When David discovered he had three days of outstanding holiday to take before the end of July, our thoughts went straight to Deal in Kent to where our long-standing friends Lefty and Trish had moved at the start of the year, and our promise to visit them in their new surroundings. Tuesday 22 July 2025 … Continue reading Deal in Kent July 2025: three happy days with Lefty and Trish
Westward Ho! a short English summer holiday visiting friends : July 2025
Wednesday 9 July 2025 We left the house by car around 11.00. David had booked lunch at Bowood county hotel en route to Bristol, and we arrived without incident to join a couple of other tables in an otherwise quiet dining room, serving strangely pub-like food; nor was it expensive, despite the exclusive surroundings. We … Continue reading Westward Ho! a short English summer holiday visiting friends : July 2025
Shetland : June 2025
While David served as the wine expert on the Wine Scholar Guild’s tasting tour of Piemonte, Hugh and I embarked on Naturetrek ‘s Summer on Shetland: Seabirds and Cetaceans. We had a fabulous time. Thursday 5 June 2025 David dropped us at the station at 08.00 (he travelled the following day) and we had a … Continue reading Shetland : June 2025
Siena: the Rise of Painting 1300 – 1350: June 2025
I was delighted that the National Gallery, to celebrate its 200th anniversary, was hosting an exhibition of the art of Siena 1300 - 1350; and absolutely thrilled by what I saw. Many pieces in this exhibition were small, portable objects used as devotional aids by the many pilgrims passing through Siena as they followed the … Continue reading Siena: the Rise of Painting 1300 – 1350: June 2025
Verona for VinItaly: 3 – 10 April 2025
Thursday 3 April An unusually late flight with BA from Gatwick (17.50) to Verona meant a long morning’s packing and sorting out - including watering Chris’ houseplants and emptying bins while she languished in Basingstoke hospital after her fall early on Tuesday morning, breaking a vertebrae. The UK was enjoying the long spell of high … Continue reading Verona for VinItaly: 3 – 10 April 2025
Piemonte 30: a week in the Langhe: 15 – 22 March 2025
Saturday 15 March We had driven from the Hotel Crabun in Pont St Martin to an appointment at Kalamass at 09.30 near lake Viverone on the Sella d’Ivrea (the huge terminal moraine created over eight different ice ages) and then found a very fine lunch - by accident - in A Cà Mia in Cigliano. … Continue reading Piemonte 30: a week in the Langhe: 15 – 22 March 2025
Piemonte 29: Gattinara and Carema: 10 – 15 March 2025
Monday 10 March After a good night’s sleep, and breakfast (of sorts) at Cafe Fiorenze (again) we drove to Ghemme to meet Alberto and Angela Arlunno of Cantalupo whose large cantina we had visited in May 2022. Alberto greeted us warmly, though his vagueness has accelerated and within minutes he left us to fetch Angela … Continue reading Piemonte 29: Gattinara and Carema: 10 – 15 March 2025
Valtellina and Lake Como: 6 – 9 March 2025
Thursday 6 March An early start to catch the 08.05 to make an uneventful journey by train then Jubilee line to Canning Town and its platform 1 for the DLR to London City Airport, where we arrived in enough time - but of course without tickets - for an earlier flight (11.45) to Milan Linate. … Continue reading Valtellina and Lake Como: 6 – 9 March 2025
South Africa part three: 18 – 24 February 2025
Tuesday 18 February - Derek’s birthday Ronnie and Luan (shadowing Ronnie Messias as additional driver for Foundation Tour Services) came early into Stellenbosch from Jamestown where Ronnie lives, avoiding the heavy traffic to make a 09.00 appointment at Aslina Wines, to meet Ntsiki Biyela, described by WOSA as one of SA’s iconic winemakers. Certainly her … Continue reading South Africa part three: 18 – 24 February 2025
South Africa part two: 14 – 17 February 2025
Friday 14 February : Hermanus: a restful weekend by the sea After the trying late evening lock-out it was a relief the next morning not to be charging out for an appointment. We had deliberately chosen to break up the visits with a restful weekend at our own expense by the sea. Hermanus has wonderful … Continue reading South Africa part two: 14 – 17 February 2025
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