Sardinia
When D H Lawrence visited Sardinia with his wife, Frieda, back in 1921, they weren’t much impressed. Food was scarce, and they found little to eat but cabbage and bread. Some ‘hotels’ were little more than shacks, and yet in Sea and Sardinia he wrote: ‘This land resembles no other place. Sardinia is something else. […]
Japan
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the busiest cities in the world – all neon lights and skyscrapers – but hop on a bullet train and within a couple of hours you could be relaxing at an onsen (hot spring) in a green tea bath, in the middle of a forest, with nothing […]
Cremona
Cremona was home to three of the most important violin-making families: Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati. The recently opened Museo del Violino tells their story, and offers an insight into five centuries of violin-making. It also examines the method of construction and acoustic characteristics. A recent article suggested that the violion’s evolution might have been a magical accident, rather than design: an […]
Tunisia
Tataouine, in southern Tunisia, is famous for the trogolodyte buildings of the native Berber population. It’s so other-worldly, that director George Lucas used it as a backdrop for one of his Star Wars films. The ‘Festival of the Ksour Saharien’ is a music and cultural festival held in the desert. It’s the perfect opportunity to […]
Krakow
The German army marched into Kraków on 6 September 1939. By November, all Jews over the age of 12 were commanded to wear armbands. This was the beginning of the occupier’s segregation of the population. Synagogues were closed and non-Jews were discouraged from using Jewish shops. By May 1940 more than 40,000 had been forcibly […]
Modena
Balsamic, Bottura and beautiful cars… In The Italians, Luigi Barzini offered a consummate portrait of the national character of his compatriots. He cheekily suggested that the art of appearing rich was perfected in places like Modena. The tiny principality boasted ‘immense princely palaces, castles, vast churches, and stately opera houses’ wildly disproportionate to its size. It […]
Faroe Islands
The Faroes – a group of 18 islands located in the Norwegian Atlantic – are halfway between Scotland and Iceland. I’d heard of them, of course; I’m a Radio 4 listener, fan of the arcane Shipping Forecast (Westerly, veering northerly or northwesterly later, 7 to severe gale 9, increasing storm 10 for a time. Squally […]
Naples
I decided to skip the private jet, and take the overnight train to Naples. I was about to spend the next seven days cycling and sailing. It’s cheap, eco-friendly and a lot of fun… If you can’t explore one of the most spectacular coastlines in the world in a classic sports car, the next best […]
See my latest work here.
Winner of Italian Tourist Board’s ‘Travel Photographer of the Year 2012‘
Runner up ‘Best Travel Guide 2009’ for Time Out’s ‘Italy: Perfect Places’
Book: Skylines, A Journey Through 50 Skylines of the World’s Greatest Cities.
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I am available for writing and photography assignments, including hotel and restaurant reviews.
From my Blog
LATEST POSTS
Fine food & wine under the Tuscan Sun
Swoon over rolling hills covered in serried vines and bordered by pencil-thin Cypress trees. Explore exquisite medieval walled villages, and luxuriate in ancient spas, then release your inner gourmand with fine Tuscan food and wine. A tip: when eating out, or buying produce, look out for the DOP (denominazione di origine protetta) label, which is […]
Italian Heritage Foods – Tuscany DOP
Georgia Pellegrino’s excellent book, ‘Food Heroes’ (2010), examines the importance of traditional methods of growing and preparing foodstuffs. One of my favourite chapters is the one about the centuries-old tradition of dry-curing meat: US Food Standards v. Italian Tradition In 2002, in the interests of food safety, the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) introduced measures […]
Pumpkin Soup
For a cheap, delicious, spicy, warming, hearty and healthy winter soup, this recipe for pumpkin soup is an absolute winner. And it only takes 15 minutes to make! Add chilli for heat, and turmeric as it’s an excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Don’t peel the pumpkin as it contains plenty of vitamin D (essential at this time […]
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