Compared with the Plitvice Lakes and the Kornati Islands, Risnjak National Park, 18km (11 miles) north of Rijeka, is far less visited. It became a national park in 1953 and commercial development has been strictly limited. It was extended in 1997 to encompass the Kupa area, bringing the total...
The beautiful Greek island of Tínos is one of the islands which make up the Cyclades – other islands in the group include Mykonos, Santorini and Naxos. When you visit Tínos, you must be certain to travel to the heart of the island and see the ornate architectural dovecotes...
Agrodolce is a traditional sweet/sour sauce believed to have originated in Sicily. While the exact ingredients of this reduction vary between regions, it commonly includes vinegar, sugar, wine raisins and pine nuts, leading some to believe it has Arabic influences. Bitter chocolate is generally added to agrodolce dishes featuring...
On his return to Lisbon after discovering the sea route to India in 1498, Vasco da Gama proclaimed “Somos a gente do mar” (We are the people of the sea). Using small, light, high-powered caravel sailing ships based on an ancient Mediterranean design, 15th and 16th-century Portuguese explorers voyaged the...
L’Église Saint-Michel-Du-Gast in Roquebillière has an impressive collection of esoteric, Masonic, Templar and Hospitaller symbols. Transferred to the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem in 1141, it was reconstructed in 1533. On the wall below and to the right of the clocktower, a 666 is preceded by a recent...
In Via Manzoni in the Fashion District of Milan you will find an outstanding private museum, established by nobleman Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli, which was opened to the public in 1881. The museum, a singular example of a late 19th-century aristocratic Milanese residence, contains Poldi Pzzoli’s fine collection of...
Cézanne’s work is inextricably linked with the landscape of his native Provence, and above all the countryside around Aix-en-Provence. While still at school, the young Paul had drawing lessons, which helped him decide upon a career as an artist. In the 1860s and 70s he moved between Paris, L’Estaque...
The wonderful town of Pula lies near the tip of the Istria peninsula in Croatia and today is Istria’s largest port. Importantly, Pula’s Roman legacy can be seen throughout the town, with the most impressive and most obvious example being the 1st-century amphitheatre which is located just back from...
No one really knows why the gleaming, metallic green beetle with the Latin name Cantharis vesicatoria ever came to be known as “Spanish fly”. It is assumed that the term goes back to the legendary hot-bloodedness of Spanish Latin lovers. At all events, the powered remains of the dried fly...
I recently shared with you my review of Tessa Kiros’s sumptuous cookbook Venezia, so I thought I would let you in on one of my favourite risotto recipes from her cookbook. This is a delicious vegetable risotto, creamy but fresh, easy to make and the ‘crowning-glory’ is the use of...
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.
