Taking a decent photo has been rendered as easy as it’s ever been. Digital cameras are so smart that as long as you have a steady hand, decent eye, and reasonably flexible index finger you’ll probably get a pretty good image. But capturing a great shot, really nailing it, still takes a whole lot more […]

The first thing about Sextantio that doesn’t make much sense is its name. Sextantio calls itself an “Albergo Diffuso”, which literally means diffused hotel. This is because the rooms and facilities are randomly scattered about the medieval hilltop town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio. The second thing about Sextantio that might make you scratch your […]

When the calendar ticks over from September to October, you’ll find me salivating at the gates of the the International White Truffle Fair in Alba, Piemonte. As if being home to the greatest Italian red wine of all, Barolo (I’ll brook no arguments), were not enough, Alba also just happens to be the epicenter of […]

You may (or may not) have noticed that we haven’t posted a single new Sounder article since the tail end of 2012. What can I say, we’ve been busy planning a lot of trips. I hasten to add that our long-time, ever-steady and always-reliable Sounder editor, Amy Smithers, skipped town a month ago to travel […]

Let’s go out on a limb and predict that the world isn’t going to end tomorrow. Christmas and New Year’s will come and go, and then those of us in the northernmost parts of the northern hemisphere will enter what one Trufflepig planner calls “the long, dark tea time of the soul.” Give your soul […]

Sure, the flurries are a beautiful novelty right now. We’re all dreaming of a white Christmas too. But come January, escape is going to be the only thing on your mind. Plan your trip now with a few of our favourite suggestions for this January. You can call it a new year’s resolution if that […]

Right in the heel of Italy, sandwiched between the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic and Ionian seas, lies the understated and laid-back Puglia. This southern province offers fortified farms with home grown feasts, romantic harbours with a sunset backdrop, and an unrivalled diversity of architecture. Always keen to stay away from the well-trodden path, […]

Cast aside your umbrella, intrepid shoppers of Paris. Even as November’s freezing rain pours down, you can stroll the streets of the Right Bank undrenched; shopping, dining and even staying overnight in the passageways and galleries of Paris. From Stella McCartney to wine bars, teeny tiny antiques shops and seconds art book stores, there are […]

On all of my previous trips to Switzerland, I bought a lot. Not just enough to fit a suitcase. I’m talking multiple suitcases, small fortunes spent in chocolate alone and coats packed full of goodies to bring back home to friends and family. It was a constant battle against weight limits and baggage allowances. A […]

Time passes slowly outside of the city in Andalucia. The summer sun hangs endlessly overhead and the bulls appear as leisurely and slow as the burros. Yet, on the coast you can pass the long days with surprising swiftness and ease at one of Spain’s little lauded guilty pleasures, the chiringuito. The coast on the […]

As a self confessed ski addict, the end of the season leaves me with sweaty palms and in a mild panic, knowing that it will be a whole year before winter comes round again; a whole year before another trip to the snowy mountains. Of course there’s the option of the southern hemisphere, but the […]

Pop-up restaurants are nothing new in places like New York, London and Paris, but in rural Andalucia the concept is just making its mark on the gastronomic underground. Wild boar and hares beware. When your favourite chef works exclusively on a freelance basis, what else is there to do but gather your best food loving […]

If you think about it, privacy is the ultimate luxury. Now that you’re a grown-up, you don’t have to share your toys anymore, and how lovely not to share your pool with anyone, either. Where:  Domaine de Murtoli, Corsica, France Why: Yes, there are some other people staying on this sprawling estate in the unspoiled French […]

Usually a sandwich requires some mayo, mustard or olive oil to grease the wheels, as it were. Not this one. Where: Pizzicheria de Miccoli, Siena, Italy What: Don’t be fooled by the name. An Italian ‘pizzicheria’ is not to be confused with a ‘pizzeria’. Whereas the latter serves pizza, the former is more like a […]

Try looking for a guidebook on Puglia, the “heel” of Italy’s boot. The few resources you will find are mere footnotes in the context of the volumes written about Italy’s more frequented destinations. I think it’s because Puglia’s most extraordinary moments cannot be tightly scripted. Puglia is certainly not lacking in dramatic coastlines, fertile farmland, […]

I’ve got a whole new angle on my travel and it’s very enlightening. Here’s what I learned looking up during my recent trip to southern Italy. • Even the most dignified statue looks really silly wearing a pigeon hat. • Church steeples embellished with skulls and crossbones do not have a very subtle marketing message. • I was […]