Holiday habits: Simon Le Bon
Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon opens up about his travel experiences
INTERVIEW: CHARLIE DAWSON
“I tour a lot so I'm used to packing, but when I go on holiday it takes me ages. It’s the one time I try to pack ‘light’ – everything crammed into my two suitcases. Globe-Trotter makes luggage that somehow, magically, helps you pack exactly the right weight, but by the end of my holiday I’m sick of wearing everything I’ve brought with me. I used to lose a lot of luggage in the 1980s – maybe it was just me. Technology has thankfully come a long way, helping with that.
“I holiday in Ibiza every year. It’s where Yasmin and I take the family for three weeks. I first went there in 1985 with Duran Duran to play the Ku club, but didn’t go back again until 2001. It was all about the clubbing back then. Now, I like going to restaurants like Juan y Andrea at Playa de Illetas beach in neighbouring Formentera – amazing restaurants where you sit with your feet in the sand, drinking chilled rosé and eating sea bass baked in salt. It’s full of loaded Russians with their super yachts moored out to sea, you have to book days in advance and it’s not cheap.
“I like Rome, too – all that classical architecture, the food and the wine. Croatia is beautiful, but best seen from the sea. In Milan there are two amazing hotels – the Bulgari and the Four Seasons. I also go to St Tropez in October to take part in a race called The Sails of San Tropez with my yacht, Rio.
“I take holiday pictures on a digital camera but I lost my hard drive in February and all my shots with it. I’m not a huge user of Twitter, Flitter, Nutter… whatever… but I did post footage of my sailing on YouTube. We were flying along in 35 knots of wind. It was cool! Hang on, let me find it… where is it? [Simon disappears into his laptop, unable to find the footage.] Anyway, there’s a link to it on Duranduran.com.
“The next plane I’m catching is to Moscow to play some shows, and then up to Edinburgh Castle for a gig. I’m coming back to play Lovebox on Saturday 18 July and trying to arrange a surprise duet with Florence and the Machine. I did say surprise didn’t I? Damn!”
Duran Duran Play Edinburgh castle on 16 July, and the Lovebox festival in London on 18 July.
