Picpus cemetery in Paris is the earthly resting place of 1,306 victims of the guillotine who died between 14 June and 27 July 1794 in what was at the time called place du Trône renversé (Overturned Throne) – now place de la Nation. The victims were buried in two...
The little fish carved on the building at the corner of Calle del Pez and Calle de Jesús del Valle in Madrid, denotes the origin of the street name, which goes back to the seventeenth century. At the time, the section between Pozas and San Bernardo streets was...
In the Real Monasterio de la Encarnacíon, Madrid, there is a reliquary which it is alleged contains the blood of St Pantaleon,and once a year, on the 27th July, the blood liquifies, turning from a solid to a liquid state. The church itslef has never confirmed or denied...
In the Corso Indipendenza gardens, just next to the playground you will find a rather sad but very touching statue of Pinocchio, transformed into a little boy. Unveiled on 19 May, 1956, this statue was designed to be an intriguing delight for children playing in the gardens. It was...
Though shut away behind a keypad-controlled gate, this little paradise can be admired through the wrought-iron railings. Laid out in 1830, the avenue is lined by opulent 19th-century residences surrounded by greenery. This mix of architectural styles here (neo-Gothic, Flemish, Medieval, and Palladian) has attracted the attention of artists...
Located in the charming square Louis-XVI, at the corner of boulevard Haussmann and rue d’Anjou, this expiatory chapel was built in 1816-1826 to commemorate Louis XVI. Remarkably quiet for somewhere right in the heart of Paris, it recalls a particular dramatic period on French history. After he had been...
In the area of the traffic island at the centre of Piazza Missori are the remains of a Romanesque church. These comprise part of the apse of the Church of San Giovanni in Conca, founded in the fourth century and then rebuilt in the eleventh. In 1162, the...
As well as being one of the oldest churches in Milan and a building of fundamental significance to the history of the city, The Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio is also a rich source of legend and arcane fact. Outside is an immediately noticeable feature that is very unusual in Italy...
At the corner of rue Droite and rue de la Loge, in the old town of Nice, you will notice a cannonball, enbedded in the wall, which was fired in the 16th century from one of the ships of the Ottoman fleet commanded by the famous Barbarossa (Redbeard), which...
Although the cannon pointing towards visitors arriving in the village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is well known, very few are familiar with its history and the stories told about it. An authentic 16th-century cannon brought back by the army of Francis I to Saint-Paul in 1544 after the battle of Ceresole...
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.
