If you are into the slightly macabre then next time you are in Paris you should make the effort to visit the little known crypt of the beautiful but often overlooked Church of Saint-Joseph-Des-Carmes in the 6th Arrondissement. It is open to groups of five or six people on...
Now displayed in the gallery of the Intesa Bank on the first floor of Palazzo Zevallos, Naples, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, the last work by Caravaggio painted just before his tragic death at Porto Ercole , has a troubled history. The picture, commissioned in 1610 by the son...
As is my want, I often pick up one of Lawrence Durrell’s books where he writes of his sojourns in the Mediterranean. His poignant lyrical words feed my soul and I can sit for sometime after reading contemplating what his life was like and what it would have been...
I have many tagines in my kitchen as I love to cook middle eastern food. A tagine is so versatile and inevitably when placed in the middle of the table for a meal with family or friends, the instantaneous smiles of delight when the lid is lifted are worth...
If you travel to Madrid there is an eerily beautiful and unnerving place that you must visit, the gardens of Casa Riera. While the gardens are in theory only open to the people working in the building at No. 1 Calle Marqués de Casa Riera, there is a cafeteria...
If you love a rich, gourmet Christmas cake (or celebration cake for anytime of the year) then here is a recipe you might like to try. I love it because of the amount of fruit and glacé fruit it contains which gives this cake a real standout quality....
Sixtus IV, the successor to Paul II, would doubtless, if he had the opportunity to comment today, prefer to be remembered for transforming Rome from a medieval city to a Renaissance city, with the jewel in the crown being the creation of the Sistine Chapel, which was built...
Giorgione (born Giogio da Castelfranco c.1477-1510) The Tempest c. 1506 (83 – 73cm: Oil on Canvas). Venice, Accademia The Tempest is an extraordinarily unusual but reasonably small painting and is a must see for anyone, regarded by some as a Renaissance mystery, and still holding onto its true interpretation to...
Leonardo da Vinci – St Jerome ca. 1482 (103 x 75cm: Oil on wood panel) Pinacoteca Room IX, Vatican Museum Vale Vaticano, 0016, Rome Info: tel. 0039 06 69884676 – 0039 06 69883145 Ticket office opening hours : Monday-Saturday 9am -4pm This unfinished work by Leonardo da Vinci...
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.
