Wednesday 8 May After breakfast we joined Alessandro for a tour of Tenuta La Cova here, while his local ‘family’ (perhaps dipendenti - employees) dealt with a huge conifer tree that had fallen across the narrow drive 20 m from the electronic gate. Roberta had ‘escaped’ at 07.30 so its collapse was very recent. Once … Continue reading Piemonte 24 : Monferrato : 8 – 10 May 2024
Piemonte 23: Alba book launch and the Langhe: 5 – 8 May 2024
Sunday 5 May 2024 09.50 A full train - and Clapham was busy, with trains taking people to the coast…. Nonetheless we arrived three hours ahead of flight and enjoyed a leisurely summer lunch (avocados are only for breakfast) in Wagamama’s before moving to the departure gate to catch an on-time BA airbus, taking off … Continue reading Piemonte 23: Alba book launch and the Langhe: 5 – 8 May 2024
Verona for Summa and Vinitaly : 11 -18 April 2024
We arrived at the Avenue rooms, scale B, 127 corso Porta Nuova in the early evening, and after a serious and useful briefing by our host Massimo (mainly concerning local, traditional ristoranti and enoteche) we unpacked in our comfortable room. It was not an apartment as we had thought, but part of a well-appointed set … Continue reading Verona for Summa and Vinitaly : 11 -18 April 2024
Venezia: Portogruaro and Treviso: 8 – 11 April 2024
Monday 8 April 2024 Once James, Lucy, Ernest and Olive were safely on board the 12.27 train from Empoli to Pisa Centrale, David and I headed north east by train, which left a few minutes later, via Florence, Bologna, to Mestre. After a 30 minute wait, we continued on the same train (heading for Trieste) … Continue reading Venezia: Portogruaro and Treviso: 8 – 11 April 2024
3. Family travels in Tuscany 2024: Siena
Friday 5 April The weather was astonishingly good! Clear blue skies and warm sun throughout the weekend drew the crowds to one of Italy’s most beautiful cities, as we moved from wonderfully quiet Massa Marittima to a busy, full-on cultural magnet. Screenshot The bus from Grosetto tipped us out at 15.00, only a ten minute … Continue reading 3. Family travels in Tuscany 2024: Siena
2. Family travels in Tuscany 2024: Massa Marittima
Tuesday 2 April 2024We walked across the Arno’s bridge in the direction of the station, pulling our heavy luggage over the bumpy pavements to catch a comfortable Rome-bound train whose carozza 4 stopped exactly alongside us, with our six booked seats awaiting us inside. The Treno Italia app works very well (which is more than … Continue reading 2. Family travels in Tuscany 2024: Massa Marittima
1. Family travels in Tuscany 2024 : Pisa
Easter Sunday 31 March 2024 Today the clocks ‘sprung’ forward! Chris kindly drove us to the station to catch the 09.45 which was on time, and delivered us to Gatwick at 11.45 where we joined James, Lucy, Ernest and Olive (who had driven from Alresford in 90 minutes) in a coffee shop. Check-in and security … Continue reading 1. Family travels in Tuscany 2024 : Pisa
Piemonte 22: Caluso and Grandi Langhe – 26 -31 January 2024
Friday 26 January We had a slow start, recovering from the tensions of the last 24 hours (see previous blog - Turin: 24 26 January 2024: David’s Book Launch), and trying to create extra visits in Caluso, to the north of Turin, on the way to Val D’Aosta. We used a taxi to reach the … Continue reading Piemonte 22: Caluso and Grandi Langhe – 26 -31 January 2024
Piemonte 21 : Turin: the launch of David’s book ‘The Wines of Piemonte’ on 25 January 2024
Europe has been battered by storm after storm this winter, and January saw two in quick succession : storms Isha swept across the whole of the UK over the weekend of 20 - 21 January creating the first ever British Isles-wide amber warning of winds up to 100mph, followed almost immediately by Jocelyn on Tuesday … Continue reading Piemonte 21 : Turin: the launch of David’s book ‘The Wines of Piemonte’ on 25 January 2024
Christmas treats: Pesellino at the National and Impressionists on Paper at the Royal Academy
In between Christmas 2023 and the New Year we travelled to London for a night with old friends whose house-moving has rendered them almost nomadic - and tricky to catch up with. David broke the journey at Waterloo’s sports bar, to watch Chelsea’s midday game, while I headed to the National Gallery for the charming … Continue reading Christmas treats: Pesellino at the National and Impressionists on Paper at the Royal Academy
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