Subjects: Travel

The legendary lake district of north-western Italy has for many years been a place Valerie has always wanted to visit. Since the Roman Empire this area has attracted visitors and tourists, and now it has hosted Valerie Pringle and crew. Just half an hour from noisy, bustling Milan, Lake Como is a jewel-like oasis of tranquillity, a magical combination of lush Mediterranean foliage and snowy alpine peaks. And as Valerie shows us, tucked into the hills and overlooking the lake are some of the classic grand hotels of Europe. In the hills near Milan Valerie goes to the Bicycle Shrine before descending into Milan, the most important city of northern Italy – especially important if, like Valerie, you wish to go shopping.

The City of Life brings this series to life, as Valerie is given unrestricted access to Hong Kong in a special one-hour premiere episode. As Valerie compares and contrasts Hong Kong’s bustling metropolis with its breathtaking landscapes she is humbled by the vision of the world’s largest outdoor monument of Big Buddha and spiritualized by the Wong Tai Sin Temple, where thousands pray and light incense for heaven, hell and mankind. Keeping a perfect balance between mind and body, Valerie performs the ancient art of Tai Chi and visits a “Wet Market” with Chef Kuong – all of the of food at this market is so fresh it’s still alive!

Valerie brings her appetite and her hiking shoes to coastal villages of The Cinque Terra, five ancient fishing hamlets along Italy’s Riviera fast becoming one of Italy’s star attractions. This part of Italy gave the world Pesto and after a brief cooking lesson Valerie does her best to create her own Pringle Pesto. The towns of the Cinque Terre seem like they are carved out of rock, much like the famous walkways from one village to the next. The road from Manarola to Riomaggiore, the Via Dell’Amore, is the most famous part of the Cinque Terre Walk, and after three and a half hours Valerie and her blisters can lay claim to having completed it.