In the Pinar Del Rio region, I stayed at a huge guava ranch in the most fabulous location on the banks of a very large lake. About 200 horses, wildlife and lots of beautiful birds, flora and fauna. A backdrop of mountains and pine forests where we rode on horseback. The housekeeper/cook at the ranch, Maria Antonia, was one of the best cooks in Cuba and we had delicious food. Alligator was particularly delicious ! The surroundings are extraordinary; Jurassic limestone hills, caves and pine forests alongside palm trees. Hardly any traffic with very few cars anywhere and instead there were lots of bullock carts and horse-drawn carts. About one hour’s drive away are some fantastic beaches, and the drive is through the most spectacular scenery. It was also in this region that I had my first experience of swimming in caves.

The hotel in Havana where I stayed was an old and very traditional Havana building. It was very comfortable, full of character and had masses of charm. I was in the old city with everything on my doorstep; the museums, galleries, churches, shops and all the sights of the city. Havana is a fascinating place, bustling and busy, but incredibly romantic and charming. The architecture is amazing with a massive restoration programme underway. The Cubans are lovely people and many are highly educated, cultured and they love foreign visitors. Life is so different in Cuba which is of course what makes it so exciting and so fascinating. Allowances have to be made in all sorts of areas, but this doesn’t seem to matter in the larger scheme of things, and a visit to this beautiful country with its delightful people is a very special adventure.

Mooring the tender to a bush we set off swimming with snorkels and fins through a narrow channel, keeping our movements to a minimum to avoid stirring up the silt on the sea-bed. In single file we swam for some time through what became a tunnel of mangrove bushes all around and above us, deep into the heart of the mangroves. Suddenly we came to a clearing and found ourselves in a large deep pool open to the sky – the Healing Hole. Treading water we raised our heads out of the water to find a strong smell of sulphur and millions of mosquitoes ! We very quickly decided that whatever healing we had found would have to be enough and set off back to the open ocean and away from the mosquitoes. The mangroves are one of the most important elements of the marine eco-system and I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to experience swimming amongst them and to learn more about these amazing plants.

VILLA HERMES - Mykonos

This villas as all the luxuries you come to expect from a villa locted only 400 metres from Ftelia Beach and bay. It is a unique property that comes with full service and a fantastic swimming pool. It has 5 bedrooms and can accommodate 10 people. 4 of the 5 bedrooms are self contained suites, which offers you the privacy of your own villa, with excellent communal areas.

More information on Villa Hermes in Mykonos here.

MARIA’S VILLA - Antiparos

This amazing villa located only 3 minutes walk from Soros Bay is a luxurious 5 bedroom (all en-suite) property. The villa can accommodate up to 11 people and has a stunning swimming pool set in a large terrace that overlooks the sea to the island of Paros.

More information on Maria’s Villa in Anitparos here.

ELOUNDA GULF ROYAL VILLA - Crete

Elounda Gulf Royal Villa overlooks Mirabello Bay in Crete. This spectacular property has a private pool, gym and 4 ensuite bedrooms. This villa is an excellent example of what the very best of Greece has to offer.

It is located on the same site as the Elounda Gulf Villas with the added bonus of the occupants being able to make use of all the facilities that the Elounda Gulf Villas complex has to offer.

More information on the Elounda Gulf Royal Villa here.

VILLA ODOS - Mykonos

Staying at the Villa Odos will feel like you are on top of the world. The magnificent views over the sea, Aegean islands including Ancient Delos, Paros and part of Mykonos town will leave you breathless each morning you wake up to its splendour. Villa Odos is an exclusive 4 bedroom villa located at the top of the Apollo Resort and guests staying here can enjoy all of the benefits of the resort including the gym, restuarants, beach bars and 24 hour room service.

More information on Villa Odos in Mykonos here.

Greek baklava

INGREDIENTS
Filling

• 500 gr. walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 60 gr. sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pastry

• 500 gr. fyllo pastry
• 180 gr. unsalted butter, melted

Syrup

• 230 gr. caster sugar
• 300 ml water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• some lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons honey

METHOD

Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl.

Liberally butter the base and sides of an elongated or round baking dish. Measure the length of the fyllo against the baking dish roughly and, allowing 2 cm extra approximately for shrinkage, cut to length with a sharp knife. Brush each layer of fyllo with melted butter and spread over the base of the container as evenly as possible. Once you have used 5 layers of pastry, sprinkle a thin layer of filling all over the surface and add 3 more layers. Sprinkle a thin layer of filling and place 2 more sheets of fyllo on top. Sprinkle on all the remaining filling, spreading it evenly, and cover with 7-8 more layers of fyllo, brushing individually with butter. Fold any excess pastry on either of the sides over the filling and brush it with butter. Brush the top layer liberally with butter in order to get it crisp and golden. Trim any excess pastry with a small sharp knife, keeping in mind that it will also shrink. Cut the top layers of fyllo carefully, either diagonally into diamond shapes or straight, which will result in square or elongated pieces. Be careful not to cut right down to the base, but only the top layers. This is done in order to make cutting and lifting the pieces out, once it is cooked, much easier and efficient. Using the tips of four fingers, sprinkle drops of water all over the surface and cook it in a preheated oven, gas no.5/ 375 grades F / 190 grades C, for 15 minutes; lower the heat to gas no.4/ 350 grades F/ l80 grades C and cook for a further 20 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the syrup. Place all the syrup ingredients, apart from the honey, in a saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, add the honey and simmer for a further 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Let the baklava cool down then pour the hot but not boiling syrup slowly all over, through a strainer. Let it stand and absorb the syrup.

Tzatziki - Yoghurt Dip

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 kilo strained yoghurt
• 1 cucumber
• 4 garlic cloves (more makes it with stronger taste)
• salt
• oil
• vinegar

METHOD

Grate the garlic and mix it with salt and vinegar. Peel the cucumber, grate it and squeeze it until all its water is removed. Put the yoghurt into a bowl and add the cucumber into it. Then mix the yoghurt with the mixture of grated garlic. Whiz the content until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add some oil. Yoghurt dip can be served in a normal temparature but it is rather prefered cold.

Humus - Chickpea dip

INGREDIENTS

• 200 gr chickpeas
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 spoons olive oil
• 3 tspn tahine (sesame paste dip)
• 1 tspn salt
• 1/2 tspn pepper
• parsley, finely chopped
• 3 spoons water
• 5 spoons fresh lemon juice
• Paprika (optional)

METHOD

Soak the chickpeas in water for at least 12 hours. Boil them until they become tender and then drain them. Let them cool. Use a bowl to dissolve the tahine in the water. Place the chickpeas in a blender and while mixing add the salt, pepper, the tahine, olive oil, garlic and the lemon juice. Continue mixing until mixture become creamy in texture. Serve cold and garnish with parsley. Add paprika optionaly.

Stone house in Serifos

Villa Kiki in Skopelos

Villa Finikas in Syros

Villa Evangelini in Syros

Villa Manto in Antiparos