“HEL yeah” sums what I thought when a recent opportunity presented itself to spend a few days in the Finnish capital Helsinki (whose airport code is HEL… genius!). Now, travelling to a Northern European outpost in February doesn’t appeal to everyone, I get that. It’s dark, it’s chilly and it’s wet. But if you think […]

Just north of Lucca lies an unexplored corner of Tuscany, hideout and holdout of traditional artisans, old-school craftsmen, unreconstructed farmers, folksy flavours, and all-round fulsome fascination. Squeezed between the Serchio River valley and the Apuan Alps, the Garfagnana region is way off the beaten track despite being well within striking range of both Lucca city […]

Trufflepig is hiring. That’s right, we’re looking for a bright spark to join our Ferrari-red and on-fire Italy planning team. To be more precise, we’re looking for a location scout, mountain guide, pasta chef, natural diplomat, story-teller, lyricist, software whizz, sartorial advisor, permaculturalist, historian, painter, eater, drinker, dreamer, taster, guzzler, sharer, giver, listener, lecturer, cartographer, empathist, […]

When I’m choosing my preferred wine growing regions, I want more than just great wine, great food, and a decent place to lay my head. I want somewhere that’s going to inspire me. And that’s why, dear friends, should I ever go missing in action, start by looking in the Douro Valley in Portugal. The […]

Now dig this!  Algarve.  Al-gharb. The name was given by the Moors, and means simply “the west”.  And like the other Jimmy says, the west is the best.  So here’s some tips to find your own castles made of sand. First, and let’s be honest here, the development of the Algarve coast was not Portugal’s […]

True to my German heritage, I love sausage. Bratwurst, frankfurter, nürnbergers, landjäger… I love them all, but Berlin has a one-of-a-kind sausage scene so on my recent research trip, I was keen as mustard to try the city’s beloved signature street food: currywurst.  Invented in post-war Berlin by a lady named Herta Heuwer, it has […]

48.8 million hectolitres of wine…now that’s what I call a buzz-inducing bumper crop. In case you haven’t heard: in 2015 Italy surpassed France as the world’s largest wine producer. Mon Dieu! What’s one to do upon hearing such historic news? Well, obviously, you embark immediately on a celebratory road-trip deep into the Chianti, to get […]

When a good friend of mine phoned me up recently to let me know he’d secured permits to walk the Caminito del Rey, I jumped at the chance. “The Kings Little Walk”.  The king in question, none other than Alfonso XIII, inaugurated this pathway in 1921, the aim being to oversee maintenance of the El […]

Maybe it’s the name, but Iceland in the dead of winter doesn’t instantly appeal to those who don’t like the cold.  So we packed our swimsuit and snorkel and set out to put the record straight. At wintertime, Iceland becomes dreamy. Snowy landscapes, stunning Northern light displays, fewer travellers and lower prices mean we think […]

We don’t often toot our Spanish claxon, but we are proud of the corner of Spain from where we plan trips to the Iberian Peninsula.  Home of sherry, flamenco, and the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, here’s 5 reasons why our lovely little province should be on everyone’s bucket list. Cádiz (pronounced: CAH-DEETH). Drenched […]

No one can complicate things like a Frenchman can. Just when you thought it was as easy as ‘bonjour’, here’s our abridged guide on how to say hello in French, reduced to 17 easy-to-remember time/gender/location/religion-specific steps. Think of bonjour as a launchcode: dangerous when it falls into the wrong hands. That’s right, although they taught […]

A resurgence of interest in this little-known region of southern Italy is underway, spearheaded by the sassy sassi of Matera. Last year Matera silenced the critics by beating out better-heeled northern rivals like Siena and Ravenna to be chosen as European Capital of Culture for 2019. The run-up to 2019 is likely to generate a […]

Henry VIII seems to be endlessly fascinating; there is no shortage of books or programs about his reign and his many brides. Katherine Parr, the last of his six wives, is buried at Sudeley Castle & Gardens—the only private castle in England to have a queen entombed within its grounds. Today visitors can explore the […]

We love Iceland, there’s no doubt about that. I have to go out on a limb and say it’s probably my favourite country in the world (I may lose my Swiss citizenship for that comment). Most people who visit are under the impression that they only need a few days to see the county. While […]

I sometimes find it a little strange that graveyards are also tourist attractions. A place where we bury our dead is also, weirdly, a rather pleasant place to walk on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I guess death is very much a part of life, so why the hell not? Things can turn sinister when the […]

I like cities. I don’t like to leave them. Frankly, too much green and nature makes me slightly apprehensive. Wide open, verdant space may seem idyllic in many respects, true, but it can hide suspect hazards. Like bear traps. Or vicious moles. Or dogs off-the-leash intent on crotch investigation. A park, however, is acceptable; a […]