The surprising country still on Joanna Lumley’s bucket list
As a travel editor, I’m seriously impressed by the number of stamps Dame Joanna Lumley must have in her passport. Not only has she travelled the world’s Spice Trail, taken a trip on the Trans-Siberian Express and explored the River Nile, Japan and Haiti, she’s explored capitals such as Paris, Rome and Berlin for her Great Cities Of The World series.
Now, in Jewels Of The Med on Channel 5, which Joanna narrates, we hear her talk about some of the region’s most spectacular islands and coastlines. As she says:
“What I love most about doing travel programmes, whether I’m actually travelling there or speaking about them, is the sense of escapism. All my life, I’ve longed to tie a red spotted hanky on a stick with just a few possessions and set off across the globe. The world is full of stunning, thrilling and unexpected things.”
But while her travel shows have taken her around the world, there are still a few stamps in her passport she’d like to get. “Strangely, I haven’t visited any of the Balearic Islands. I’ve been to Sicily, Corfu and Malta, but overall I’ve been to precious few islands. Now I’ve narrated this series about them, I can’t wait to go!” she said.
And when Joanna was asked what other Mediterranean countries she’d like to visit but hadn’t got to yet, she said:
“Lots! I’ve visited Croatia, Albania, Greece and Turkey on the Adriatic coastline, but I haven’t been to Montenegro. Years ago, I made a plan with my husband to drive the coast of the Mediterranean, starting off at Gibraltar, circling northwards up through south Portugal, Spain, then around to France. We worked out it would take around 15 years to do and we’d be very old and unbelievably poor by the time we finished, so we stopped. But it’s an infinitely fascinating area because of its history.”
Jewels Of The Med covers much of this area, starting in Mallorca, where Joanna talks about one of the islands’ biggest festivals, the Fisherman’s Fiesta in Port d’Andratx. The 14-part series goes on to cover Menorca, Croatia, Corsica, Sardinia, Cyprus, Sicily, Capri, Ibiza and Corfu, which is one of Joanna’s favourite episodes.
“It has this great Venetian and British history. In the centre of Corfu Town, they play cricket and if you hit a six too hard, it smashes the window of a parked car! The island seems to offer something for everybody – you can go quietly along the coast and see the Durrells’ house with its feet lapping on the water, or you can party the night away on some of the great beaches in the north,” she says.
One of the other things Joanna loves about the Med is its food. “I like the slightly Middle Eastern flavours and ingredients that creep in, as well as the Italian and Spanish food elements that are there, too. I’ve always loved a bit of an old raisin, or an old nut cooked in something, so I pretty much love anything that incorporates those. I have to say, what’s made my mouth water are these little tarts that look like cheesecakes but have spearmint leaves in them. I usually say ‘don’t try this at home’, but I’m telling you now, DO try those at home! I urge people to get that stick out with the spotted hanky and start travelling!” I couldn’t agree more.
Watch Jewels Of The Med on Thursdays at 8pm on Channel 5. The series is also available on My5
Good Housekeeping Holidays has an eight-day, small-group tour of Montenegro, one of the smallest countries in Europe, which includes the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kotor, Lovćen National Park, the Old Town of Budva, Morača Monastery and the small island town of Sveti Stefan, one of the country’s most famous landmarks. You’ll also visit the Tara River Canyon, Durmitor National Park, Piva Canyon and the fabled Black Lake.
You can also explore the magic of the Durrells’ Corfu with naturalist Lee Durrell on Good Housekeeping Holiday’s five-day tour.
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