In our latest episode, Editor-in-Chief India Dowley and Content Editor Fleur Rollet-Manus share the destinations they can’t wait to visit as and when travel restrictions lift. This one is filled with recommendations, so you’ll want to grab a pen. We’ve enlisted Marie-Louise Sciò – aka the queen of where to see and be seen in Italy – to share with us her top tips for a Mediterranean summer jaunt, including a pocket of Tuscany that few know exists.
Summer 2020 might not be what you hoped for, but we’re here to salvage what’s left of it. The travel industry was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, so we’re spotlighting the destinations we’re keen to help get back on their feet as and when travel restrictions allow. Rattling through a whole host of recommendations for this (or next) year’s summer jaunts, we lift the lid on our treasured European hotspots and dive into the reasons why we’re returning to these nostalgic destinations.
We also catch up with Marie-Louise Sciò, CEO and Creative Director of the Pellicano Hotels and founder of Issimo – a new digital platform created for Italophiles. She’s spent countless summers at her family’s cult hotel, Il Pellicano, so she knows what’s what when it comes to getting a taste of la dolce vita and finding those lesser-trodden corners of Tuscany. Grab a pen; her recommendations are second to none.
We’d love to know where you’re going next and how you think the travel landscape might change as lockdown restrictions ease. Send your voice notes to fleur@suitcasemag.com or drop us a DM on Instagram @indiadowley and @fleur_rm. For a daily dose of travel inspiration, check in with us at suitcasemag.com.
Links and notes from the episode
Fleur’s service-stop recommendation if you’re road-tripping from Calais to Provence:
Take a detour and stop off at Arras. Have a lunch-break baguette at boulangerie-pâtisserie Cori Nadège et Laurent.
In Menton:
Try and grab a table at Mirazur.
If not, Le Petit Port is always worth a visit.
Bed down at Airelles Gordes, La Bastide
India’s Italian hotel recommendations:
Le Sirenuse (of course).
And the Amalfi’s darling, Monastero Santa Rosa.
The hotel in Poland Fleur was waxing on about?
Galery69 – trust us, go now.
Marie-Louise Sciò’s Italian recommendations
A truly tuscan road trip, visit:
Capalbio
Pescia Romana
Maremma
… and Bolgheri for wine
Here are the Tuscan islands she recommends: Giannutri, Giglio, Capraia, Montecristo and Populonia (where the deer are).
And her favourite place in Tuscany to eat:
And in Rome:
Her guide to Ischia:
Nitrodi thermal baths
La Scarrupata for lunch (you can only get there by boat) restaurant
Casamicciola Terme in the northern part of Ischia
Craving a bit of digital dolce vita?
Check out her new venture Issimo.
Find the SUITCASE team’s favourite hotels that they can’t wait to return to here.
In need of some summer escapism? Check out these articles:
https://suitcasemag.com/articles/SUITCASE-team-travels-post-lockdown
https://suitcasemag.com/articles/Enneagram-Type-Summer-Destinations
https://suitcasemag.com/articles/european-summer-holiday-destinations
https://suitcasemag.com/articles/destinations-making-comeback