Me and my travels

My most memorable meal was in...

Japan just before Christmas. I ate fugu, the deadly puffer fish which is a delicacy there. I was very jet-lagged and just thought it was funny - I didn't really feel nervous. The guy who prepared it for us was this octogenarian fugu master with a rather shaky hand. It was a very intense experience, but actually the fish tasted really bland.

My first trip was...

To Sellafield on a school trip. We lived in the middle of nowhere in the Lake District when I was growing up and I remember I'd disappear for whole days just wandering around the fells. This was the 1970s, when kids could do that and nobody would think anything of it so long as you were home for tea.

I've always wanted to visit...

Chile. I've seen lots of pictures of the architecture and design and would love to stay in some of the brutalist hotels and explore Patagonia. I've never been to South America, but I've liked all the South Americans I've met and imagine that it's a wild, fascinating continent.

The thing i hate about travel is...

Gatwick in the summer. It's hell and I avoid it at all costs. The influx of holidaymakers who travel once a year really frustrates me: I travel so often that I know my way through the airport quickly. I just need to be more patient, but it can be annoying.

My favourite hotels are...

The Hôtel Costes in Paris, the Principe di Savoia in Milan and the Chateau Marmont in LA. What makes a great hotel for me is super-efficient, friendly staff who always answer yes to any question! I've been staying at these hotels for years now and it's great that the staff know me - it makes the whole experience really easy. If I'm in a city for a day on a tight timetable, it's good to have people who can enable everything as smoothly as possible.

I always bring back...

All sorts of things, but particularly books. I'm a big book buyer and I love the idea of being surrounded by a huge library when I'm old. I tend to ship loads of books back from wherever I am. Even when I was a broke student I'd spend money on books - on architecture, art, photography. I write little notes in the front about where I bought them so I can remember every one.

I'll never go back to....