A slice of Italy for one night only

Looking for an excuse to visit the delightful Central West NSW town of Orange over summer? 

Mayfield Vineyard will to host an‘Aperitivo Evening’ in the vineyard on Saturday, February 7.

The evening will feature wine, Italian specialties and live music. 

Inspired by Italy’s aperitivo tradition, the event is billed as being all about being with friends, sharing a few bites of Italian delights, and sipping a refreshing cocktail or a glass of wine while enjoying a long summer afternoon.

“We would like to recreate the chill and joyful Italian aperitivo,” says Mayfield brand manager Lisa Ioannitis. 

“It’s about coming out to the vineyard, grabbing a spritz or a glass of wine, listening to some live music, and enjoying good food as the sun goes down.”

The vent will see Mayfield wines paired with Italian cuisine from Pellegrini's restaurant, which has outlets in Orange, and Chatswood in Sydney.

Tickets include a spritz on arrival and a small plate of Italian food. 

Guests will then be able to purchase additional Mayfield wines and plates of Italian nibbles from Pellegrini’s. 

Expect dishes like eggplant caponata on crostini, grissini, flor di latte with cherry tomato and basil skewers, and whipped ricotta with lemon zest and herbs.

Transport is available from the Orange Visitor Centre to Mayfield for an additional charge of $25.

The event will run from 4.30pm to 8pm with tickets $65 per person, tickets available here.

 

British Airways masters the art of weasel words

British Airways appears to have mastered the art of weasel words.

The British flag carrier has always stood out from its rivals by offering two or three hot breakfast options on its Club Europe business class flights to leading European capitals.

No more.

And the removal of hot breakfasts is not a cutback, or a reduction. Instead, BA describes it as a "simplification".

As of January 7, BA will be "modifying" the breakfast service on many of its short flights within Europe for those lucky enough to be business class.

The airline currently offers two or three hot options but will instead simply have one option on select routes -a fruit plate, yogurt, and a heated pastry.

This policy will apply on flights to and from Amsterdam (AMS), Belfast (BHD), Brussels (BRU), Dublin (DUB), Jersey (JER), Manchester (MAN), Newcastle (NCL), and Paris (CDG). All other routes will continue to receive a full hot breakfast. For now.

British Airways says it is making this change in order for cabin crew to have “more time in the cabin with customers".

Which is, of course, BS. The only interaction most passengers want with crew is to get breakfast.

To be fair, European rivals (like Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, SWISS, etc do not serve hot breakfasts on short flights. But BA appears to be reducing one of its points of difference to save money.

Cost cutting pure and simple despite BA claiming its Club Europe service is "feature packed" and a "perfect combination of efficiency, convenience and comfort". 

Sydney does NYE in style

Sydney always hosts one of the first - and finest - New Year's Eve celebration on the planet.

The City of Sydney has sent me some image to share, even as many of you are still awaiting your own NYE fireworks.

 








Nearly a million people are estimated to have come together on the night for the traditional fireworks display on Sydney Harbour.

People across the foreshore also observed a minute’s silence at 11pm remembering the victims of the recent Bondi terror attack. “New Year’s Eve is about more than just fireworks and once again we showed the best of Sydney. It was a true reflection of who we are - a diverse, inclusive and creative city,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“I was truly impressed by the phenomenal New Year’s Eve show that brought together fireworks, music, lights and pylon projections into a show Sydney will be proud of.

“In a show of support for the Jewish community, we respectfully marked the horrific attack in Bondi that has brought so much sorrow to Sydney over the last few weeks.

“I was moved to see people right across the harbour embrace the moment of unity, showing the world we will not let this hateful act of terror divide us. We are a respectful, inclusive and welcoming city, and a home to so many people of different nationalities and faiths. Sydney demonstrated to the world that we stand together as one community.

“I’d like to thank our amazing events crew, the thousands of emergency service men and women, security and transport staff, volunteers, as well as our clean up teams who gave up their night to allow us to enjoy the celebrations safely.

“I hope New Year’s Eve gave people the chance to end 2025 on a positive note and I wish everyone in Sydney a peaceful, safe and prosperous start to 2026.”

Nine tonnes of fireworks were shot from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, six city centre buildings and 8 platforms on the harbour.

Images: City of Sydney

Fancy a quick trip from London to Armenia?

One of the bonuses about visiting the UK is the easy availability of a range of cheap flights on budget airlines.

If you fancy a couple of days on the French Riviera, or maybe a weekend in Dubrovnik, then airlines like Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air offer a massive range of destinations.

Low-cost carrier Wizz Air recently added Yerevan in Armenia (above) to its destinations from Luton Airport. That's an exotic getaway.

Wizz Air is adding a 15th aircraft to its Luton base, alongside launching six new direct routes to popular and emerging destinations across Europe.

The newly announced services will also connect London Luton with Alicante in Spain, Lyon in France, Corfu in Greece, Faro in Portugal and Turin in Italy.

The new Yerevan route opens up a non-stop connection between the UK and the South Caucasus, making Armenia more accessible for tourists, business travellers and those visiting friends and family. A trip to Mount Ararat sounds enticing. 

The expansion follows Wizz Air’s acquisition of valuable take-off and landing slots previously held by TUI Airways at Luton, where it uses Airbus A321neo aircraft.

The new routes form part of Hungarian-owned Wizz Air’s fleet expansion. The Budapest-based airline now flies to over 200 destinations. 

Tourists have to be told: "Don't feed the bears"

Tourists can be dumb. Seriously dumb.

So dumb that they need to be warned not to feed wild bears.

The Japan Tourism Agency has had to roll out a series of pictograms warning tourists of the dangers of getting too close to wild bears, the Japan News reports. 

The signs warn against approaching or feeding bears, and urge caution in areas where bear populations are found.

The images were produced for local authorities to display in relevant areas and for local businesses that serve travellers in these areas.

JTA collaborated with the Environment Ministry to create the three images with the messages: ‘do not feed bears,’ ‘do not leave trash behind’” and ‘do not approach bears.’

It comes after a Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear in Gifu Prefecture in October.

Luckily, that tourist only suffered minor injuries.

That said, 13 people have been killed in bear attacks in Japan this year  compared to six in 2024, which was still a record year.

Raffles Bali offers a slice of the high life

If you want to do Bali in style, then Raffles Bali is worth considering. 

The exclusive resort this week announced the introduction of its private heliport, a facility designed to offer in-house guests a new way to explore the Indonesian island from above. 

Situated within the resort's 23-hectare estate, the heliport began operations recently.

The heliport provides for a curated selection of aerial journeys, allowing travellers to discover Bali's varied landscapes from up on high. 

Scenic routes transport guests over Uluwatu's dramatic cliffs, the turquoise bays of Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, the volcanic contours of the Kintamani highlands, and the lush rice paddies of Ubud. 

Raffles Bali says personalised day trips may be arranged. Perhaps an underwater excursion in Nusa Penida, or a private picnic set amid the UNESCO-listed Jatiluwih rice terraces. 

Charter flights may also be tailored for guests wishing to design their own itinerary, offering the freedom to move across Bali and neighbouring islands.

The experiences are organised by Raffles butlers, who oversee all arrangements, co-ordinating flight schedules, managing personalised requests. 

Situated in the Jimbaran Bay, Raffles Bali offers 32 villas featuring private pools and tropical gardens. 

Culinary opportunities include "Krug Ambassade" signature restaurant Rumari, The Writers Bar and beachfront Loloan Beach Bar and Grill. 

Guests can enjoy relaxation and wellness at Raffles Spa and partake in authentic cultural activities hosted by community experts.

I've added this one to my "to do" list. 

See raffles.com and accor.com