Mike Cussen describes his holidays
What's your earliest holiday memory?I have happy memories as a kid on Lower Cove in Kinsale with my grandmother and family. It's a quiet, out-of-the-way pebbly beach.
What was your worst holiday?A trip to Barleycove, west Cork, when I was five years old. It was a scorching hot day and I was sick. I had to sit in the car while everyone else got to go swimming. It was torture.
What was your best holiday?Myself and Eileen did a two week backpacking holiday around Italy a few years ago from Milan to Florence, Pisa, Venice and Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is just paradise, the food was great, it was very laid-back and there was plenty of wine sampling done. Some of the wine trips can be great fun. Our last trip over to Languedoc with six other people from the Wine Buff shops was a knees-up and we were looked after royally. We deal with small family-run vineyards and it really helps to meet the people and see how they operate.
If budget or work were not a restriction, what would be your dream holiday?We are getting married in September, so for our honeymoon Rajasthan, India, would be the dream destination to experience the culture and the food, as we are both big fans of Indian cooking.
If you had your pick, who would you bring on holiday with you?I'd have to bring herself. She always plans the holiday and is an internet genius in organising, a brilliant navigator and a handy enough drinking buddy. She has rescued me a few times with her good sense of direction.
What's your favourite place in Ireland? Loop Head is a particular favourite as you can be completely alone. It is very peaceful and tranquil. Kinsale is another favourite as the coastline is spectacular and the chance of getting sunshine is a bit higher than on the east coast.
Your recommended holiday reading?The last book I read was Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel. I'd recommend Papillon by Henri Charrière and some Steinbeck such as The Log from the Sea of Cortez or Cannery Row (I spent a J1 summer in Monterey). Being in the business we are in we always have Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book with us.
Where will you go to next?Aside from the honeymoon, we will probably take a trip to Bordeaux in September to help out with the harvest in a vineyard which belongs to the Wine Buff franchise owner. Grapes are harvested by hand in a lot of vineyards and everyone is drafted in depending on the size of the place. You're paid in liquid form.
* Mike Cussen runs The Wine Buff shop in Sandycove, Co Dublin with Eileen Buckley. www.thewinebuff.com