I'm back in Auckland hosting my Supper Club on Wednesday evenings and Saturday lunchtimes on the floating terrace. Nobody ever wants to leave the table after a cooking class because it is the centre of the universe, the place where we share stories and memories, drink wine and laugh. The childhood table is where we learn to socialise and communicate. My plates are very colourful and rustic – can’t bear white plates – and the tablecloths and napkins are flamboyant. 

Puglia covered us all in sunshine, beauty and good vibes. We devoured polpette (tiny deep fried meatballs), foccaccia, bombette (finely sliced pork shoulder, stuffed with coppa and caciocavallo cheese, rolled up and fried), orecchiette pasta and raw gamberro rosso (pink prawns) with just olive oil and salt. The wine has very sexy names like susumaniello, primitivo and negroamaro and we did lots of tastings in the interests of research. Our wonderful group were up for everything.

Having recently completed a Basque and an Uzès tour a week apart, I can report that lying on the floor in my house for a week does wonders for recuperation. Firstly it straightens your back out, secondly it allows you to spot the cobwebs and thirdly it gets rid of the alcohol in your system because you can't sip gin while supine.

Exciting to be back in Marrakech again – sizzling with colour, drama and enough sugared sweets to put everyone into a diabetic coma. My tour group were perfectly wonderful, throwing themselves into every spicy cooking lesson, every bottomless glass of mint tea offered and all opportunities to dance and sing with the locals.

I finally got back to India after four years. Four long years of no outrageous colour, no henna painted hands, no heart-stopping rickshaw rides and no excuses for a party every day. There are so many festivals, religious celebrations and special days in India, they seem to be constantly celebrating. During my second tour we were in Jaipur for Holi – the festival of lights, colours and flowers celebrating the triumph of good over evil.