Europe a la Carte Blog

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Today I visited Wallington a mansion set in extensive grounds with a beautiful walled garden. It’s named as one of the top ten picnic locations owned by the National Trust. The are several footpaths from the house to the walled garden, we walked past the china pond and the garden pond. There were ducklings and goslings in the ponds.

The walled garden was larger than I expected with lovely avenues and a fountain.

Unfortunately you are not allowed to take photos in the house. The most striking feature of the house is the Pre-Raphaelite “Wallington Murals” by William Bell Scott portraying the history of Northumberland in eight works from the construction of Hadrian’s Wall to the industrial revolution. I though that the paintings of flowers and plants on the pillars between the murals although beautiful, looked rather incongruous. When I did a bit of research I discovered that they were painted by Lady Pauline Trevelyan and various guests including Ruskin, much to chagrin of Bell Scott. There is also a collection of intricate dolls houses perfect to every last detail down to miniature candlesticks on the mantlepieces.

I think that Wallington is a great place for a day out, there’s a kids play area, a wildlife hide, walks by the River Wansbeck and various events on in the courtyard. It was Northuberland Clog Dancing today.
[tags]pre-raphaelite art, stately homes, northumberland, UK days out[/tags]

Active Gourmet Holidays is one of the latest additions to our sister site, European Cultural and Activity Tours.

1 What is the aim of your business?
To be the leader in culinary and specialty travel by sending my guests on
unforgettable gourmet and active holidays in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal.
2 What prompted you to start your own business?
I wanted to combine my passion for travel, gastronomy and the outdoors by
offering specialty and learning vacations
3 What has been the hardest aspect of having your own business?
Learning everything on my own and making decisions on my own
4 What is the funniest thing that has happened to you running your own business?
I can’t think of anything!
5 Is there anything you would do differently with the benefit of hindsight?
I would have had someone create my website with content management systems instead of me having to use a program to update/make changes to my site.
My comments
Thank you for talking to Europe a la Carte, Jo-Ann. I can relate to the issue of knowing exactlywhat you will require from your website when you first start your business. You think later why didn’t I make it easier, quicker and simpler to maintain the site.

Chinatown is a district in the centre of Newcastle with a good selection of Chinese restaurants. The district is well signposted for pedestrians. There is an ornate gate across one of the entrance roads.

I have tried several of the restaurants and my favourite is the Ho Buffet, close to the gate at 41 - 43 Gallowgate, tel 0191 2212270. They usually have a couple of prawn dishes which you don’t often find in the low price buffets. There is plenty of choice with around 40 dishes on offer. A meal, costs between £6 - £10 per person, depending on the time you eat and the day of the week.

[tags]Newcastle upon Tyne, Chinese restaurants, buffet restaurants[/tags]

Gourmet weekends run every weekend during June 2007. This is the cherry season in Apulia, the heel of Italy. You will be based in Biscelgie, a medieval town 35 kms north of Bari. On Saturday afternoon there is a tour of the old town including the 11th century cathedral followed by a fish feast dinner. After breakfast on Sunday you have chance to pick cherries in a local orchard, visit a Bronze Age monument and lunch at Zappino farm. The cost is 79 euros per person based on two sharing, 84 euros for single room occupancy. The price includes accommodation at the 4 star Hotel Salsello, coach transfers, museum entry, dinner, breakfast and lunch with water, wine and soft drinks included. Please complete an enquiry form if you’d like me to check availability for these weekends.

Trulli houses

If you’d like to stay in a typical trulli house in the region a double room in a trulli piccoli costs from 69 euros per night.

I visited Apulia in November 2004. The visit was all too brief. I ‘d planned to write a guide to the region since that trip but I haven’t made the time to do this. Also I lost the photos I took during the trip which hadn’t been uploaded during a computer crash. I think I need to go back again for longer and to take more photos.

If you’d like to stay in a trulli a double room in a trulli piccoli costs from 69 euros per night

A new Festival of Food and Drink runs in Newcastle from April 6 - 15. There are loads of events such a “Wines of the Times” tasting on the evening of Wednesday 11 April, special offers on meals, afternoon teas and a guerilla restaurant. I plan to visit the Local Heroes Tasting Market during the day on Friday 13 April.

Laterooms have a fair selection of accommodation available during this period with prices for double rooms in a central location starting from £60 per night

An extra virgin rapeseed oil, Oleifera, which contains half the saturated fat of olive oil is to hit the shops. The subtle flavour of the oil makes it ideal for salad dressings and mayonnaise. It will be produced from distinctive yellow flowered rapeseed grown in my local area of Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. The harvested crop from specially selected varieties of rapeseed will travel a maximum of 35 miles for pressing.

This product fits in well with the move to eating more healthy, high quality, locally produced food. Have you been trying to buy more local produce? I know since I saw a programme on TV which described the thousands of airmiles clocked up by a fairly average family meal, I do look more at the country of origin on products when I’m shopping.

Rapeseed growing by Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland

I burst out laughing when I read that spaghetti bolognaise is the UKs favourite meal. Guess what I am cooking today? I admit that I am not very adventurous im my reportoire of recipies. Yes it’s the tired old excuse about being too busy.

I remember that my Grandmother had the same dish on the same day every week. I can see some merit in that, in that you don’t have to think. It’s all very well for experts to say it should be relaxing to cook a meal after a hectic day but perhaps not everyone feels that way. While I do really enjoy a tasty home cooked meal, it is not one of my priorities.
Do you think other countries fare better than the UK in this respect? I know that when I have visited Italy, Spain and France that the food in everyday restaurants is of a higher quality and lower price than in the UK. You can often find a very good set 3 course menu for 10 - 15 euros.

One writer set himself the task of comparing the restuarants, markets and vineyards of Piemont and Emilia Romagna. Both regions are pretty renowned for their food and wine.  The writer plumped for Piedmont.  I think he seems to have been infuenced by the Piedmont truffles.
Which region in Italy offers your favourite cuisine and wine?  I must admit I have really enjoyed the food in any region of Italy which I have visited.  If you’d like to cook more authentic Italian food why not try a cookery holiday?