I specialise in France and Italy and have been working as a Trafalgar Travel Director for eight years.
What I love the most about my job is being able to tell people about the places and things I am most passionate about and actually taking them there so they can experience it first-hand. I get to be their ‘inside man’ to destinations I call home.
I love surprising my guests with Hidden Treasures and one of my favourites is meeting with a local lady named Madame Therese at the Nice open air market. She makes the most amazing traditional ‘Socca’ dish – rather like a pizza base with cheese and caramelised onions on top, yum! Something only locals would know about!
Along with travelling the world for my job, I also have unforgettable experiences. On one occasion our coach was blocked in a tiny village on the Italian Amalfi Coast as someone had parked illegally. The offending Fiat 500 was so small and light that along with six Trafalgar guests we picked it up and simply carried it out of the way! Worth it for the round of applause we got from the other guests.
My top travel recommendations are:
- Take the perfect photo in front of The Eiffel Tower sparkling, on the hour, after nightfall. You have to catch it quickly though because it only sparkles for five minutes.
- Visit Florence’s San Lorenzo open air market when shopping for leather.
- Best book to read while on holidays is Around the World in 80 Days’ by Michael Palin.
- Try something new in every country that you visit.
- Dine at Frenchie’s, Rue Du Nil, Paris. The French chef worked with Jamie Oliver, and his nickname became that of the restaurant.
- When in France always smile and say bonjour as it will open more doors than you can possibly imagine.
People don’t want to be herded from pillar to post. At Trafalgar, we want our guests to not only see the special places we know, but actually experience them.
Jonathan Holburn Travel Director