Posts Tagged “city tour”
You might have visited Porto in Portugal before but it’s worth another look, and perhaps with food and drink in mind this time. There has been more investment lately in this vibrant town, which exudes character and charm. During the 15th and 16th centuries Portugal was a leading European power, ranking with England, France and…
Flavours of India and Beyond We Londoners are a cosmopolitan bunch. That isn’t a recent phenomenon: our country has been built, over the centuries, on a diversity of cultures and that has also added to our cuisine. The British national dish is curry. There is a curry house on every high street, with around 10,000…
Reims is a beautiful and historic city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. It is only 130 km from Paris with easy access by train. Excursions to nearby Chalons are a must and there will be not only the delightfully ubiquitous champagne to taste but also the champagne truffles which are so celebrated here. The…
The name ’24-Hour Food Frenzy Safari’ might, to the untutored, give the impression of something of a greedy teen munchies extravaganza. Well, in truth, it was an extravaganza of street food but the message behind the event was serious. Eating for a solid 24 hours with no designated sleep breaks is not for the faint-hearted….
Not sure if Marco Polo, that celebrated explorer of the East, ever got to the area we now know as Singapore; however, he has given his name to a series of guidebooks to aid a distant generation of travellers. It’s true that there are many guide books and all of them, I feel sure, have…
I admit it. I am now an unashamed Japan evangelist. I had always wanted to go and as a much younger person I had a mission to read every book on Japan on which I could lay my hands. My Japanese language skills, however, extend only to the few words learnt from watching Richard Chamberlain…
The Portland area was originally inhabited by two bands of Upper Chinook Native Americans. The Multnomah people settled on and around Sauvie Island, and the Cascades Indians settled along the Columbia Gorge. Oregon and its tribes were first ‘discovered’ by the expedition of Lewis and Clark in 1805-6. The site of Portland was known to…
Groningen isn’t the first destination in The Netherlands of which one might think. It’s invariably Amsterdam that gets that accolade, and a very fine city it is. But Groningen, in the north of this, one of my favourite countries in Europe, is like an accessible snapshot of all things Dutch. Groningen might be a distance…
Valencia is the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona. The Port of Valencia is the 5th busiest container port in Europe and the largest on the Mediterranean, and is these days something of a work in progress. For those lucky enough to arrive by ship the impression is of a sprawling building…
Holland might not be the first country springing to mind when one contemplates a gastronomic break, a food adventure. No, we muse on France, as their dishes are classic and the quality is legendary (some legends owe more to fantasy than fact); then there is New York with its perennial edgy vibe. Tempting, but one…
One huge flyer, 2 feet, 3 small wheels and 4 F1 tyres Singapore is my destination of choice. It offers everything for which any civilised traveller could hope: vibrant and delicious food (eating is a universal hobby here), friendly locals and a rich and diverse heritage. Singapore has a wealth of contemporary design and fashion…
Lonely Planet produces some of the most relied-upon and trusted guides around. The company started in a small way in 1972. Tony and Maureen Wheeler published the first Lonely Planet guide to meet the needs of an increasingly mobile and ever-curious population. Lonely Planet is now the largest independent travel publisher in the world. These…
We have what Jeni Barnett would call a “nearasdammit” son who is Catalan (note: I do not say Spanish). This has given us the advantage of having the address of our boy’s (well into his 30s now) favourite tapas bar in Barcelona. The Cerveceria Catalana is a bit off the beaten track (Carrer Mallorca) but…