Travel Gourmet’s Top 5 City Breaks

April 12, 2017.Reading time 16 minutes.

I’ve been writing this food and travel blog for nearly six years so it’s not surprising that I often get asked where I most like to travel to, and which are my favourite restaurants (usually referring to hometown London). Most of my travelling is city breaks: 3 or 4 nights in the heart of […]

Venice April 2015: Throwing the Map Aside

April 28, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

I’m reading a wonderful book called Venice is a Fish by poet, playwright and novelist Tiziano Scarpa who was born and brought up in Venice. ‘Throw away your map! Why do you so desperately need to know where you are right now?’ he urges early on. It’s true that sometimes we become so obsessed with maps […]

Venice April 2015: Arrival

April 27, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

I flew out of a sunny London into a rainy Venice. But how can Venice be anything other than beautiful so it’s great to be back. Both Sandro and Walter were in reception when I arrived at Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo and it was very good to see them again. It’s 9 years since I […]

Favourite Books (1) – Travelling in Italy

November 20, 2014.Reading time 8 minutes.

It’s been a long time – 3 years! – since I wrote up my own Top Ten Cookery Books and since then I’ve often thought I should add more from time to time. I’m a cookbook addict and am always adding to my already huge collection because fashions in cooking change and while I hold […]

Blogging Highlights of 2013

December 14, 2013.Reading time 16 minutes.

About this time last year I wrote a post about the 10 bucket list new destinations I’d like to go to over the next couple of years or so. Well, I’ve only managed to tick off one this year – to Istanbul – but I’ve still had a fantastic year of travel and eating, and […]

Quiet Venice – A Photo Tour

April 27, 2013.Reading time 4 minutes.

My photo tour of night-time Venice a couple of days ago was a hit. People seemed to really love it. I arrived home last night but before my Venice trip truly ends I’d like to take you on another photo tour, this time of Venice’s quiet places. People are often surprised that I like going to Venice so much […]

Venice – Wednesday

April 25, 2012.Reading time 11 minutes.

What a fabulous change in the weather. We woke to sun and a brilliantly clear blue sky, reflected in the canal as we crossed the little bridge that leads into Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo on our way out after breakfast. We went in search of a couple of places in my Secret Venice book, but […]