DELVE deeper into ourcapital city with this slicknew app.City of London Visitor

Trail is free on iPhone andAndroid and includes a self-

guided walking tour as well asfive “get side-tracked” options basedon themes like Culture Vultures.Follow the trail using the app and

you will be able to read or listen to sto-ries from people associated with 15 ofthe main attractions, from the Towerof London to St Paul’s Cathedral.Other landmarks covered in the

trail include Tower Bridge and Lead-enhall Market.

ST TERESA’S Cot-tage in the pictur-esque village ofSt Mawgan, Corn-wall, is available

from £891 for a weekstarting April 5.The 1800s Grade I-listedproperty, situated on the Lan-herne Convent Estate, hasfour bedrooms and sleepssix. It also has a delightfulwalled garden.Call 0844 704 4987 fordetails or to book.

GO: SARDINIAGETTING THERE: Easyjet flies to

Olbia airport from London Gat-wick and London Luton. Visit

easyjet.com.STAYING THERE: Delphina Hotels

and Resorts have eight destinationson the north Sardinian coast. Sixnights in a standard double roomat the Resort Valle dell’Erica startsfrom £1,400. To book, visit del-phina.it.

APPOF THEWEEK

MAGICABLE LIGHTNING DUO(£18, myinnergie.com)

TRAVEL more than 10ft fromany plug and you can guaran-tee your devices will run out of

power. So you’re forced to carryaround endless cables – a spaghetti of

leads that will wind around any luggage,driving you nuts.

But this nifty adaptor could halve thehassle. The single 79cm cable hasTHREE options – with integratedApple Lightning, Mini AND MicroUSB tips so you can charge up to10,000 different devices, all fromthe one cable. Now that’s clever.

ALL the evidence points tothis being a big year forcrime festivals. JK Rowling,below, makes her firstappearance as RobertGalbraith and there’s a newevent in Brighton, Dark &Stormy. But it’s not allblood on the carpet.Crime festivals, wherefans meet writers, areincreasingly popular andmake excellent shortbreaks.Here, crime writer BillTodd is on the trail of theseguilty pleasures.

l Books By The Beach,Scarborough (April 24-28):Rock star turned Harry HoleScandi-crime author JoNesbo talks about his newstand-alone thriller, The Son.Other writers include MarkBillingham (DI Tom Thorne)and Peter Guttridge (theBrighton series).booksbythebeach.co.uk

l Crimefest, Bristol (May15-18): Featuring guestauthors, 50 discussionpanels, a crime-writing day,pub quiz and criminalMastermind quiz. More than100 participating authorsinclude Mark Billingham,Simon Brett (Charles Paris,Mrs Pargeter), Nicci French(Frieda Klein), PeterGuttridge, Peter James (RoyGrace), Simon Kernick,Sophie Hannah, JohnGordon Sinclair and ThomasMogford (Spike Sanguinetti).crimefest.com

l Dark & Stormy, Brighton(May 23-25): The BrightonFestival has a new attractionwith Dark & Stormy. Highpoints include talks byBrighton crime writerPeter James and Suncolumnist TonyParsons, who debutsas a crime writer inMay. A panel entitledSpies: Fact And Fictionwill discuss howaccurate fictional secretagents are. Witnesses

will include former defencesecretary Liam Fox andex-MI5 director Dame StellaRimington, who is the authorof the excellent Liz Carlylespy series.darkandstormybrighton.orgl Theakston’s Old PeculierCrime Writing Festival,Harrogate (July 17-20): Thehighlight will be RobertGalbraith, aka JK Rowling,talking to Val McDermidabout her second CormoranStrike crime novel. Authorsinclude Ann Cleeves (JimmyPerez), Sophie Hannah,Lynda La Plante (PrimeSuspect), Peter May (LewisTrilogy), Denise Mina (AlexMorrow) and S J Watson.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/crimel Bloody Scotland, Stirling(Sep 19-21): Sessionsinclude Can You Sleep AtNight? Forensic Fact –Stranger Than Fiction andDie Laughing. Writersinclude Ann Cleeves, ValMcDermid, Arne Dahl,Charles Cumming, Lee Child(Jack Reacher), Jo Nesbo,Stuart MacBride (LoganMcRae), William McIlvanney(Jack Laidlaw), ColinBateman and Sun man MattBendoris.bloodyscotland.com

CRIME TOMISSCHANCEOFANOVELBREAK

IMAGINE dinner in Sar-dinia and a menuheavy on the seafoodcomes to mind.Surrounded by the sparklingblue waters of the Mediterra-nean, fishermen bring in bass,octopus, bream, crab, prawns,tuna and more, depending onthe season.What we weren’t expecting to findduring a sumptuous banquet was atraditional dish of DONKEY FEET.After a few raised eyebrows — andsome very worried glances at our Sar-dinian host — the restaurant staffexplained to our relieved table it wasthe local nickname for little clams.But it’s not just at the dinner tablewhere the Sardinian language cancause confusion.The island’s north and south eachuse their own dialect, sprinkled withSpanish-sounding words as well asItalian.The Spanish ruled Sardinia for centu-ries and traces of their reign linger inthe forts and watchtowers still dottedaround the island.These days it’s not the Spanish whodominate but the Russians.Billionaire tycoons are building andbuying up stunning mansions near theexclusive resort of Porto Cervo, on thebeautiful Costa Smeralda.After a stroll around the pretty port,it’s not hard to see why it’s a magnet forthe super rich.

Quiet, beautifullyscented gardens

The winding streets are lined withdesigner boutiques including Cartier,Gucci and Louis Vuitton.There’s even a branch of Harrods onthe edge of the harbour, with a fleet ofgleaming Bugatti supercars parked inbetween the different stores.A single night in one of the town’s besthotels will set you back thousands ofpounds. But luckily you don’t need a bil-lionaire’s bank balance to enjoy some realSardinian luxury.We stayed at the 5H Delphina Valledell’Erica resort on the coast of Gallura,which boasts breathtaking views of Cor-sica and a string of Sardinian islands.The resort feels more like a private vil-lage than a hotel complex, with villasand suites dotted across the hills and achoice of private white-sand beaches andseawater pools to relax beside.It’s designed to blend in with its peace-ful surroundings and some rooms evenhave a grass-covered roof to help themdisappear into the landscape.The complex is made up of two hotelsand we stayed at the luxurious La Licci-ola, which opened its doors last spring.The rooms and suites make the most ofthe incredible sea view with hugebalconies and terraces — even a specialwindow which means you can gaze outacross the water from the shower.The careful arrangement of quiet pools,sunbathing spots and beautifully scentedgardens ensures you can always find apeaceful place to stretch out in the sun.And to make your break even morerelaxing, Le Thermae Thalasso and SpaCentre is the perfect place to unwind.As well as a long list of health andbeauty treatments, the spa has four differ-ent temperature seawater pools and asauna, hammam and gym to try out.But it’s not just adults who can expect

five-star treatment during their holiday —kids get their own clubs and entertain-ment, and even a dedicated restaurant.As well as the Valle dell’Erica,Delphina has eight other resorts in north-ern Sardinia’s most beautiful spots.If you can tear yourself away fromtheir peaceful pools and beaches, thereare plenty of opportunities to get a tasteof what the rest of Sardinia has to offer.One of the best ways to see the sightsis from the water and Valle dell’Ericaboasts a choice of boats, including a tradi-tional wooden sailing ship, to explore thestunning coastline. Opposite the hotel lies

the Maddalena Archipelago, a string ofpretty islands lined with countless baysand coves.The largest in the chain is LaMaddalena and its charming streets andsquares are the perfect place to spend amorning exploring or people-watching withsome delicious local ice cream.Back on the main island, there are lotsof towns and villages to visit, with prettyports including Porto Rafael and Palau.Further inland, the ancient stone villageof Aggius is the place to find out aboutthe island’s history, with one museumdevoted to the area’s traditional cultureand another telling the story of the ban-

dits who once roamed Sardinia. If you’refeeling sporty, Portobello Beach is a realparadise for surfers and kite surfers.But if you had a more relaxing trip inmind, it’s hard to drag yourself away fromthe Valle dell’Erica, especially when it’stime for dinner.Start your evening with a chilled glassof Aperol in the rooftop bar. And from thehuge selection of delicacies at the buffet tothe dishes served in the traditional Sardin-ian restaurant, it soon becomes clear thatthe hotel chefs know how to spoil you.Just don’t forget to try the donkey feet.

SARAH WOLSTENCROFT

LEGOLAND Florida re-openson April 12, just in time forBrits heading to the SunshineState for the Easter holidays.The Water Park – next to the

main theme park in WinterHaven, near Orlando – is agreat way for families toescape the Florida heat.And the new Duplo Valley

area – aimed at tots aged twoto five – will be welcomingguests from May 23.Children can board a train

to ride through the country,hop on a tractor to help thefarmers hunt for missinganimals and cool off in asplash and play area, or theair-conditioned Duplo Barn.Attraction Tickets Direct has

a two-park ticket for LegolandFlorida and the LegolandWater Park from £50 peradult, £45 per child agedthree to 12 and £3 forunder-twos. To book, seeattraction-tickets-direct.co.uk.

BARGAINOF THEWEEK

LEGOLAND EXPANDS STATESIDE

CRIME SCENE . . . Harrogate festival venue

GADGETOFTHEWEEK

ON THE ROCKS . . .Sardinia’s Capo Testa and,clockwise from left, a chef

at work, the moneyedmarina of Porto Cervo, and

its designer shops

52 Sunday, March 30, 2014 1B