‘Tis the Yuletide season once again, but while some may have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, I’m thinking about fire, pageantry, sheep and the winter solstice in Portugal’s hinterland. It’s been something of a hobby of mine for a few years now to get up to the Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro regions […]
If there’s a city where history still tastes good, it’s Porto. Stand on the Ribeira quayside at sunset with the old Port lodges glowing on the Gaia side, and it hits you: this city was built on a drink. A sweet, ruby-dark, barrel-aged drink that once sailed the world and still defines Portugal today. But […]
Driving south from my home base in Jerez, I naturally like to put some flamenco on the radio. Flamenco is that uniquely Spanish art form where, encapsulated within the syncopated rhythms, electrifying guitar, lyrics, melismatic wails and cries, is the history of Andalusia itself: Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Jews, Muslims and Gypsies, who all contributed their […]
There is Mallorca, and just beyond, there is Mallorca. Rarely have I visited a place that presents such a duplicity between its reputation and surface (overcrowded “package” tourism”) and what you can actually find beyond the beaches, teeming resorts, and yes, the maddening crowds. And I’m here to tell you friends that the Mallorca beyond […]
November, not everyone’s favourite month, as it marks the beginning of shorter days and dark skies, the slip from fall into winter, and for many a sense of dread. Here in Canada, winter means snow, hockey, ice and the opportunity to explore the outdoors in a different way. In England, winter is typically rain and […]
Food is not just sustenance in Italy — it’s language, lineage, theatre, conviviality, and the essential ingredient in the national identity. When people say Italian cuisine — often with that reverent little pause — they usually mean the familiar trinity of pizza, pasta, and meatballs. The images it conjures are cinematic: nonnas in flour-dusted aprons, […]
When I moved to Lozère region of France a little over a year ago, I quickly learned that mushroom picking here isn’t a hobby, it’s a religion. The locals are proud of their land and fiercely protective of their secret spots. When I first mentioned that I liked picking mushrooms, I was met with polite […]
The dark and damp days of November? I say: bring ’em on! – they make my Germanic heart beat faster with anticipation of Christmas market season. This year I will be back in the old country when the yuletide festivities begin, and my mouth is already watering as I dream of the lecker food and drink […]
The Algarve usually brings to mind golden beaches, golf clubs, and resort cocktails with tiny umbrellas. But this little piggy went south to see what’s hiding beyond the pool decks—and found stories of resilience, flavour, and pride bubbling quietly beneath the surface. At first, Culatra looks like time has slowed down to a near halt. […]
It’s a running joke between my friend and planner colleague Anton and me: “Want to come to a farm with me?” or “Been to any farms lately?” Anton and I have different approaches to travel and trip planning. He has the ultimate travel itch, travelling and planning trips all over the world. He’s forever on […]
Dear Rovinj, It sure has been a while. Too long, in fact. Once, summer meant you. Me and you, together—if only for a while. Then, like all great flings, we drifted. I went my way, you went yours. And that was fine. But after all this time, I thought I should check in. Just a […]
I’m not sure what filled me with more dread; the fact that the invitation to the opening ceremony specified a ‘creative chic dress code’ or that it would entail having to walk up the marches du Palais, the epitome of red carpets, possibly in the footsteps of Richard Gere and Michael Fassbender. In true wallflower […]
The Greece of my earliest imaginations came from the iconic pictures of whitewashed villages and blue roof houses overlooking the Aegean Sea, and sun-scorched white sand beaches. I was always dreaming of warmer and sunnier pastures, likely a function of Canadian climate and culture. Greece was a “forever summer” country in my mind, with endless […]
Knowing I have a train to catch fills me with joy. Rail stations are always a fascinating hive of activity, people and machines on the move. Some stand out, most blend in. The human zoo in all its glory. I take great pleasure in observing the madness while turning inwards and entering what I call […]
It’s a good hour before sunrise as our party of six board a Blackfin powerboat. A thin mist of rain dissipates as the first light of dawn emerges from the brooding clouds in the distance. Our vessel cleaves through thankfully still waters as we leave the port of Barbate in southern Spain. A cool poniente […]
No doubt about it, this is a dream job. Even if there comes a point on every research trip when my inner traveler werewolf sprouts a hairy back and howls at the moon. One too many luxury hotel visits or carefully plated amuse-bouche pom poms and the revolt is inevitable. What’s the remedy? To the […]