A leisurely approach to food, wine & art

  1. Mediterranean MARSEILLE: Jly 2023

    I feel at home on the streets of Marseille. Maybe because I’m an exile (by choice). “Marseille is, and always has been, the port of exiles .… whoever disembarks in the port is inevitably at home,” wrote Marseille author Jean-Claude Izzo.  In July 2023, I made my fifth…

  2. ARLES in the frame: Jly 2023

    The city of Arles in the south of France presides over the Camargue river delta, a region renowned for its cobalt skies, flat horizons, strong Mistral winds, roaming white horses, wild bulls – and as a place of pilgrimage, for gypsies, artists and art photography…

  3. Tasting menu CENTRAL, LIMA: 2015/23

    I flew across an ocean and a hemisphere to eat at Central in the Lima district of Barranco and to meet the world-famous chef Virgilio Martínez. That was in 2016, some seven years before it was named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2023.  Travelling with a purpose enriches rather…

  4. Keeping cool in FLORENCE: June 2023

    Florentines avoid the historic centre of the Tuscan capital at every turn. Instead, they go round the city rather than through it. “Too many tourists” is the unanimous cry.  English is the lingua franca in the historic centre. When I asked for a restaurant menu in Italian, I was asked…

  5. MADRID neighbourhoods: Jan 23

    Local still reigns in Madrid. It’s a city of neighbourhoods, or barrios, each one with a distinct vibe.  I have 7 favourite barrios, all of which you can get to  – more or less – by foot, as Madrid is a relatively small European city.  Madrid is…
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