In theory Tully and I should be totally exhausted by the time we get to the Mistral. After all, between us, we’ve travelled almost 24,000 kilometres in a day and a half, taken six flights, endured fifteen hours of layovers, and crossed seventeen time zones.

The truth though is we’re not exhausted – rather we’re energised and exhilarated by the prospect of catching up with old friends from years gone by and looking forward to the new friends we’re about to meet.

Tully comes all the way from Washington DC (5,300 kms) and I come all the way from Australia (14,750 kms), and I never miss the opportunity to rib Tully that anything under 10,000 kilometres is for amateurs!

We both have other favourite destinations. I like to take off to the beaches of southern Thailand’s west coast, and Tully likes to head south to the Grenadines, Belize or Costa Rica. Yet we both come back to the Mistral every year because it’s where like-minded travellers escaping the complexities of life come to rest or play. Where lifelong friendships begin. Where those hungry for human connection come to feed.

Sometimes you could be forgiven for thinking that all the guests at the Mistral come from the UK but Tully and I humbly submit ourselves as evidence to the contrary, proof that guests come from all over the world.

I remember 2017 in particular when eleven nationalities were represented, including Americans, Spanish, Australians, Canadians, Portuguese, and one particularly fetching Norwegian, to name just a few.  It was a very cosmopolitan holiday that year, and every guest had an interesting story to share.

Tully and I can’t say exactly what it is that draws us back to the Mistral year after year. Perhaps it’s simply the way it makes us feel for a week or two when we are, once again, a part of something very special.  Whatever it is, we can confidently assure those contemplating their first visit that when you discover the Mistral magic, the feeling lasts forever.