I just do it by numbers. I think: I’ve got to have five t-shirts, four pairs of trousers, maybe one evening outfit, and then I plonk them in the suitcase. Because I like bright colors, I look at whatever I just put in there and make sure I’ve got enough green necklaces or my green specs. I won’t find myself stuck for blue earrings or a yellow necklace. It depends on what I’m doing, obviously. If I’m working, sometimes I’ve got to have a whole lot of fancy outfits, in which case they get packed in zip bags with the necklaces. But if I’m just on holiday, it’s very casual—just primary colors.
The country with the best baked goods:
Germany. I think their baked goods are the most original, and it’s probably the country where baking is the most deeply embedded in the population; most German women will have made a gingerbread house in their lifetime, whereas most British women wouldn’t have. They’re famous for their gingerbread houses at Christmas, and little biscuits you can hang on the tree. They make enriched doughs that have raisins and booze; you get rum and raisins and cherries, the works. They take baking very seriously.
The hotel amenity she prizes:
I like a bath. It’s a luxury that I don’t think I’ll be able to do for the rest of my life, because as you get older, it’s more and more difficult to get out of the bath. I’m already struggling. I have to turn over on all fours in order to climb out, and the bath has to be wide enough for me to turn over. If it’s too narrow, I get stuck, and my husband has to pull me out. That’s very undignified. So I want to go on enjoying a bath while I can.
The destination she’ll always recommend:
I think the most wonderful city in the world is Cape Town, sandwiched right between the mountain and the sea. The beaches are beautiful. It has very good restaurants, and the wine areas are an absolute delight. It’s a town I’ll go back and back and back to. Mind you, I was born in Cape Town, so I’m a bit prejudiced. It’s fantastic.
