Europe
In a valley on La Gomera
Jo will be gutted when I tell her Benedict Allen almost chose La Gomera as a place to lay his dusty, old wide-brimmed hat for a while. She’ll be furious when I tell her why. […]
Spain
Europe
Learning to live with eating seasonal fruit and vegetables
Travelling around rural parts of Europe we regularly spot roadside fruit and veg stalls, a good way of seeing what are the seasonal ‘in things’ in any destination. […]
Europe
Gastronomy in the Cloud at Nub, La Laguna
If we were in any doubt as to the importance of the cloud analogy to the restaurant, ‘snacks in the cloud’ dispelled it, providing six contrasting bites, two of which were placed on white clouds atop tall spikes […]
Chile
The good, bad and ugly of hire cars and airports
A factor often connected with satisfaction levels is picking up/dropping off rental cars. The experience, good or bad, doesn’t impact on how we view a destination, but it can leave a lasting impression. […]
Europe
Discovering La Palma, again
Bejeques (house leeks) the size of small bushes burst from cracks in dry-stone walls. Sweet peas, snapdragons, and California poppies devoured whole sections of embankments outside traditional cottages. On grassy tracks between hamlets, wild flowers – proud tajinastes and aromatic wild lavender – took over the reins. […]
Food & drink
Raising a glass to the vineyards of Europe
It was the second time in just over a week we’d stayed in a vineyard. Both cases prompted thoughts of many other visits to vineyards around Europe, visits that had formed long-lasting, warm and fuzzy (not just thanks to enthusiastic tasting) memories. […]
Hiking
The footballer’s cabin on Tenerife
The landscape is thirsty, the skeletal remains of grasses which weren’t exactly bushy to begin with look tinder-dry. Even in one of the sunniest spots of a sun-kissed island you might expect a dash more greenery in midwinter. […]
Bavaria
There’s no guarantee you’ll like this travel destination
There’s history as rich as anywhere, Roman ruins, golden beaches, forests, plains, scenic ridges, Moorish castles, traditional towns, sprawling vineyards, more gastronomic specialities than you’d find in a trendy London deli, the people are exceedingly friendly, and there’s the Virgin Mary on a giant mule. […]
Food & drink
You say patata bravas I say batta harra, it’s all tapas
Tapas might be considered a Spanish ‘invention’ but it’s actually a sociable way of eating which is popular in many countries. […]
Andros
Adjusting to rural transport around Europe
As we specialise in hiking we regularly find ourselves in areas where figuring out how we’re going to travel to, or return from, a linear walking route using whatever local transport is available can prove somewhat of a ‘suck it and see’ exercise. […]
La Palma
Scenes from the water’s edge
As the wintery sun yawns and slips towards the duvet of the horizon there’s a mini pilgrimage in Alcochete on the southern banks of the Tagus. The place of worship is Alcach, a bar with jazzy sounds and chairs facing west. […]
Food & drink
Michelin recommended restaurants in the Canary Islands
Whilst the focus of this is ostensibly about Michelin restaurants in the Canary Islands it isn’t just about Michelin recommendations, or exclusively about the Canary Islands for that matter. […]
Equipment & Accessories
The art of map reading, an essential skill for walkers
It’s funny that something I learnt at an early age – how to direct artillery fire onto an enemy position with pinpoint accuracy – could become an essential part of my working life decades later. […]
El Hierro
Worlds of difference, comparing Canary Islands
Going into detail about the differences between the Canary Islands would fill a book, so I’m only going to provide a brief snapshot as an illustration why it’s essential to universe-hop when carrying out travel research. […]
Europe
The travel destination with a perfect climate
It is 46C. My phone pings with warnings from the Portuguese Met Office about there being an extreme risk of fires. We will eat lunch outside, huddling under the shade of an umbrella which only […]