Travel and the Call of the Familiar

I’m a part-time adventurer when I travel in the sense that I like to go back to familiar, favourite places again and again rather than new all the time. My current ‘again and again’ place is probably Turin, where I went in March for the third time in as many years and can’t wait to […]

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Grand Hotel Sitea, Turin

I have a policy on the blog that I only review hotels I really like; places I want to – and do! – return to again and again. It was my third stay at Grand Hotel Sitea in Turin a couple of weeks ago and without doubt I’d choose to stay there again next time […]

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What to Eat & Drink and Where in Turin

I’ve been to Turin three times over the last two and a half years and have come to like it a lot. They’ve only been short weekend trips so this in no way claims to be a comprehensive guide to eating in Turin, but I’ve done a lot of sampling in my time there and […]

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Turin 2019: Dinner at Pastificio Defilippis

This was another recommendation from Antonio, who is clearly notching up brownie points with me. But since he comes from Turin it would have been silly to not ask him, Where should I eat? I don’t think I would have found it without the recommendation. It’s very close to my hotel but down a busy […]

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Turin 2019: Lunch in the Sun & Grom Gelato

The sun was so gloriously hot that I could only contemplate finding somewhere for lunch with tables outside. I’d passed Farmacia in Piazza Carignano a few times and noticed it’s always busy so decided that was a good place to head at lunchtime. There was a short queue but fortunately a table became free fairly […]

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Turin 2019: A Sunday Morning Walk in Parco del Valentino

It’s been a joy to come to Turin again and have such glorious weather. The sun has been shining in a clear blue sky; temperatures during the day hit the low to mid-20s (though it gets chilly at night) and it’s just the perfect weather for making the most of a long weekend in this […]

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Turin 2019: A Morning Walk to Villa della Regina

It was my friend Antonio, who comes from Turin, who told me about Villa della Regina (Villa of the Queen) on the outskirts of the city. I wondered if it was a bit far to walk, but a google search told me it was just 36 minutes by foot from my hotel. I set off […]

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Turin 2019: Arrival – Gelato & Aperitivo

I’ve clearly fallen a little in love with Turin as I’m back for a third visit in just over two years. It’s such a beautiful city and a veritable foodie’s paradise – home of chocolate, home of vermouth, glorious local wines like Barolo, and the home of the Slow Food Movement. It’s also home to […]

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Gelatorino, East Sheen, London SW14

I’d heard mention of a good gelateria in nearby East Sheen but it was only when I was driving through there a few weeks ago, along the Upper Richmond Road, that I saw it was a branch of Gelatorino. Wow! What a delight to find a little slice – well maybe ‘scoop’ – of Turin […]

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9 City Break Ideas: Eat, Drink, Do

Since starting to contribute some of my travel articles to the GPSmyCity app a couple of years ago, I’ve been a bit more organised about how I write up city breaks. It’s been a really positive step in helping me develop my writing and also great to know that some of it is published and […]

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