In London, we have the beloved Gordon’s Wine Bar. We adore Gordon’s, and rightly so. It’s a fabulous little spot, one of my favourites in London, despite it being a victim of its own success (and a well-timed Time Out article). But on a recent trip to Tallinn, I found myself in Gloria on Müürivahe. [...]

One does not usually associate Turkey with the production of top rate wine and one does not expect wines to grow on steep mountain sides, but, as Turkey is always good for a pleasant surprise, you will find both on a day trip to Sirince. The place is little more than a village, located high [...]

As I have said in previous posts, I love the Loire Valley – it really is one of the best places to visit in Europe. My previous trips there have been to explore the architectural heritage of the region, the many Loire Valley castles. But, as the area is so well known for many and [...]

I hate Leicester Square. There is nothing good about this area of Central London. Nothing. I find myself walking the long way ’round it to get to Soho because my hatred of it is so strong. If you want to find yourself surrounded by aimless tourists taking photos of cinemas (why?) and soulless expensive bars, [...]

I first visited France 21 years ago as a young archaeology student touring the many prehistoric caves in the south west. It really was a trip of a lifetime. But you know, as passionate as I was about my work in archaeology, after a few weeks of visiting numerous archaeological sites even I felt needed [...]

I am not a wine drinker. I can’t tell the difference between grapes and I don’t know how to pair wine with whatever I may be eating. Which is why I was a bit skeptical when climbing aboard the 38 at Schottentor in the European city of Vienna. I was heading out to Grinzing, a [...]

I am hardly the first to wax poetic about the beauty of Provence, but with a region as spectacular as this one, it certainly bears repeating. My husband, young children and I took a wonderful holiday in Provence’s Luberon Valley. We based ourselves in a little mas provençal (traditional regional homes of stone) just outside [...]

I spent my family holiday last summer in a beach resort in Sardinia and thought you might like to hear about some of the local specialities I tried. Sardinia is one of the larger islands off the coast of Italy – it’s actually a province of Italy, so this is about eating Italian with a [...]

In this guest post, Rob Wallace describes his drive in a classic E type Jaguar through France from St Malo to the Logis du Paradis in the Charente region. The Logis du Paradis is owned by a couple Rob met at his local Classic Car Club in eastern England. “Whether navigating the empty N and [...]

It seems wine has been our minds lately.  First it was Jason telling us about wine tourism in Croatia.  Then Karen reminded us of the release of Beaujolais Noveau 2008.  Of course, then I went on the bandwagon about free wine tastings in Lisbon,  and now I can’t get enough of the red and white [...]