Big American Food Trip star Paul Rankin loves gorgeous Crete for an annual treat

Paul Rankin is on the road again with his pal, Nick Nairn, for their latest TV series.

“I know Airdrie isn’t known as a holiday destination but it was to me as a kid.

Until I was 10, when we moved to Belfast, we lived in Ballywalter, County Down, so I had a beach on my doorstep.

It was a lovely, vibrant, wee seaside town where buses used to come with kids on Sunday School trips.

At summer and Easter, we’d hang out there. But once a year we’d head to Scotland to visit my auntie in Airdrie. For us, that was so different we lapped it up.

After we moved to Belfast it’d be places like Portrush.

I’d try and chase girls, but I didn’t have a clue.

If I had to pick an all-time favourite, it’d be southern Crete.

I discovered it about 20 years ago when I was working hard in a restaurant and went to do some yoga.

It made such an impact I’ve gone back nearly every year.

It’s a place called Agios Pavlos I only recently discovered it meant St Paul’s, which makes me love it even more and it’s my go-to battery-recharging place.

I do yoga, exercise and eat clean vegetarian food.

I know Nick wouldn’t agree with that, but stuff him!

It’s right on the beach, but there’s quite a desert landscape so it takes you a while to discover its beauty although beauty it definitely does have.

The light and the shades in the rocks and the texture of the sea are just wonderful. And I’ve got to know the people, so we’ll take a boat to another village and have a slap-up boozy lunch, eating sardines and visiting folks’ houses.

I find the yoga nourishes my body and my mind and I cope better when it’s in my life.

I travelled the world for about five years and my best tropical paradise place was Sri Lanka.

We had a wee shack on the beach and in the morning someone would bring you a breakfast of papaya, toast, boiled eggs and coffee.

In the evening, they’d bring beer and shark grilled in lime juice or potato curries.

“It was just an amazing place to relax and see a totally different way of life.”

Paul and Nick’s Big American Food Trip STV, Mondays at 8pm follows celebrity chefs Paul Rankin and Nick Nairn on a culinary journey along the east coast.