Emilia Romagna
Travelling through Emilia Romagna by train
Emilia Romagna’s main cities lie in a line between Milan and Rimini. Throughout the day, travellers rarely have to wait to long to catch a train south east or north west. […]
Europe
Hiking
Walking on La Palma after the volcanic eruption of 2021
La Palma’s world changes at Las Manchas. As well as the new ‘mountain’, the Volcán de Tajogaite (a name voted for by the islanders), there are smaller hills of ash, glistening in the sunshine as JCBs attempt to shovel them into some sense of order. […]
Emilia Romagna
Learning the rules of Italian cooking
We fell foul of the rules of Italian cooking in a kitchen tucked away the end of a shadowy courtyard off a nondescript street on the western edge of Bologna’s old centre. […]
Alentejo
Six of the best in Alcácer do Sal
Alcácer do Sal is one of those Alentejo towns that is a sight for sore eyes, yet remains hidden from the gaze of mass tourism. […]
Fuerteventura
The prettiest towns in the Canary Islands
The irony isn’t lost on me that in the same week I wrote about not liking travel lists on my personal website, I’m positively referencing a travel list on this one, in this case the prettiest towns in the Canary Islands. […]
Devon
The joy of winter walking in Britain
The author of a Guardian article about winter walking in Britain fell into the latter. As a relatively recent returner to yomping across Britain’s countryside, I found it interesting to compare his experiences with mine. […]
El Hierro
How many Canary Islands are there?
The Canaries are made up of large islands, small islands (islets), and lumps of land protruding from the sea that ambiguously lie somewhere between being tiny islets and big rocks. […]
Hiking
Walking to the mountain lake in Peneda-Gerês
Anyone who knows Portugal’s only National Park will be aware there is more than one mountain lake in Peneda-Gerês, but the one above Peneda itself will always be THE mountain lake to me. […]
Food & drink
Top Ten Tapas in the Canary Islands
Tapas are a mainland Spanish way of eating when socialising, but it is also easy to find tapas in the Canary Islands, and tapas aimed at the palates of a local population more than a visiting one. […]
Madeira
Which is better, Tenerife or Madeira?
An article in The Telegraph pondered the question ‘which is better, Tenerife or Madeira?’ The article didn’t reach any kind of conclusion, instead it listed the attributes of both. But it included a poll so […]
Gran Canaria
Favourite views, above Tejeda on Gran Canaria
Unfortunately, this portrayal of the Canaries as being arid rocks isn’t uncommon, and yet the reality couldn’t be more different, as illustrated by one of my favourite views in the archipelago, this vista from above Tejeda on Gran Canaria. […]
Galicia
Six of the best of Pontevedra
Pontevedra’s great charm lies in the maze of streets that make up its historic quarter. The network of narrow lanes is a labyrinth full of little interesting snippets to devour. […]
Checking In
Could do better, review of Quinta das Vinhas, Madeira
We love small, semi-rural hotels in historic buildings, especially ones set in a vineyard overlooking the ocean. Quinta das Vinhas in Estreito da Calheta, a workaday village on the Madeiran hillside, ticked many boxes. With […]
Food & drink
What foreigners think about British food
The other night we cooked one of our favourite Portuguese dishes, arroz de pato (duck rice). It’s a popular dish in Portugal, you can even try it at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport. Yet I rarely […]
Channel Islands
Slow Travelling to Jersey’s Castles
There are times in travel where you have no choice but to slow the pace down, to be patient if you want to achieve your goal. Being able to stroll around most of Jersey’s castles is a bit like that. […]