Emilia Romagna
From Rochdale to Reggio Emilia
Sitting at the crossroads of Italy’s main communications arteries, Reggio Emilia remains stubbornly below the tourist radar, despite its proximity to, and easy access from Modena and Parma. […]
Articles by Andy
Equipment & Accessories
The Trouble With Women’s Hiking Pants
Why do manufacturers of women’s hiking pants think that women do not require such essentials as maps, GPS devices, mobile phones, and compasses? I want my hiking pants to look good on me, but I also need them to be every bit as functional as men’s. […]
Cornwall
In a Pandemic, Does Customer Service Still Matter?
We felt as if we’d just dined in a motorway service station, albeit one with good food. We would not be dining here again and would probably give them a mediocre rating on TripAdvisor. […]
Devon
A Shocking Return to Walking in Britain
“Lower! Lower!” Jack’s commands assault my ears but my back refuses to bend any further. If I squat, I get the “That’s it!” approval but then I can’t move forward. I decide to just go […]
Living Abroad
Autumn in Portugal, The Seasonal Wheel Turns
Like a living barometer, you don’t need a calendar here on the farm to tell you when the seasons are changing, the animals do that for you … […]
Europe
A Curious Incident On The Way To Viana do Castelo
Something catches my eye, movement by the water line about 200 metres to my right, on the far bank of the river. Squinting into the sun, I see what looks like the torso of a large man hauling himself out of the river, dragging his withered legs behind him… […]
Europe
Being James Bond in Siena, Tuscany
Tables, chairs and parasols line narrow streets and fill small piazzas, their occupants enjoying fat-crusted pizzas whose slices reluctantly pull apart in a cat’s cradle of melted cheese, and plates of pasta topped with rich sauce and drizzled in aromatic olive oil. […]
Drôme Provençale
Drôme Provençale is Provence with Attitude
Tales of magic, mystery and sacrifice surround Val des Nymphes. As I stand astride the rock, I imagine throats being cut and blood spilling down into the undergrowth […]
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 […]
Douro
Plain Sailing on a Douro River Cruise
…the bridges and houses of Regua give way to layer upon layer of slopes braided in vines as the river narrows and the banks draw closer, embracing us in their unbridled beauty. […]
Gastro-hike Destinations
Scotland Is One Of The UK’s Top Gastro-Hike Destinations
With the food expectations bar set at a romantically reminiscent high, and walking expectations right up there with it, it was fitting that some thirty years after first awakening our taste buds, Scotland should receive pride of place as our first UK gastro-hiking destination […]
Europe
Six Setúbal Surprises
Economically and gastronomically upwardly mobile, the city of Setúbal, south of Lisbon, has more secrets than the average espionage agent; these are just six of them… […]
Europe
Dancing in the Rain in Piazza San Marco
From behind the façade of Caffè Florian, the strains of a philharmonic orchestra drift into the piazza lending the scene an ethereal romance. I’m already spellbound when the orchestra begins to play… […]
Europe
Turning Left, A Walk In Palmela, Portugal
For months we’ve lived at the end of a dirt track, in this lovely quinta with its enormous iron gates, always turning right beyond them, back along the dusty, rutted track to reach the road. Today we turn left, and I think of Jean Ainslie… […]
Europe
A Taste of the Camino de Santiago
We pass the familiar stone waymark post with a yellow shell on a blue background. On top, a pair of walking boots sit, their journey done, their story now woven into the very fabric of the Camino… […]