Anne Stevens has been a journalist for more than 40 years. After a stint working abroad in her early 20s, she has made it a priority to go overseas on holiday at least once a year. Apart from the Greek islands and Spain, where she once worked as an au pair, she has turned her attention from Europe to the East and Australia. She is semi-retired, but still writes a weekly dining out column for the Mercury and a six-monthly restaurant guide.
Exotic regional specialities sold on the streets can be a challenge in a foreign land. Is there anything you have declined to sample?
I love street food, but have learnt to avoid Oriental breakfast items like congee (rice porridge) – especially if dried shrimp is a garnish. The cardinal rule is to eat only at busy stalls. Never touch anything that has been standing in the sun for a while. I also prefer to eat cooked food. Salad is notorious for giving you the runs. Otherwise, I’ll eat anything except brains and raw oysters. Oh, and frogs in Hong Kong. You pick a live frog from a cage and they boil it up for you. No, no.
Your travels usually involve time in the sun, with long, cool drinks – but is there also a favourite winter destination?
Cold and I aren’t happy bedfellows, but if I had to choose a winter destination it would be Salzburg in Austria. It’s the perfect place to spend Christmas, with its cobbled streets, sleigh rides under a blanket, postcard-pretty views, old buildings, twinkling lights and mulled wine. So romantic.
The fragrance, colour and bustle of a souk in the sun… Do you have a favourite memory?
I love the spice market in Istanbul, with its wonderful smells and bright colours, but the strongest memory is drinking icy coconut milk from a straw in the market in Dubai.
Do you indulge in pre-travel internet searches for the right room with a view, or leave it to your travel agent?
My partner and I trawl the internet for hours, planning holidays. We also buy travel guides and do our homework. At the moment we have three trips in the preplanning stages (how freaky is that?) We usually book via the internet, to get better rates. Or we book into a place for just a couple of nights while we walk the streets and look for our ideal hotel or bungalow. We have found some wonderful places by just walking around. Afraid our travel agent doesn’t get to do much more than book the flights.
When you arrive at your destination, are you a take a nap kind of person, or do you instantly hit the streets in search of adventure?
My partner likes to unpack and have a shower. I can’t wait to get into the street to orientate myself. We have to compromise: unpack, have a bath then go somewhere for a drink and meal. I can never lie down when I’ve just arrived somewhere, even with jet lag. I just keep going.
Where do you go for an always excellent cup of coffee? Is there a view?
Coffee doesn’t feature much in my life after I have a cup of good plunger coffee with cream in bed in the morning. That’s the best view in the world. My toes, the bed, the garden, the cats, a crossword book.
Is there an all-time “absolutely have to take this chef home with me” eating experience?
So often the best food is the simple: crispy calamari sitting next to a yacht mole on an Iberian island, a home-made pie next to the fire in a British pub, grilled fish overlooking the sea in Turkey… The best multi-course gourmet meals I’ve had were at Tetsuya’s in Sydney and the French Laundry in Napa Valley. But I wouldn’t want to eat that sort of food two days in a row. Being more practical, I would probably take Jean Mauvis of Ile Maurice in Umhlanga home. He could stock my freezer with soups and Mauritian curries.
Do Italians really make the best pizza and best ice cream?
The best pizza I’ve ever had was at the edge of Lake Como. So, yes to pizza. I’m not an ice cream person. It makes my teeth hurt.
Which airline has served you the best, and the worst, in-flight food?
The best in-flight food was in business class on Austrian Airlines. They were launching a new menu and the chef in the “kitchen” was Garth Stroebel of the Mount Nelson. They served the soup from a silver tureen and we had a hell of a party. The worst food is probably British Airways, although they are all pretty grim. I’ve used more than 26 airlines over the years and my favourite is the one that gets me there at the best price. Recently I have had good experiences with Thai Airways. And I like that Air Mauritius now flies from Durban.
What does a veteran traveller carry in her cabin bag on a long-haul flight?
My outbound cabin bag always has a full set of prescription medication and enough clothes to see me through a couple of days in case the luggage goes missing. I also carry things that are difficult to replace quickly: comfortable walking shoes, a couple of swimsuits and my camera. When I’m travelling home I carry all the special things I have bought and don’t want to lose.
At hand I always have a book, a sleeping mask, ear plugs, sleeping pills, Immodium, Valoid and wet wipes. In my luggage are copies of all travel documents and credit cards – the things I carry in my handbag. - Sunday Tribune