The world according to Neil Matthews
Mountain/Desert/Ocean/Jungle... which one are you?
I'm not fond of sand, I need waterwings in the bath and don't like the sort of creepy crawlies you get in jungles. So it's probably mountains - from a distance.
What was your first great travel experience?
Approaching Venice by boat and wondering if the city was made out of ice-cream (I was 8 at the time)
What has been your favourite journey?
Probably the private trip around Albania with my wife, an interpreter/guide, a chauffeur and a durable Mercedes.
What are your Top 5 places worldwide?
1. Italy, particularly Sicily
2. Albania
3. Japan
4. Russia
5. North Cyprus
Recommend a special place to stay
La Campanella, Taormina, Sicily. 82 steps to climb from the street, but it's right in the centre of a delightful town. Owned by a slightly eccentric, but very welcoming, Professor.
Which three items do you always pack?
Too many books
Camera
Notebook
Which passport stamp are you proudest of?
Pakistan, which I visited as a bridesmaid's accessory
Which passport stamp would you most like to have?
Gallifrey (it's in Ireland)
Where or what is your guilty travel pleasure?
Trying to find an English newspaper (or internet cafe). Personal highlight, and a notable contribution to diplomatic history, would be the photo of me sitting in a village in Austria some time in the late 1980s reading a Sunday Times with a huge headline "HITLER DIARIES PUBLISHED"...
Window or aisle?
Aisle, as my wife prefers window