I moved around regularly with my family when I was a child and I think it was this that sparked my love of exploring and discovering new places. I have been lucky enough to live abroad on several occasions and have travelled extensively through the United States, Asia, Central America and Europe.
It was while studying Latin and Literature that my passion for travel within Europe really began. I visited my grandparents in Cyprus and my first experience of travelling independently was Interrailing through Italy before taking the ferry across to Greece, where I spent time exploring the ancient sites that I had been learning about. Upon graduating with a degree in English Literature, I continued travelling, taking in Croatia, which involved a memorable trip to Plitviče Lakes.
I worked briefly in publishing, property and private healthcare to fund my travels. It wasn't long before I wanted to combine my love of travel with my career and so I made the decision to join Audley. I initially specialised in holidays to the United States before helping to set up Audley's first European destinations. I’m now a specialist for Italy, Sicily, Greece, Croatia, and Cyprus. Over the past few years, I have been lucky enough to continue my travels with personal and research trips to Rome, the Italian Lakes, the Amalfi Coast, Sicily and the Peloponnese.
When not on holiday (or planning trips) I can be found hiking through the Oxfordshire countryside with my husband and Springer Spaniel, Talisker.
Susie Thornton travelled to Italy for 14 days in September 2020, organised by Molly
Molly, our Italy specialist, was just lovely to deal with, so enthusiastic and always quick to respond. She really listened to our requests and got the picture about what we wanted to do, suggesting hotels and activities that worked so well. The experiences, like our cookery lesson, gave us a real insight into Amalfi culture. Your colleagues in Italy were superb and everything went exceptionally smoothly. Everyone was very professional, and we were well looked after — can’t fault it.
On my recent honeymoon to Greece, I spent several days in the quaint coastal town of Nafplio. With flower adorned streets and coastal views, we spent our days dining on the freshest seafood, swimming in the crystal-clear waters with locals, and exploring the surrounding coastline. As lovers of history, it was the perfect springboard to explore a multitude of ancient sites including Mycenae, Epidavros and Corinth.
Nestled into the small fishing village of Sutivan on Brac’s northern coast the adult only, Hotel Lemongarden is an idyllic escape. As one of the larger islands on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast there is no shortage of things to do and the historic town of Split is just a short boat ride away. By the same token, if you simply want to relax and escape, the Hotel Lemongarden offers the perfect place to do so. Perfectly blending old world charm with contemporary design, the hotel boasts 35 rooms and suites divided between three historic buildings. There is a spa, flower adorned gardens, a heated pool and private beach. The service is first class, and the complimentary bikes are a lovely touch.
Walking and enjoying nature is always a key element of a holiday for me and I loved being shown a more hidden part of Sicily that I would never have discovered myself. Our guide met us in Syracuse and drove us about 45 minutes outside the city. After parking in the countryside, we walked for a short while past a farm, seeing nothing but chickens, goats and hearing the cries of birds of prey above. It wasn’t long before we found ourselves at the edge of Cavagrande di Cassibile, a nature reserve and the largest canyon in Sicily. We spent the morning hiking down into the canyon to a set of beautiful pools and waterfalls where we stopped for a swim and some lunch. We were the only people there — apart from the wildlife.
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