Name
Patrick Fenech
Age
54
Occupation
Contemporary artist and photographer
My best holiday ever…
Jamaica, undoubtably. It was also my longest trip. I now realise why Columbus thought he had found the ‘gates of heaven’.
The flora, fauna, waterfalls flowing into the sea, ‘blue’ mountains, white sandy beaches, beautiful people and loads of rum make this tropical island the next best thing to paradise. Bob Marley still reigns strong; he’s all over the place.
I would never return to…
Nowhere. I don’t think there is a place which has put me off. I have revisited quite a few places time and again. I keep away from the obvious tourist ruts so I’m not disappointed and my concept of travel is to integrate with the locals as much as possible and experience their culture.
The most dangerous place I’ve visited…
Every place or city is beautiful and dangerous at the same time. You just have to be streetwise, I suppose, and know when to time-out.
My favourite city…
Is always London; it’s also my second home. It has always been. Different cultures, yummy food, best museums and art, music and theatre, incredible parks and pub life. Most museums are free.
You can walk into an art lecture at the National Gallery, V&A or Tate Modern and listen to a top curator or an art expert; pre-booking is advisable. Londoners have a strict work ethic during the day, but when it comes to free time, they can really let their hair down, especially after a pint or two.
My most memorable experience on an aircraft…
Was definitely during my first trip to Tunisia in the early 1980s. To my surprise, the aircraft was as basic as they come, something you would see in an Indiana Jones film: propellers, smoke and very noisy. The man next to me was loaded with live bird cages, which I found very ironic; a bird which normally flies alone, now boarding an aircraft to fly to the other side of the Med.
My most treasured holiday souvenir…
When in Moscow in the 1980s, I was introduced to an upcoming portrait painter by the name of Sacha, who had several commissions, including high ranking army generals and political personalties.
I went to his studio on a freezing cold April evening and Sacha gave us a good welcome with some peppered vodka. As we spoke about art, he did my portrait in pastel in a matter of 15 minutes, which he gave me as a memento of our encounter. Sacha is now a successful painter in New York City.
My biggest gaffe abroad…
I don’t recall any.
The friendliest people…
I was overwhelmed by the friendliness of the Turkish people.
I was in Istanbul and Izmir on an art residence programmeand conference and my camera broke down. They just gave me a new one and that was just the beginning.
I remember one day I needed to get to the Imzir University of Economics and had no idea of how the bus system worked. A young student at the café where I was having breakfast knew a bit of English and offered me his electronic bus ticket to get me going, insisting on escorting me to the nearest bus stop.
I couldn’t believe it. I suppose we Maltese have a lot to learn from these people if we are to sustain a proper tourist industry. It’s all about hospitality.
I never travel without...
A camera and a Swiss army knife; these always come handy.
The taxi ride I will never forget…
It wasn’t a taxi, really; rather I needed to quickly get back tothe Charlton Hotel in Manhattan, where a taxi was booked totake me to JFK airport. I was stuck on Fifth Avenue during rush hour and could not get a taxi to my hotel.
Suddenly, this young Anglo-Saxon and well-built girl stopped in front of me and asked if I wanted to hire her rickshaw service.
I instantly said yes and jumped in. Life is so great: bang in the middle of New York with all those expensive cars and traffic moving slowly, and here I was with ‘Goldilocks’, zooming past all the red lights in her chariot. She wasn’t cheap, but I got there on time.
My all-time favourite holiday photo...
Loads.
An unforgettable hotel...
The Astoria Hotel in Leningrad – 1984. I was on a cultural exchange and put up my first exhibitions in Moscow and Leningrad.
After dinner with the Russian cultural attaché, having talked all evening about the Roman Empire, he pointed out to five gorgeous women lined up near the bar and said. “You can take your pick and take her to your room”.
They were the ‘house ladies’ all dressed in halternecks, long evening dresses in different colours; all I had to do was mention the colour. I suppose this was the Russian way of saying ‘good night’.
I return most often to...
Italy and the UK.
My ideal travel companion...
A few good books.
Country with the best cuisine...
Italy and France, and Morocco comes next.
My next holiday plans…
Venice once again, to visit the art Biennale.
My dream trip…
Incredible India.
I partied hardest in…
London. I remember when my wife, Jackie Robinson, was still an art student at Camberwell School of Arts and Craft, I used to go along to the Christmas parties. They partied so hard that I once had to call a taxi and leave... couldn’t take it anymore.
Maybe I was not used to this sort of partying. It was great fun to watch the likes of Tim Roth and Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen cross-dress and Chris Hartley throwing in the deadly punch bowl, now all celebrities in their own right.
My travel tip…
Feel at home, open up to new experiences and most important of all relax.