopped on a flight to Bilbao and was chauffeured over to Biarritz, arriving in the late afternoon.
We took the Ferrari Purosangue on a thrilling tour through Somerset and Bath for our review, staying at the delightful Bailbrook House Hotel in Bath for an unforgettable sejour.
The Ferrari Purosangue is an 80s rally car with four doors and four seats, featuring the latest racing suspension plus a V12 monster of an engine and high ground clearance.
Are you having trouble sleeping? According to the University of Bristol, 20% of Brits sleep poorly. Even more concerning, a recent 2022 survey by HNI revealed that 74% of adults reported a decline in sleep quality over the past year.
The Maslina Resort on the lavender-strewn island of Hvar in Croatia might be able to help.
The Idyllic Isle of Bequia
What divine inspiration dreamt up the island of Bequia?
Pronounced ‘Bekwey’ this 7-mile stretch means ‘island of the clouds’ in ancient Arawak. It’s one of 32 islands that make up St Vincent and The Grenadines. Home originally to a small group of Caribs, the French and later the Brits then presided. Bequia developed less from sugar as from sea-island cotton and indigo, from boat building (especially schooners), whaling and merchant seamen.
What better way to test the Lexus RX500h F Sport than a trip to the fabulous Headland Hotel, a magnificent baroque 5-star folly perched on a cliff overlooking Fistral Beach down in Newquay, Cornwall? And the Lexus RX500h was the perfect touring companion, luxury first-class travel all the way.
The Porsche Taycan GTS Turismo is a four-door, four to five-seat electric estate that combines the best of both worlds, top-tier handling and space. A GTS label means it's going to be just a little bit special and sporty, but how good is the electric GTS really?
We took it up to Bath, then along the Sussex coast for a little paragliding session. All to see how it fared on long journeys, and whether we could learn to stop worrying about range and love an electric Porsche, to paraphrase Dr Strangelove.
Is embarking on a 1000-mile journey in a Lamborghini Huracán EVO Spyder a rational decision? Perhaps not, but after the first 500 miles, you begin to understand how this machine behaves, and you seamlessly become one with it. A harmonious fusion of man and machine occurs, resulting in a driving experience that approaches perfection.
As you might expect, this time of year is pretty busy for all drink writers, and I for one have a desk of samples to taste through. This seems to pale into insignicance though compared to the sheer amount of Whisky Cask investment firms adverts I am being fed on social media. I urge you to avoid these and the promises of great returns unless you have specialist expertise. It is not regulated, casks are often vastly overpriced and you may not even own the cask you think you have bought. Buyer beware.
On to this editions tastings:-
Audi, In a stroke of creative genius that amply demonstrates their spirit of adventure, sponsored the 2023 Queens Cup Balloon Race.
Definitely one of the most exciting and thrilling races I have ever covered. Imagine a fusion of rally car driving, classic yacht racing, Georgian airships and three-dimensional chess and you have a rough idea of the Queens Cup Balloon Race. Now throw in a massive sprinkling of great British eccentricity and a dash of those magnificent men in their flying machines and you're there.
