Sitting down to write this, I’m ashamed to admit, I feel slightly torn. Because La Mirande is like nowhere else I’ve ever had the good fortune to stay. And a big part of me wants to keep it as my little secret, my little escape, a place almost too good to share. Like an enormous warm chocolate fondant, lathered in fresh cream, ‘one spoon only, please’. But despite such selfish temptations, I can’t deprive you of what I have absolute conviction will be one of your favourite stays anywhere, ever.

You’re looking to buy your first ‘proper’ watch, a timepiece that can take you from work to work-out, casual evening in to serious dinner date out; a watch that can do it all. Your first mechanical watch should be the Essence Automatic Chronometer from Formex Swiss Watches; and here’s why …

We like the new custom superyacht from Royal Huisman, PURA. The clean futuristic lines are impressive, whether you pick a more classic look for the exterior cabin or the more high tech metal finish. You can also bespoke the interior completely to your tastes. The superyacht offers you a core package that you then customise to your hearts content, inside and out, with excellent performance and the latest technology right from the start.

Sometimes you wonder why on earth a hotel chose its name. Or what they were inspired by. Or who thought of it in the first place. And this is exactly what I put to the manager of Parenthèse Concept Room – a gem of a secret hideaway in the divinely terracotta city of Toulouse. “Parenthèses is the French word for brackets,” explains Jean-François. The perfect name for this boutique apartment, so it would seem. “It’s a secret place where time is suspended,” he told me. “When you stay here it’s as though you put your life in brackets, you put everything else on hold.

When I first got my hands on the Ford Mustang 5.01 V8 GT Convertible 10SP Automatic in Triple Yellow I took it round the track at Millbrook to see how it performed in test conditions. It was impressive on the bowl track, comfortable, steady and very powerful. It was less impressive on the hill track, but it’s not built to tear up and down shoddy roads with inverse cambers and blind hill crescents. In real life conditions it is wonderful. The Mustang, as its name indicates, is bred for the wide open spaces and long roads, ideal for cruising in consummate style.

Set in the province of Salzburgerland are a number of wonderful tranquil lakes so pure that the water is drinkable. I came to Fuschl and her lake called Fuschlsee. From its different angles I sensed the lake’s different character and characters. At night the very few lights emphasised just how underpopulated the shoreline is.

One of the classic races in solo ocean sailing – is set for a record entry this year as it celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Charting a 3,542-nautical mile course from Saint-Malo in Brittany to Point-à-Pitre on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, the Route du Rhum was first held in 1978 and has since established itself as one of the big targets for the world’s top solo ocean racers.

The Corum Admiral 45 Skeleton watch divides opinion, the quality of the movement is there for all to see but the design is more challenging for the more conservative watch collector. This piece has gumption, it is daring both in its architectural overtones, its use of materials and colours. If you are looking for something to break the status quo, Corum are taking the right risks, whilst backing it up with reputable quality and a solid brand history. This is a watch that will make people curious as to the timepiece on your arm!