The exquisite India extravaganza

Namaste from deepest darkest India
 

Just OMG! I've just finished the most dramatic, passionate, luxurious India textiles/fashion tour with the loveliest, interested and classy group. Once you've been to India, you are changed forever because you realise you have been seriously under-achieving in the ostentatious department. We saw the most beautiful clothes and bought dohars (summer blankets made from two layers of muslin with a layer of block printed cotton in between) – like sleeping under clouds. We bought shawls, jewellery, pointy shoes and embroidered kurtas.

We walked around the blue city of Jodhpur and stayed at the most chic hotel right under the stunning Mehrangarh Fort –  Raas Jodhpur. We wandered the Thar desert and came across the Bishnoi people in the village of Salawas to see how rugs are woven, accessed our inner hippies in a tie-dye class and ate slow roasted goat by the hotel pool. There's always praying, singing, drumming and cacophony going on outside the calm of our luxury digs. 

Our lodgings in the pink city of Jaipur are in a palace hotel, Samode Haveli where we get to pretend we are princesses, drink gin under the stars and get dressed up in gorgeous, floating saris. In Jaipur we did serious clothing and interiors shopping, ate in chic restaurants and had our fortunes told. Indians wouldn't dream of making important decisions without a consultation. Turns out my future involves doing exactly what I'm doing now till I drop. We went through the insane traffic to Bagru village outside the city where we learned how to block print by hand – how the blocks are designed, how the fabric is dyed and laid out on the ground in the sun to dry and how to stamp beauty onto fabric.

The last night bash was at my tour manager Diggi's home where his wife cooked. Diggi's the king of the world in my guest's eyes – they fell in love with his humour, knowledge and energy. Here's the lowdown on how to have your dinner parties from now on – you will need flower designs all along the street leading to your house, sparklers, musicians, fireworks, coriander chicken, speeches and very blingy jewellery. Put all the jewellery you own on then add some bangles, toe rings and bindis. Then you give a thank you speech in Te reo Māori and sing Pōkarekare Ana in three part harmony. 

I'll be doing it all again next year – 1–10 March 2026... booking are open now and all the info is HERE.

Tours in 2025

Last few places for 2025 are up for grabs.... it's not too late run away this year.

Marrakech – 12 – 18 May 2025 – Tour Full
Uzès  – 30 May – 5 June 2025 – 2 places left
Basque Country – 14 – 20 June 2025 – 1 place left
Puglia  – 31 August – 6 September 2025 – 2 places left
Portugal – 14 – 20 September 2025 – 3 places left

Uzès Cooking Classes

I will be in my home in Uzès (near Avignon) in the South of France for the French summer from late May to early October and teaching cooking classes on market days – Wednesdays and Saturdays. These classes involve shopping together at the market, walking to my place through medieval streets, hands-on cooking class of Provencale dishes and cooling local wines (because of the heat n'est ce pas). We throw ourselves into such recipes as pissaladière, grande aioli, terrines, pastry making and strawberries doused in black pepper and Pastis.   Book or find out more HERE.

It's Been Six Weeks Since My Last Confession

My next book of stories about my family, friends, helpful household hints, the best teenage job I ever had and horror tour tales amongst other exciting topics is coming out on my birthday 12 October. Stay very coiled – I'll post excerpts and information about when it will be ready for buying on my social media.

That's it for now. As they say in India – 'Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.'  While doing this, throw on some more jewellery.

Peta