Julia Llewellyn |
|
Julia Llewellyn is the author of The Love Trainer, If I Were You and Amy's Honeymoon. As Julia Llewellyn Smith she writes regularly for The Sunday Telegraph, the Sunday Times and many other publications. Julia lives in London with her family.
Everyone needs a holiday and our authors are no different. Some have had scorching holidays and some quite frankly were too unsavoury to let you into. From dream holiday destinations and holiday horror stories to top holiday survival tips and summertime memories we’ve got the low-down and we’re willing to share…
What's your favourite summer memory?
Summers in Scotland at my grandmother’s house in the Borders, where my cousins and I tried to be the Famous Five (we called ourselves the Sherlock Four) and ran around the countryside with magnifying glasses solving precisely nothing, but having a blissful time. It probably rained continually but I remember nothing but blissful sunshine
And your dream holiday destination?
If I could go anywhere in the world it would be Antarctica. Perhaps not ideal in our summer, when it’s their winter – and even in their summer it would still be a bit nippier than I normally prefer, but it’s the one place on earth I still dream of seeing
Any top holiday survival tips you can pass onto our readers?
Remember boyfriends/husbands are for home, not for holidays. The best holidays in my experience are almost always with friends. Both sides behave better and are more willing to compromise, so there’s none of the: “I want to go shopping”/”I want to visit ancient monuments”, which tend to dog couples’ holidays
What do you always pack for summer hols?
A razor and six pairs of clean knickers and a book for each day I’m away. I hoover up books on holiday like peanuts in a dish at the bar.
Do you have any favourite places you like to go in the summer months?
I love Ibiza, not for the clubbing (I’ve shamefully never visited one of the clubs) but for the wildness of most of the coast. I’m the most cynical person on earth but even I start talking about good vibes and spirituality when I’m on that island. And when I start to bore myself you can quickly drive in to San Antonio to laugh at British people vomiting up kebabs.
What place in the world do you think everyone should visit at least once?
Everyone should visit South Africa. It’s the perfect combination of astonishing scenery, great food and wine and the most inspiring politics and history. Being shown around Robben Island by a former inmate has to be one of the most moving experiences imaginable, and so far, slowly, slowly, they seem to be making a go of things.
Had any holiday horror stories you can let us into?
I once went to Paris with Penny, a very beautiful friend from university. We were both students who’d saved for a few days away together. I wasn’t too happy to arrive at Heathrow and find her accompanied by a Frenchman called Rafael, whom she was working with at Café Rouge in Camberley and had invited along on the trip. He thought it would just be the two of them and was furious to find me there. I equally didn’t want to share Penny with him. Because we were so poor, we all ended up sharing a vile hotel room on the Left Bank, which Rafael was constantly trying to turf me out of, so he could get it on with Penny, who wasn’t remotely interested in him. The first night I barely slept because of the most terrible snoring and wanted to kill him. At breakfast I said something frosty about my sleepless night and Rafael said: ‘But it was you snoring, Julia! I haven’t slept either!’ Both gazes swivelled on to angel-faced Penny who was sipping coffee oblivious. After that Rafael and I got on a bit better, but we were still pretty unhappy having to share the holiday with each other.
What books will you be packing in your suitcase this summer?
Loads of books by Persephone who publish long-lost gems of women’s fiction, in other words chick-lit pre-roughly 1960. Every book I’ve read by them is a winner; I just finished The New House by Lettice Cooper (Jilly Cooper’s aunt by marriage), which I adored
Any events/festivals you are looking forward to this summer?
I was looking forward to Glastonbury, but annoyingly so was everyone else, and now I can’t get a ticket. It’s been the highlight of my summer (bar the rainy years, which were miserable) for far longer than I care to remember but this year I’ll have to content myself with watching it on BBC2, I guess.
It's a massive summer for sport - will Euro 2004 make you euphoric, will you be following the England Rugby team on their tour to the southern hemisphere or is Wimbledon more you thing? Or, does the idea of sport make you want to run away and hide?
I’m more excited than I care to admit about both Euro 2004 and the Olympics. I love the way the two events coincide, and as soon as they’re over start looking forward to the next year dividable by four. The only thing better is the World Cup and I’m thinking already about booking my tickets for South Africa – about time Africa was awarded it too.
