home

Sardinia

20th July 2018

Posted in Travel

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:

Japan

20th February 2016

Posted in Travel

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 for company but the sound of birdsong…

Cremona

14th March 2015

Posted in Travel

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.

Tunisia

8th February 2015

Posted in Travel

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 buildings are actually ancient grain stores, or ksour, and you can read more in my Time Out article here.

Krakow

13th March 2013

Posted in Travel

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.

Modena

29th July 2012

Posted in Travel

Balsamic, Bottura and beautiful cars…

Faroe Islands

6th June 2012

Posted in Travel

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

Naples

7th March 2012

Posted in Travel

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…