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Holly Folkard-Smith
The Journal

Editorial dispatches from the road.

First-hand reviews of restaurants, bars, hotels and destinations - honest opinions and places worth your time.

Rows of terracotta fringed parasols and wooden sun loungers on the sand at Pampelonne beach near Saint-Tropez, looking out to the turquoise Mediterranean.
Destinations·French Riviera, France

The French Riviera Road Trip: A 10-Day Itinerary from Nice to Saint-Tropez

Ten days along the Côte d'Azur — Nice, Eze, Monaco, Menton, Antibes, Tourtour, Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Tropez. A day-by-day road trip diary with the addresses, drives and long lunches I'd send a friend on.

4 July 2026·14 min read
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Holly walking toward a sunlit fountain and flower gardens in a grand Provençal town square, with pastel buildings and mountains rising in the distance.
Destinations·Côte d'Azur & Provence, France

The Best Day Trips in the South of France: Antibes, Pampelonne, Tourtour, Saint-Tropez & Nice

Just back from the Côte d'Azur — a personal round-up of the five day trips I'd send anyone on: Antibes and Cap d'Antibes, Pampelonne Beach, Tourtour, Saint-Tropez and Nice.

1 July 2026 · 8 min read
A couple standing on the Trocadéro promenade in winter with the Eiffel Tower and low golden sun behind them.
Destinations·Paris, France

48 Hours in Paris: A Real Itinerary for Food, Views & Slow Mornings

Two days, two neighbourhoods, more pastries than is sensible - my honest 48 hour Paris itinerary covering Montmartre mornings, Seine sunsets and the food stops I'd send a friend to.

25 June 2026 · 9 min read
The entrance to SALTO beach club on Pampelonne beach near St Tropez - a white timber pavilion with the red SALTO sun-logo, framed by gravel paths, palms and Mediterranean greenery.
Destinations·Pampelonne Beach, St Tropez, France

SALTO: The New Beach Club Taking Over Pampelonne, St Tropez

The new beach club on Pampelonne turning heads in St Tropez - inside SALTO, where an Italian-Korean kitchen duo serves fresh seafood and Mediterranean pastas with your feet in the sand.

20 June 2026 · 7 min read
A sunlit lane in Tourtour with an ivy-covered Provençal house, pink bougainvillea in pots, and a stone archway topped with a small bell tower — the heart of this medieval village in the sky.
Destinations·Tourtour, Provence, France

Tourtour: The Village in the Sky With the Best Views in the South of France

Perched 600m above the Var valley in Provence, Tourtour earned its 'village dans le ciel' nickname for a reason — medieval stone, twin towers, olive groves and one of the most jaw-dropping views in the south of France.

16 June 2026 · 6 min read
The winter matcha flight at The Wyatt in Gordon, Sydney — five piccolo-sized matchas (Original, Truffle Black Sesame, Coconut, Matcha Cloud on Jasmine and Strawberry) made with Kaizen matcha from Uji, served on a wooden tray.
Restaurants·Gordon, Sydney, Australia

The Wyatt: Sydney's New Matcha Flight & Truffle Menu in Gordon

Five piccolo-sized matchas from Kaizen (Uji) and a dedicated truffle menu sourced from Truffle Hill in Manjimup — inside The Wyatt, the Gordon cafe quietly turning Sydney's North Shore into a matcha destination.

9 June 2026 · 5 min read
Two friends hold Devil Wears Prada 2 admit-one tickets at the YSO cinema club premiere night in a gold class library-style lounge in Sydney, surrounded by Maltesers and Napoleon Perdis goodie bags.
Destinations·Sydney, Australia

YSO Cinema Club: Inside Sydney's Girls-Only Movie Night at the Devil Wears Prada 2 Premiere

Themed cocktails, a makeup station and a gold class screening of Devil Wears Prada 2 — inside YSO, the Sydney cinema club founded by Poppy that's reimagining girls' night.

8 June 2026 · 5 min read
Holly Folkard-Smith sipping a salt-rimmed cocktail at a candlelit Sydney restaurant — the opener for the May 2026 round-up of the best places to eat in Sydney.
Restaurants·Sydney, Australia

The 10 Best Places I Ate in Sydney in May 2026

From hand-rolled pasta in Surry Hills to wood-fired pizza in Paddington — the 10 best places I ate in Sydney this May, ranked and reviewed first-hand.

7 June 2026 · 8 min read
A guest holds a frothy 'Lola' cocktail at DrGoodes in Paddington, Sydney — a tropical medley of coconut rums and citrus at the disco-soaked boogie lounge whose moody poster wall of funk and soul artwork has made it one of the best new cocktail bars in Sydney.
Bars & Nightlife·Sydney, Australia

Inside DrGoodes: The Boogie Lounge Rewriting Sydney's Nightlife

A disco ball, wood-fired pizza and the 'Lola' cocktail — a tropical medley of coconut rums and citrus — inside Paddington's boogie lounge that is rewriting Sydney nightlife.

5 June 2026 · 6 min read