Scott's teeters over the tiny village of Galilea, with vast south-facing views from every room over the mountain peaks and out to sea. As the taxi climbs on up the mountain road, rounding increasingly sharp bends, I sit back and feel thankful I'm a passenger, rather than a nervous driver, en route to Scott's Galilea. The written directions did say to keep going up, up, up beyond the point where it looked like we were about to run out of mountain and/or oxygen - but all hoteliers exaggerate the unique appeal of their location, don't they? Not George Scott. With this picturesque group of nine traditional houses and studios in mature gardens clinging to the hillside, the Chicagoan proprietor has achieved something very special: a peaceful retreat from the modern world with sufficient luxury to enhance, but not eclipse, the amazing natural beauty of the setting. It's sophisticated, rustic self-catering - just the sort of place writers and artists might retreat to in winter for sunshine, privacy and tranquillity.
That was terrifying.Worst hotel? Fawlty Towers!Best hotel?Again, Fawlty Towers because it was a gorgeous show to be in.Favourite walk/swim/ride/drive?When we stay in Abinger I go on lots of walks, which are wonderful. It hasn't changed since I was a little girl, even down to the roots of the trees and the way the sun shines through the branches.Best meal abroad?I can't remember a particular meal but I adore French cuisine. My daughter-in-law is French and she is a brilliant cook.Dream trip?Timothy is taking me on a cruise around South America this autumn. For somebody who doesn't like opening the front door to put the milk bottles out, this is quite alarming, but I'm sure it will be a great treat and very interesting.Favourite city?London. I love living there and working in the theatres.Where next?I'm going to Edinburgh to do some filming and then I'm pursuing my husband around the country because he's on tour. That'll take me to places such as Malvern, Brighton, Cambridge and Salisbury.'Prunella: The Authorized Biography of Prunella Scales' by Teresa Ransom (John Murray, £16.99) is in shops now. We stayed with my aunt in Yorkshire and we had to travel across the Pennines via Leeds and Carnforth by train during the air raids.
I also like catching up with the classics that one should have read, like Dickens. If I'm in France I like to read French classics.Where has seduced you?Paris. I love its history, theatre, music and art galleries.Better to travel or arrive?To arrive, in all cases.Worst travel experience?Travelling during the war was very frightening. I like finding out about the language and culture of the place that I'm going to.Holiday reading?Apart from language books, I take crossword puzzles. I'm not much of a traveller but my husband is, so it suits us both because the boat is like my travelling nest.What have you learnt from your travels?How much I love my home Tim and I spend a lot of time on tour thanks to our jobs. I also spend lots of time chasing him around because he adores travelling. We hate being apart so we try to meet up if we're working away from home.Favourite place in the British Isles?I'm very fond of Abinger in Surrey.