Table manners at the end of the Middle Ages were appalling.Everyone ate out of the same pot. Meals were served in one large chunk, from which everyone present cut a piece fro themselves. Poultry was not carved up before being put on the table. and people pulled even...
Saint Michael’s fountain in Forcalquier, apparently perfectly classical in style, conceals a little gem of medieval urban eroticism that is certainly worth a visit when you are next in Provence. The town of Forcalquier has sometimes been compared with Saint-Rémy-de-Provence because of the number of nothern Europeans who can...
Here is a little history about Dom Sebastião, the sixteenth king of Portugal….. Dom Sebastião, born in Lisbon 20 January 1554 was the sixteenth king of Portugal and the seventh of the Avis dynasty. He was the son of Prince Dom João, who himself was the son of...
You may never have heard of Caffarelli, one of Italy’s finest Castratos so here is a a little about him…. Caffarelli, whose real name was Gaetano Majorana (1710-1783), is said to have had one of the purest voices in the history of Italian opera. Apulian by birth (from...
I love visiting libraries when I travel and the Biblioteca Alfredo De Marsico is a ‘must see’, especially if you have an interest in legal history. Housed in Castel Capuano, (the Norman royal palace from the 2nd century), which was converted into the Palace of Justice in the 16th...
I have several gardening books tucked away in my library, and many of them focus on European garden designs, so it was a natural curiosity when I saw Louisa Jones book Mediterranean Gardens – A Model for Good Living in a local shop, to add it to my collection. It...
If ever you are in Madrid, there is one place that you must, if you can, take a tour of, and that is the magnificent Sacristía de los Caballeros (Sacristy of the Knights) in Las Commendadoras de Santiago convent (built between 1584 and 1697). In this magnificent Sacristy, men...
Nuno Álvares Pereira was born on 26 June 1360 in Cernache de Bonjardim, Sertã, and died on 1 April 1431 at the convent of Carmo, Lisbon. He was a noble Portuguese knight of the 14th century, who played a fundamental role in the 1383-85 crisis, when Portugal fought against Castile...
Nuno Álvares Pereira was born on 26 June 1360 in Cernache de Bonjardim, Sertã, and died on 1 April 1431 at the convent of Carmo, Lisbon. He was a noble Portuguese knight of the 14th century, who played a fundamental role in the 1383-85 crisis, when Portugal fought against Castile...
If you are a lover of reading but are time poor, you probably revert to the genres which give you the most pleasure, a natural tendency for most of us. Occasionally we may venture outside our favourite genres on the recommendation of a friend or a book review,...
Welcome to my love affair with the food, wine, history and culture of the Mediterranean, past and present. Here you will find not only recipes, drinks and fabulous products, but the history of the food and culture of the Mediterranean.
My purpose is to get you to explore and experience new tastes and along the way to immerse yourself in the wonderful history of this diverse and wonderful region – from Venice to Istanbul, Rome to Dubrovnik, Athens to Crete and all places in between and in the surrounds. Be prepared to be surprised, delighted and enthralled as you take this trip with me.
