The Sparkle of Vilmart & Cie – travel review
The Champagne house Vilmart & Cie was founded in 1890 by Désiré Vilmart and is considered by many an authority to be perhaps the leading...
Around Gouda – travel review
Gouda is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland. It’s an historic town which was granted city status in 1272 by Floris...
La Belle Epoque – 5-star floating through Burgundy – travel review
What a grand title for a barge! Luckily the lady lived up to her name and our expectations, which she did actually exceed in every...
World Street Food Congress 2015 – travel review
I have been fortunate enough to have been able to spend time in Singapore, in fact every year for the past 3 years. I am...
24-Hour Food Frenzy Safari – Street food and more – travel review
The name ’24-Hour Food Frenzy Safari’ might, to the untutored, give the impression of something of a greedy teen munchies extravaganza. Well, in truth, it...
Learn Japanese with Eurotalk – travel review
Most of us might have learnt a little French or German at school, although in the 60s when I was treading the corridors of wisdom...
Brooklands Hotel Surrey – travel review
I live in West London but whenever I consider a weekend break I turn right instead of left at the end of the road. That...
Bern – classic and chic – travel review
Bern might not be the first place one would think of for a short city-break. In fact, Switzerland probably isn’t a country one would list...
Champagne – a brief encounter – drinks review
One is spoilt for restaurants in London. Highend Michelin-starred, white-tableclothed establishments abound. The weather becomes warmer. We dream of those balmy days and longer evenings...
Strawberry Hill House – Former grandeur restored – travel review
Strawberry Hill. Even the name conjures visions of pastoral idylls, perhaps a water-colour of mature trees with the promise of a gently-flowing river just over...
The Three Faces of Richard – travel review
You couldn’t make it up! A story that, on the face of it, sounds quite improbable. The King in the Car Park … indeed a...
Famous Detective Falls in Switzerland! Sherlock! – travel review
Now I have the attention of my dear, curious reader! Always eager for some dramatic news. Did our hero trip over a ski pole? Perhaps...
Romantic Takayama – travel review
I admit it. I am now an unashamed Japan evangelist. I had always wanted to go and as a much younger person I had a...
WSET Japan Tour Winter 2014 – travel review
Sake is more popular than ever outside Japan. There is a growing body of beverage professionals who are now turning their attention to Japan’s iconic...
Rotterdam – beds, buildings and gastronomic surprises – travel review
It’s attracting lots of gastronomic and architectural attention, and it does indeed offer a wealth of national and international food outlets. The new Markthal is...
Rotterdam – building with new energy, treasuring old charm – travel review
I had visited Holland once before. That was Amsterdam and many years ago. I travelled by air and the flight was quick – Holland is...
Art on the Plate – Styling Traditional Food from the Punjab – travel review
I am, at first sight, overwhelmingly English. Yes, well, no, not quite. I have a family connection to India which is distant yet strong. That...
Southern Oregon – sleep and eat in style – travel review
The average British tourist heading for the US on vacation will likely have limited horizons. There is the Big Apple with the draw of bright...
The Markthal, Rotterdam – travel review
We are thinking about a pre-Christmas break, a rejuvenating Spring get-away, a Summer city break, and there are the familiar cries of ‘Let’s go to...
Portland, Oregon – colourful in every way – travel review
The Portland area was originally inhabited by two bands of Upper Chinook Native Americans. The Multnomah people settled on and around Sauvie Island, and the...