Paula has spent the last five years living in and writing her way around the fringes of the Mediterranean, from a cultural history of Libya to Lonely Planet projects in Italy, Morocco and Spain. This has given her a deep appreciation of the composite oriental and occidental culture that makes southern Italy and Sicily endlessly fascinating, while repeated visits over the years have allowed her to savour the changing colours and contexts of Mediterranean life. When not climbing mountains and volcanoes to work off the worst excesses of Italian restaurants, Paula lives in London and contributes travel articles to the Telegraph, Independent, Daily Express and Wanderlust Travel Magazine.