In a sea of gondolas and fast motor boats, the Eolo — a fully restored Venetian bragozzo, or flat-bottom fishing boat, painted with the classic black and white decorations — proudly unfurls its trapezoidal rust-red sails to the winds: quite a proclamation, visually and conceptually, even from afar. Irreverent, you might think, yet very much […]
Most folk arrive into Iceland in the early morning after an overnight flight, the dreaded red-eye, and so it’s a good idea on arrival to take it slow and easy. However, many trips to Iceland tend to be quite short, so there is a counter tendency to want to hit the ground running. On balance, […]
At over 3,172 kilometres in total, Ireland’s coastline is the longest per head of population in Europe. That’s a lot of sheltered, stony coves, and blustery, sandy strands for not a lot of people. Growing up near a seaside village where others flocked to on holiday, the most important question was often: “which beach should […]
On a recent research trip to Panama, a local described it to me as the 1000 island country, something I hadn’t previously imagined. Nicaragua is the land of volcanoes, Guatemala the land of the Maya… I’d been used to thinking of Panama primarily as the jungle-rich country surrounding the canal. But islands? Running down its […]
I think, therefore, I Ham. It’s been bitingly cold and dreary (as far as that is possible) in Sevilla and I need a cure, I need to infuse myself with greenery, sunshine, a delectable meal. Looking gnawingly through the cupboard I see our jamón supply is at critically low levels, so in a moment of […]
It’s hard to encapsulate the essence of a place in a single phrase. There are too many layers and complexities, flavours and voices, volumes and colours. But when I think of my latest trip to Florence, “the devil is in the details” comes to mind. I was caught up in a whirlwind of self-inflicted (and […]
Kathmandu! Say it out loud. Feel it roll and fall out of one’s mouth like a pebble down some glacial river. The sounds of named things in Nepal; Dwarika’s, Phaplu, Lo Manthang. I can’t stop saying these words, whispering them to myself in a jet lagged state, over and over like a madman tourist. I […]
In a few very bumpy turns in the road up from Pokhara, languages and religions shift, landscapes morph, weather patterns evolve, and then you are in a wee corner of the geopolitical map of Nepal called Mustang, but you have entered a larger cultural region that stretches across Tibet and Xinjiang all the way to […]
It is no secret that we take food seriously in Spain, so let’s address the Paella question. Maybe you think of paella simply as a rice dish. It is so much more than that, and is on its way to being recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (or at least we hope so). Furthermore, for […]
We’re excited to formalise the pledge made in our Hoofprint Project, by officially joining the 1% to the Planet community. This remarkable organisation brings together thousands of businesses worldwide who commit to donating 1% of sales to environmental causes. It’s great for us because we can rely on their established expertise in identifying and certifying […]
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 […]
Most people know Kenya for the Masai Mara and the famed river crossings of the Great Migration. Yet to me, that’s almost the least exciting part. I find Kenya to be utterly compelling in far broader ways. It’s a place that remains in my imagination, a frontier, a place where an older type of less […]
In the gastronomic pantheon, hundreds of foods take their names from famous figures, spanning the whole alphabet from Eggs Benedict to Caesar Salad, Beef Wellington to Peach Melba. In Italy the most popular dish in such a category has to be the pizza Margherita, which, according to the legend, was created by Raffaele Esposito Brandi […]
In November 2024 Germany officially celebrates 35 years since reunification; it’s not been an easy road and continues to unite and divide. The country has come a long way, but to a degree East & West still exist in people’s minds, is reflected in salaries, political orientation and the like. Time to take a brief […]
Early afternoon , Bastille Day, 1989. I have been standing on the roundabout next to my house for nearly 3 hours. The moment I have been waiting for weeks is finally arriving. Le Tour de France, also known as La Grande Boucle, is passing my hometown, and on its way to Marseille, the finish of […]
Sifnos is the island next-door for me. Serifos is “my” island – I started going there a good 25 years ago, and from the moment I set foot on it, I knew I’d be back and start spending my summers there. I still do. It’s mountainous, wild and unpolished; beaches are virgin, and the occasional […]