Travelling so much has taught me to be patient and to prepare myself for culture shock. I travelled overland to India as a student and the culture changed wonderfully gradually. There is something shocking about flying into places like Africa and India . . . you need time to adjust.

I was completely seduced by Guatemala . . .it has a fantastic fusion of conquistador and Indian cultures. You can go to places like Chichicastenango, which is up in the highlands and has a fabulous market and a church where the Stations of the Cross are interspersed with little piles of bones, which are the pagan offerings. I'm a romantic traveller, always up for adventure so my ideal travelling companions would be Phileas Fogg or Robinson Crusoe. In reality, however, my ideal travelling companion is a very good cameraman!

I haven't had many bad experiences. You can pretty much get something out of everything, even a two-day delay. However, when I was coming back from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, I didn't realise that Georgia is in a different time zone, so I missed my plane. That was grim.

I love the Hotel Raphael in Rome, by the Piazza Navona. Italy is also my favourite country for food. Pasta is a great route to my inner core . . . I once cycled 1,000km across Italy for charity and I think pasta saved my life! Another dream trip was to King George Island in Antarctica . . . we saw elephant seals and chinstrap penguins that were totally unfazed by our presence. I'd like to go to Brazil and see the Amazon.