Actor Maeve Fitzgerald
What was your best holiday?
Definitely a trip to Antibes when we were given the loan of a friend’s apartment for two weeks. Even though it was on the Côte d’Azur, it had no feeling of exclusivity but was a very relaxed place. It was amazing for sitting in cafes people-watching, and the beaches were small and very quiet. It was only 40 minutes by train from Cannes and Nice, so you could be in the heart of posh places in the blink of an eye. The French way of life is very laid back. They really have things sorted.
What was your worst holiday?
When InterRailing in Europe on my own, I stopped in Vienna, which I was really looking forward to. But all I could find when I arrived were sex shops. The whole place was really dirty and I couldn’t find my way around. Only when I was leaving “Vienna” did I realise that I had stopped at the wrong place and was at an outer suburb. So I missed my opportunity to be in the city.
If budget or work were no restriction, what would be your dream holiday?
The Okavango Delta in Botswana is inland but it floods during the summer months. Because of the floods, many different types of animal gather in the same places and it becomes a huge, amazing safari park and I’d love to take a trip over it in a helicopter.
If you had your pick, who would you bring on holiday with you?
Michael Palin, because he’d know exactly where to go. I love his travel books and television programmes. He knows how to be adventurous but does not do anything too life-threatening. I like the way he manages to find things that other travellers do not.
What’s your favourite place in Ireland? Galway is my favourite city. It has the perfect balance of nightlife and culture. It is the perfect size, is very colourful, is close to the sea, has very friendly people and there is always something to do.
Your recommended holiday reading?
The last book I read on holidays was The Great Gatsbyby F Scott Fitzgerald and I found it a really easy, good read. Shortly afterwards it was made into a film starring Leonardo di Caprio but the Gatsby I had pictured in my head looked nothing like him.
Where will you go to next?
I’ve no holidays planned, but will get to travel around to Cork, Galway and Waterford this spring. I don’t get much of a chance to see the sights when I tour places, but I will get to take some lovely walks and hopefully get out and about.
* Maeve Fitzgerald plays Lady Macbeth in Second Age Theatre Company's Macbeth, currently on nationwide tour. secondage.com
In conversation with
GENEVIEVE CARBERY