Royal Isles & Art:
London, Brittany & Normandy

Set along the sheltered estuary of Cornwall in England, Fowey enchants with its quiet beauty, seafaring heritage and timeless village charm. Clustered along the water’s edge, its slate-roofed houses, narrow lanes and wooded hillsides create a landscape both intimate and deeply evocative. Wander through its steep, winding streets, where independent galleries, old inns and discreet boutiques reveal the gentle rhythm of coastal life. Beyond the harbour, peaceful coves, garden paths and river views invite moments of calm, while the town’s literary legacy lingers in the spirit of Daphne du Maurier, who found enduring inspiration here. Fowey is a refined harbour escape, where English character, maritime grace and the softness of Cornwall meet in quiet harmony.

Home of French explorer Jacques Cartier and once a hub for corsairs and adventurers, history hums around Saint-Malo's granite walls. Soak it all in while strolling the ramparts around the Intra-Muros historic center or pause for Breton crêpes and traditional cider among the grand ship-owners' mansions of Place Chateaubriand. Named after a Welsh monk and nestled in a sheltered harbor near the fairytale abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, Saint-Malo and its surrounds are revered for their gastronomy, which finds its apogee at three-star Le Coquillage where chef Hugo Roellinger is a master of Breton culinary art. For a more down-to-earth experience, few pleasures beat a chilled glass of Muscadet and a dozen Cancale oysters served harborside as the sun sets over Saint-Malo. 

Honfleur, Home of Artists and Heroes. Ports don’t come prettier than petite Honfleur, where soft light dances off the still waters of its Vieux Bassin, reflecting a mirror image of the half-timbered 18th-century townhouses huddled at its edge. It’s a scene that has captivated artists for centuries, immortalized by Impressionists like Eugène Boudin and his protégé Claude Monet, whose legacies live on at the Eugène Boudin Museum. Artistic inspiration is found all around this quiet corner of Normandy, framed by the wildflower-covered hillsides of the Côte Fleurie to the majestic white cliffs of Étretat and the infamous WWII D-Day Beaches. Further afield await family farms preserving traditions of crafting Livarot and Pont l’Évêque cheeses or dash into Deauville, the Parisian Riviera, for an afternoon of stylish exploration.

Built on the indomitable spirit of its inhabitants over 2,000 years, London is one of the most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities in Europe. Feel the weight of history as you walk the Thames past the Houses of Parliament as Big Ben chimes the hour, and on to St. Paul’s and the Tower of London’s hulking walls. Feast on royal pageantry during the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, visit Westminster Cathedral, or solve the maze at Hampton Court Palace, before taking a seat at a top table in Mayfair or Soho, where members’ clubs and Michelin stars fuse heritage and culinary art. Architectural mastery frames historical context in South Kensington’s Museum Quarter, and noble institutions like the Tate Modern, British Museum, and National Gallery are home to some of the world’s finest artwork.