Back in late 2018 when I took a plane to Italy’s fashion capital, Milan, little did I realise that an event I attended among a host of top listed on the Borsa Italiana and some unquoted companies would prove key to a story I penned on an advertising debacle that one major Italian fashion house had unwittingly caused in China.
In 2009 PSA the parent company of Peugeot Citroen and now Vauxhall resurrected the DS name. They used it to denote certain models in the range as premium: for example the Citroen DS3 Citroen DS4 Crossback. It was always part of the Citroen range, then in 2015 PSA decided that they would make the DS a stand-alone luxury brand, a halo brand if you will.
On face value, the DS7 Crossback is just a large SUV. There are a lot of them about, 5 seats, nice interior, nothing particularly unusual or special.
I recently stumbled across Brugal 1888 Rum.
Brugal 1888 is a genuinely impressive rum. It is produced in the Dominican Republic and combines the rich flavours of bourbon and sherry casks through a double-aging process.
This double aging process means that 1888 is first matured in hand-picked ex-bourbon American oak casks, then in European oak, first-fill sherry casks. The bourbon is certainly recognisable, and in Brugals’ own words; “This blend of two worlds gives 1888 a complex yet balanced spirit that stimulates the senses and evolves in the glass.”
There is a moment, usually on the second morning, when guests at South Point stop making plans. The sea is right there. The light falls perfectly across Falmouth Harbour. A superyacht has materialised overnight and sits like a benevolent giant just off the jetty. The cocktails at Maia are, frankly, too good to rush. Jeff Hadeed, the hotel's managing partner, knows this moment well. He designed it.
The world's your oyster. Now perhaps the next best thing to a taste of Somerset in the West Country itself but without the hassle of a 120-mile drive down the road from London, could well prove to be a trip to Yeo Valley’s café in Queensway in west London. And, so with this in mind I trotted off to what was touted as the "first-ever" Somerset and Exmoor food and drink experience in the capital last week. Producers from the county were there aplenty.
Follow the Swiss; they know the best places to stay for a holiday and they do not have to go far; within sight of Mont Blanc is Conge in Italy’s Aosta Valley. They jointly account for the most visitors to this idyllic village of some 1,500 inhabitants.
Conge is just over 1,500 metres above sea level on a plateau at the confluence of four valleys. From our second hotel’s suite we could steal a glimpse of the snow covered summit of Mont Blanc between the mountains and from the other window; we had an uninterrupted view across the National Park to the Paradis glacier.
Volvo were kind enough to supply us with a Bursting Blue example of the new Volvo XC60 T8 Twin Engine AWD R-Design Pro.
Before we get too carried away, we have to warn you, this is a spoiler alert. The XC60 is magnificent.
This is probably one of the most technically advanced car we’ve driven but is also one the most complete, accomplished packages we’ve seen. All of the driver aides (we’ll come on to them later) and all of the very impressive technology that make the XC60 what it is, work seamlessly and in harmony with each other.
Lexus is to extend its LC flagship coupe range, confirming today that a dramatically styled open-top version of the car will go into production in the near future.
Visitors to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend will witness the world debut of an LC convertible prototype in action when it appears on the famous hill course. The new Lexus will take its place among some of the world’s most exclusive and prestigious cars at the world famous motoring celebration.
MarineMax, the USA’s largest recreational boat and yacht retailer, today announced that it has entered into an agreement for the acquisition of the Fraser Yachts Group from the Italian-based Azimut/Benetti Group. Fraser is consistently ranked as the leading superyacht brokerage and largest luxury yacht services company in the world. The transaction is expected to be accretive in its first full year.
As the only city in the world located on the border with three countries - Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary - Bratislava, the Slovak capital, is worth at least a weekend trip away. There are also some excellent things to see and do in ‘Little Big’ city. And, with Vienna around 40km away, it’s a perfect place for a getaway.
