Let your love of literature inspire you for the next holiday! You never know, it might just inspire you to write a bestseller...
DISCOVER THE FLORA AND FAUNA LIKE GERALD DURRELL
Northeast Corfu is synonymous with the Durrells, with its pretty coves, coastline and hillsides where Gerald (author of best-selling My Family And Other Animals) explored and discovered the Corfiot flora and fauna he was so passionate about. You can still visit the White House where the family lived for many years and swim in Kalami Bay where Gerald’s mother, Louisa, (played by Keeley Hawes in the TV show) used to swim and sunbathe on the rocks. Simpson Travel has a great choice of villas on the island including Kalami Bay House villa, nestled among Kalami and Kouloura bays. Seven nights costs from £848 per person including flights and car hire, based on four sharing. simpsontravel.com
CELEBRATE JANE AUSTEN
Jane Austen was one of Hampshire’s best-loved daughters. The house in Chawton where she wrote and published all six of her novels, will celebrate 75 years as a museum this year before the country marks the 250th anniversary of her birth in 2025. Visitors can explore the sunny drawing room where she read Pride And Prejudice aloud to a neighbour on the very day she received her first copy. Visit Alton during the Jane Austen Regency Week Festival from 22-30 June for the full experience, or head to Steventon where she was born, Southampton, where she lived between 1806 and 1809 and Winchester where she was laid to rest in 1817 at the age of 41. Stay at Upper Neatham Mill Farm (upperneatham.co.uk) just two miles from Chawton or The Old Vine (oldvinewinchester.com) in Winchester. For info, go to visit-hampshire.co.uk
STEP IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE BRONTES
If you’re a fan of Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey or any of the Bronte sisters’ literary masterpieces, follow in their footsteps with Ramble Worldwide’s four-night tour combining Blue Badge guided visits to Haworth where they lived in the parsonage, and the Yorkshire market town of Skipton. See the rugged moors and take a walk to the Bronte Falls and Bronte Bridge. From £695 per person including half-board accommodation and guiding. rambleworldwide.co.uk
