Daughter: “Come to Italy!” Me: “Can’t face another airport”

I’m at the start of 10 precious days off in Portugal, having been a passenger or pilot on 26 flights in the past 6 weeks. Not wanting to exaggerate, I check my logbook…….it’s 28; I have a valid point.

Daughter: “Won’t be working, so we can explore together!” Me: “I’m on the next flight!”

So it was that I found myself on yet another flight, landing late in Pisa – my decades of roster changes, standby duties and the occasional downroute delay or diversion having instilled in me an ability to be flexible and adapt to whatever life throws at me. Added to that, now that my children have flown the nest, time spent with them is so precious and special; in reality I knew that from first moment there really was no choice……I was spending my holiday in Italy!

The train wasn’t until lunchtime, giving me a good opportunity to check out Pisa – obviously on my new-found favourite mode of travel, the electric scooter. Having visited this city 15 years ago, I had some idea of what to expect, but somehow that Tower seemed to have developed even more of a lean. I succumbed to the obligatory photo attempt; some tourists were so inventive, pretending they were leaning against, kicking or kissing it and the selfie-stick sellers were doing a roaring trade to facilitate this.

People flock to Pisa because of this Tower that is so far off the vertical, it makes your head swim and I wonder if there would be the same level of interest if the designer had built its foundations more carefully. It’s a fortunate oversight that has boosted this beautiful city’s fortunes, but I’m not sure if the sightseers appreciate the intricate cathedral next to it, the small streets full of bustle and the many bridges crossing the wide river. Certainly, my only memory from 15 years earlier is of the Tower and I have a revelation; I am now a different kind of tourist and see the world through different eyes. I travel differently and appreciate different things……and I am happy about this! Now when I look back at this visit to Pisa, I will remember the coffee on the cobbled street watching a horse carriage go by, the colours of the buildings beside the river and, of course, all those tourists contorting themselves to catch the perfect photo with the famous Leaning Tower! It’s a special moment as I take in just how much travel helps you to grow and transform, learning about yourself as you learn about the world.

Train travel in Italy is another revelation; cheap, clean, double-decker trains with charging sockets (21st century essential – come on Britain!). Running north, with incredible mountains views on the right and sea to the left, I change in La Spezia and head towards Cinque Terre (chang-kwa-terra – that pronunciation took me a week to master). Why have I never heard of this area before? It’s a UNESCO heritage sight and Americans are all over it, but it seems to have passed me by. The area is made up of five fishing villages, nestling between mountains and sea that over the years have grown upwards, apparently each generation adding another storey to their dwelling. Imagine this with red roofs and burnt orange walls, tiny winding paths between them and a mountainous backdrop; sometimes, only a photo will do……

My daughter is halfway through University and discovered that working on a Superyacht for the summer is an excellent way to combine the need to earn money to improve next year’s student experience along with seeing beautiful places and meeting interesting people (the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree?!). She has a few days off and it’s simply magical to be able to spend them with her exploring this very special place together.

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The best way to experience this place was from the sea, as you could really get a feel for the five villages; not only that, our boat trip with a hilarious local was fantastic fun with such lovely people that we went on to have lunch together afterwards. More benefits of travel – meeting fascinating people from around the world!

The other way we enjoyed experiencing this unique village was with our tastebuds; we’re in Italy so it’s simply not possible to have a bad meal, but the restaurants in this town took our love of Italian food to a whole new level. Spaghettoni (thick, chunky spaghetti – if it had been skinny delicate strands, then it would have been spaghettini…..I find myself becoming enchanted by their language too), cooked to al dente perfection, creamy risotto with tiny cubes of tuna tartare and perfect, minute parcels of food from the chef between courses to titillate the taste buds. Salivating yet?!

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One word of warning about visiting Cinque Terre (if you’re like me, you’ll still be saying sank tear at this point 🤦‍♀️……how much prettier the Italians make words sound!). STEPS! Endless steps up and down, as wherever you go in the village, it will always be above or below you and involve a short stairmaster workout. That’s not entirely true – the steps can be avoided in the lift; yes, the village is on such a steep hill that this is an essential! Whilst hiking between two of the villages (not hiking really, more like stepping – it was 600 of them from the train station just to reach the first village!), I saw how provisions are brought up to the bars and restaurants using what looked like an adapted lawnmower and it made that Aperol Spritz taste all the more delicious that night! 🍹

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My daughter returns to work and I take the train south for a couple of hours to Tuscany to check in for a 4 day yoga retreat; a totally perfect way in which to spend the second half of my holiday and the ideal antidote to all those long days spent in airports or on aeroplanes recently. Picked up from the train station and immediately whisked straight to a vast expanse of private beach demonstrated that this yoga teacher, Lorenza, had a similar love for nature and the outdoors as me; this was going to be a very unique and special experience.

Our first lunch under the beach pine trees consisted of Naples Mozarella, Tuscan tomatoes and focaccia all from the local Farmers’ Market. Truly delicious, although now that I have tasted real mozarella, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to enjoy the packaged fakes from the supermarket ever again! Falling asleep in the hammock after lunch whilst listening to the sounds of the waves was blissful…..

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Lorenza opens her stunning Tuscan home for yoga retreats just a few times each summer, so I was extraordinarily fortunate that my unexpected holiday happened to fit in with one of these times. Staying in her home, practicing yoga in her garden and enjoying long, lazy dinners with the other two interesting guests was just so enjoyable, calming and restorative. And I discovered another love of Italy; the Tuscan interior style is so understated, eclectic and rustic which creates an atmosphere of tranquil relaxation, immediately making you feel so at home.

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Being a sporadic yoga enthusiast over the years, it was a joy to practice both morning and evening and I could feel the tension melt away. Different areas of the garden were used for our sessions and one took place under a huge pine tree on the beach, all with the sound of the cicada beetles and the leaves rustling in the olive trees.

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Before you think that this was a completely pure and healthy experience (my son even joked that it would be a silent retreat…..he knew I wouldn’t last long on that one!), sunset cocktails on the beach were an appreciated reward for our efforts on the mat.

And it wasn’t just yoga – there was hiking to a hidden beach, lazing by the pool and exploring by bike the Tuscan hills and the quaint, narrow streets of Tuscan villages that have yet to be discovered by the tourists.

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All in all, my retreat experience was wonderful and has genuinely given me that feeling of “reset” that felt so necessary after a period of hard work. Without doubt, this will be something that I will look to do again, hopefully at the same place and maybe even with the same people. Lorenza mentioned that she also runs yoga and skiing retreats – now there’s a thought……

Sometimes in life, an unexpected event and a spontaneous decision can result in the most amazing of experiences and that was definitely the case this time. How fortunate am I to have a daughter who invites me to join her on an adventure, an ability to source cheap airline tickets and a healthy body that still allows me to practice yoga twice a day. During yoga, the mind is also exercised and, although I’m yet to master the art of meditation, I regularly acknowledge all that I have to feel grateful for in this life. This week, I am overwhelmed with gratitude towards my daughter, Lorenza and to this creaking old body that is slowly beginning to respond to a more gentle form of exercise. Namaste!