It’s raining outside, cold inside and there might be more snow. What could be better than closing your eyes and thinking of summer. Summer in Formentera in fact.

The island where everyone is so laid back most don’t bother with clothes and you feel a million miles away from platform 3 at Liverpool Street Station.

Es Ram is nestled in a pine grove and is a wash of white and cream punctuated by brightly coloured gardens and the piercing blue sea. The resort is made up of ‘living spaces’; an 8 bedroom main house, a 2 bedroom and shared bathroom villa, and three double occupancy independent villas.

Potter around, borrow a Fiat Panda for some tootling, take a déshabillé dip from the private beach, relax on double loungers scattered among the boulders and saunter over to the main house for some al fresco Italian seafood under the stars.

Daydream here, rates from around £800 p/p per week including breakfast.

The home of exuberant decadence has launched The Ultimate Fitness Retreat in partnership with PTX Performance Training. The programme, devised to be physically and mentally challenging, involves a four day three night stay of hospitality and high impact ‘performance’ (they don’t mention the e-word).

In this short space of time guests will be led through ‘a dynamic and exhilarating journey of personal discovery designed to renew,rejuvenate and inspire individuals to embrace and sustain a positive change in their lives’.

In the spirit of the Burj guests will benefit from daily 45 minute massages, sunrise yoga, food demonstrations from incredible Chefs who also provide a full board of meals, snacks and drinks.

If any quick fix is going to work then this is it. Sign us up!

Price
About £2,250 single or £3,000 double occupancy
Four day all-inclusive package excluding flights

It is always a struggle to find a Christmas present for parents but we don’t think you could do much better than this if your budget is around £150 per parent – the ‘Auberge Package’ from Michelin starred Auberge du Lac.

For £295 parents will stay in a double room in Melbourne Lodge, formerly the Brocket Hall stable-block that has been transformed into 16 bedrooms.

Dinner is three courses from the à la carte menu (or £20 extra for the six course tasting menu) at Auberge du Lac which is a pretty stroll from Melbourne Lodge.

Under the guidance of executive chef Phil Thompson this former hunting lodge has gained a reputation as one of the most interesting out-of-London restaurants; current menu dishes include ‘roast ribeye of Dedham Vale beef, Guinness & treacle cured fore rib, braised snail, salsify & parsley root‘ and ‘warm bitter chocolate fondant, milk chocolate & vanilla salt, pistachio & pear‘.

The following morning they will receive the morning papers and a full English breakfast at the Golf Club with it’s amazing view of the lake and Brocket Hall. A round of golf can be added to the package.

Has Wimbledon consumed your life? Are backhands, serves and volleys bouncing around in your brain? Try a professional tennis week with Jeremy Bates, once pro player and now coach whose career highlights include wins over Becker, McEnroe, Agassi and Sampras. There will be no threat of being rained off in Carlisle Bay where the eight cushioned hard courts and one artificial grass court are surrounded by the backdrop of Antiguan rainforests.

Five days of tennis coaching, welcome drinks by Jeremy, end of week competition and prize giving dinner, full board accommodation and return flights and transfers cost £2,995 per person.

10th-16th July
13th-19th November

Will a smaller more intimate affair than the London counterpart mean more food for less crowns? Let’s hope so!

Neon are especially excited about Vincaffe, Ondine and Restaurant Martin Wishart after delicious dinners and equally interested to see what Cucina at Hotel Missoni and Plumed Horse will cook up after disappointing visits.

Tickets are on sale online and by telephone
£12 for adults and £6 for children
The Meadows, Edinburgh

The weather is off and on here in the UK but in Ibiza it is lovely and warm and quiet. Countryside retreat Atzaró is hidden in orange groves north of the island, once an old farmhouse it is now styled in typical Ibizan African/Arabic/Asian fusion with lots of white and daybeds by the pool.

The restaurant serves modern food with similar influences as the decor; terrine of foie mi-cuit with caramelized mash medlar and violet jam and chocolate couland with passion fruit cream and mint ice-cream.

As well as a spa with a sauna and hammam there is a lap pool, swimming pool, exercise room and yoga space to keep your cholesterol zen.

A ‘Gastronomic Getaway’ package offers 2 nights accommodation in a superior room with a la carte breakfast, fruit and champagne on arrival, full use of spa facilities, one gastronomic dinner with tasting menu and one a la Carte dinner. £412 for 2 persons.

For more offers and hotels in Ibiza take a look at White Ibiza

Thanks to the Tapas Fantasticas event last weekend neon found A Taste of Spain, a Spanish company that organises culinary tours and a great resource for any trip planning.

The website is split into the 5 areas of breaks; Tours, Cooking Classes, Tapas Sessions, Gourmet Tastings and Customised Services. Here are neon’s favourites:

A guided tour of Barcelona’s Santa Caterina food market followed by a tutored olive oil tasting where an olive oil expert will take you through different varieties of extra virgin olive oils. The tasting is followed by a full lunch illustrating different varietals and uses of olive oil.

A weekend tour of La Mancha to lend a hand in the harvest of saffron with the local women learning the peeling, toasting, drying and packaging of the saffron flowers, all accompanied by various meals of local saffron recipes.

For more hands-on try vegan cooking classes in a private kitchen in Madrid, learn to cook an authentic Paella in Valencia, test your skills with Nueva Cocina in San Sebastian, chomp your way through the land of Ibérico Ham or take a private visit to a bodega followed by a boozy lunch.

Neon loves Madrid and Madrid loves Neon, we can say that because this amazing city loves everyone, Madrilleno or not. We may have this view because circa 2003 more time was spent hopping from club to club than strolling around the Retiro or marvelling art at the Prado, pues nada, the place rocks. A recent office debate decided that it was cheaper to leave London for the weekend than stay in it. I cannot think of a better weekend jaunt than Madrid.

Easyjet flights from Luton (£70 return) + double room in the cool De Las Letras hotel right on the Gran Via (from £75) = weekend spend £220.

Adios amigos!