I don’t know what my year will bring, either personally or professionally. But I embark on the 24th year of The Moodie Davitt Report with hope in my heart, clarity in my vision and determination to make a difference in anything I and we do.
Quirky
Mundo Fantástico da Sardinha Portuguesa – where “the sardine is queen”
I ended up buying two more tins, each bearing the birth years (most definitely not to be revealed but clearly I knew what was on their Christmas fish-lists) of my wife Yulim and The Moodie Davitt Report Publisher Irene Revilla
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Airports
Discovering a show-stopping Spanish brandy at Alicante Duty Free
A nightcap was called for, Torres 15 Reserva Privada Imperial Brandy to be precise. But could I open the unusually shaped top? It looked like a simple enough exercise but the only thing that was simple was my bafflement. Without giving the game away, the technique is what Bob Dylan might call A Simple Twist-off Feat.
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People
Discovering Nomad’s land and bumping into an old friend in Alicante
When I spied him at the British Airways desk, I noticed Peter was checking in his golf clubs. “What did you need those for?” I asked, a fair question, I thought, given I had played golf with Peter on a couple of occasions at the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup.
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Airports
Flying Kiwi meets Travelling Omelette with a drop of Penderyn in between
My palate might not have been best attuned to sipping whisky at that hour of the morn but a combination of the TREX status, the renowned quality of Penderyn and Lee’s persuasiveness overcame my admittedly feeble resistance.
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Travel
Bidding a fond and perhaps final farewell to my Whānau and my homeland
So good is the wine and food combo that I’ve almost forgotten last night’s catastrophic rugby result. I said almost.
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Travel
Nau mai, haere mai – welcome to the Land of the Long White Cloud
Over some succulent oysters and a pan-fried snapper so fresh it was practically flapping on the plate, washed down with fine Man O’ War Estate Chardonnay from the island and back-lit by a sublime beach, sea and sky view, it was an unforgettable moment in time.
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Events
Of Wipha, woes and postponed Wonders
At least I was better off than a fellow passenger, a mother travelling with several family members. “How many bags are you missing Ma’am?” “Eleven.”
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Travel
FAB moments in Barcelona, mashie Ps in Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais (Welsh for ‘vale of the river Cynlais’) is easier to find (at the northeastern end of the Swansea Valley ) than it is to pronounce. But after a good dram or two of the outstanding local whisky Penderyn, I’ve just about got the hang of it.
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Airports
Discovering colour, compassion and inclusion at Kempegowda Airport
If Bengaluru Duty Free is the airport world’s best arrivals duty-free shop, this Mitti Café is surely its most special food & beverage outlet, ‘The Magic of Abilities’ writ large across the warmest smiles you could ever hope to encounter.
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Travel
On location for an Ever Riching experience in Taipei
Any requests? Something by The Moodie Blues, I suggest?
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Airports
Writing like an angel in Haikou and heading for the stars in Singapore
The calligrapher kindly asked me to choose a design of my choice. Admiring the bright orange hues and the lovely shape of the lettering, I made my choice. “What does it mean?” I asked. “It means ‘Write like an angel.”
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Events
From magical Mumbai through Colombo (though nearly Heathrow) to high octane Hainan
All of us in travel retail have had these moments of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Not only would a Heathrow transit mean 28 hours or so of flying plus transit time from Mumbai to Hong Kong, but I’d actually not be back in time for my subsequent flight to Hainan.