Where are the SUITCASE Team Travelling Post-Lockdown?

We're a bit excited about our first, post-pandemic trip. We might have adjusted to travelling from home - gorging on stacks of worldly cookbooks, scrolling through albums from travels past and emulating those trips by sipping zesty cocktails against tropical Zoom backgrounds - but nothing beats rocking up in person.

Now, as the final struts are being added to air bridges across the world and quarantine policies are gradually falling by the wayside, we're strapping on our masks and preparing to get back out there. From doorstep destinations to fabulous new frontiers, these are the places we're hitting up.

UK staycations, far-flung escapes and our post-pandemic plans laid bare

North Norfolk Coast, UK

England

India Dowley - Editor-in-Chief

I'm just bloody glad to be leaving London to be honest, so will be pootling around the UK on plenty of staycations. We often forget to explore what's on our doorstep, and I've certainly been guilty of this, especially as I spend a lot of time on location for SUITCASE. First up, I'll be heading to the North Norfolk coast where I've been going since I was a child. Sailing, beaching, windy walks, garden suppers - the simple things that make for the good life. Then I'll be making tracks to Cornwall, where I'm ashamed to say I've only been once, and I'm hoping to follow that with long weekends in East Sussex's Rye and Bruton in Somerset.

The Amalfi Coast

Italy

Caroline Baneth - Head of Content and Strategy

I've been dreaming of the Amalfi Coast from my couch since lockdown. I'm not sure precisely why. Perhaps it's the allure of old-world glamour or the promise of long days spent sailing from one glittering cove to another, or maybe it's simply the prospect of eating bottomless bowls of linguine alle vongole and drinking wine on tap. Whatever the reason, I've long been intrigued by the Amalfi Coast and look forward to finally putting my expectations to the test by paying a visit post-lockdown.

Rathmullan

Ireland

Sarah Bentley - Head of E-Commerce

As per annual tradition, I'm making tracks for the small seaside village of Rathmullan in County Donegal. Having truly dredged Netflix of its most redeeming content, I'm now reading up on the Fight of The Earls - a huge clash which took place in Rathmullan in 1607 - and hoping I might be able to probe a clued-up local for some more insights upon arrival. There are tables booked under my name at the traditional Rathmullan House as well as at the less-conventional An Bonnán Buí, where Irish, European and South American cuisine are blended with expert precision. Of course, dinner in Ireland wouldn't be complete without a Guinness digestif; I'm taking mine at The White Harte Bar where you'll also find me jumping around until the wee hours to The Chieftains and The Dubliners, with total and unabashed faith in my ability to Irish dance.

Mollans-sur-Ouvèze

France

Sebastian Bland - Creative Director

My sights are set on the delectable, pocket-sized village of Mollans-sur-Ouvèze in northern Provence. It's familiar ground for me, having spent many summers pootling about its olive groves with an ever-shifting contingent of my French cousins. After a hectic few months, the plan is to eat and drink well, to properly switch off (strictly no Zoom allowed) and to venture out into the surrounding, crunchy, sun-baked countryside on foot. As a long-time fan, I should know every little off-road trail like the back of my hand, but I always stumble upon something new.

Dierhagen

Germany

Linda Blank - COO

If it weren't for the threat of catching a potentially deadly virus, I'd rather like a no-holds-barred city break - the type where you hop from gallery to café to restaurant to wine bar, carelessly flinging yourself on public transport and making new friends as you go. As it happens, I'm going to continue this prolonged period of social distancing by roosting at New Haus, right on Germany's northernmost tip. It's a secluded cluster of houses, sheltered by feathery pines and right on the Baltic coast - like a pocket of Scandinavia in Germany. The best part? Dodgy phone reception and a sketchy internet connection.

Løvøya

Norway

Line Charles - E-Commerce Manager

Ever since I was a child, I've looked forward to long weekends at grandma's cottage on the secluded island of Løvøya. Built by my great grandfather, it's a real family heirloom and imbued with memories of drowsy days spent splashing about in the clear waters - memories I hope my children will inherit in years to come. Every day starts the same: a newspaper delivered by boat, followed by a bracing morning swim. Depending on the weather, we'll play board games or go fishing before grilling whatever we manage to catch for dinner. It's about as "digital detox" as it gets.

St Ives

Cornwall, United Kingdom

Jacob Elwood - Senior Creative

The question on the tip of everyone's tongue: "Where are you heading after lockdown?" While I'd love to reply with some exciting edge-of-the-world, off-the-map adventure, I'm really just pining after a homemade Cornish pasty and a pint or two of beer down on Porthmeor Beach in St Ives. Now that the weather's picking up, my Instagram feed is flooded with photos and videos of my pals cooling off by the coast. It's heartbreaking, not least because I haven't seen them properly since Christmas, but I know that come July I'll be contributing to the Insta-spam myself. You've been warned…

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

France

Robbie Hodges - Assistant Digital Editor

Coronavirus can have my sweaty spin classes, my socially awkward barber and lazy weekend brunches, but I draw the line at my annual family holiday. Every year, we drop a pin somewhere along the Mediterranean and spend a week slow-cooking in the sun to the clicking of cicadas. This summer, we're taking comfort in the familiar and pitching up in a crumbly old village just off the French Riviera. There'll be plenty of sandy bottoms, Van Gogh landscapes and a gut-wrenching amount of gluten. I'll admit, it's not exactly the stuff of SUITCASE cover features, but there'll be plenty of time to adventure later in the year.

Ibiza

Spain

Fleur Rollet-Manus - Content Editor

I've made the pilgrimage to Ibiza every year since the tender age of 18; the White Isle is first on my list of places to visit. Don't worry, like the rest of the nation, I've tie-dyed my own face mask for the flight and I'm expecting things to be a little different this time. My beloved place of worship DC10 is closed for the foreseeable, so I'll be paying homage to the glorious coves and beaches scattered along the island's perimeter instead. Cala Tarida and Cala Bassa are two of my favourites.

Santos

Brazil

Layla Pacha - Marketing Executive

It was all going so well. Our flights were booked for February, I'd packed my suitcase (mentally, at least) and booked time off work, then everything went downhill. Fast forward six months and my mum, myself and a gaggle of family members - four generations of us! - are finally going to take the trip that never was. We'll start by flying and flopping onto a beach in Santos, before heading onwards to my family's farm in Mairinque. If you're looking for the middle of nowhere, this is it. The nearest town is 40 minutes away by car, so I'm expecting to do a lot of lounging around, peppered by stints in the pool, spots of fishing with my uncles, horse-riding and the occasional hike. Hopefully we'll make it off the tarmac this time, at least.

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