I’m driving on secondary country lanes, having just taken an exit north of Coimbra, on Portugal’s A1 tollway that joins the capital to coastal Porto, some three hours’ journey. As often happens when driving through this country, take just about any random turn, and modern efficient roads are quickly replaced by rolling hills with endless […]
After a steaming plate of fresh mussels has been set on the table to replace the mound of sautéed pimientos de Padrón (Padrón sweet green peppers) that we’ve just worked our way through, I reflect on how unanticipated moments like these make great travel. In front of me at the table is 2 Michelin-starred Galician […]
Picture this scene: seated under a pergola on a crisp but sunny morning in late November, I’m enjoying freshly made harcha and msemmen (panfried semolina and flatbreads respectively) drizzled with honey and olive oil. Clearly in the distance, the sing-song call and response of local Berber villagers is clearly audible, as they are underway with […]
Olive oil, wine, and cork. Lots of cork. I know of few places whose story can be so thoroughly woven together by and distilled down to such spare components. Portugal’s Alentejo region is these things and more. But trying to describe this region beyond these finite products is for me a futile exercise. As with […]
If you got here by searching Google for “what the hell to do with a quince?”, you’re in luck. As the winter solstice approaches and we settle in for several months of short, cold days and even colder, longer nights, thoughts turn to fires cackling away in chimneys, and slowly bubbling pots of stews and […]
La Tournée des Grands Ducs (literally, The Tour of the Grand Dukes) is a common saying in France to refer to painting the town red, Dionysian style, or rather … Russian. The term has it roots in the habits of two Grand Dukes of Russia – Vladimir and Alexei – the mischievous sons of Emperor […]
It is Friday morning in early December, and I’ve just arrived in Frankfurt, the bustling German metropolis often referred to as Mainhattan for its decidedly un-European plethora of skyscrapers nestled along the Main river. I have the joyous task of spending a long weekend introducing a good friend – and first time visitor to my home […]