Friday 17 November After our unplanned visit to Burzi, we hurried into Alba as the Friday tea time traffic was building, to drop our luggage at the curious apartment just off the via Cuneo. We had assiduously studied the remote check-in video, keen to gain access, but in fact the two outer doors of the … Continue reading Piemonte 20: eating and meeting in Alba; to Torino for Forum Nizza: 17 – 21 November 2023

Sunday 12 November  Sue, Jess, Joanna, Jason, Ian and Rob left at 08.15 to drive to Turin; we bade them farewell, and after our own breakfast, packed, checked out, picked up the car and headed to the supermarket close by to purchase vinegar (yes - again - see Sardinia) and various vegetables, tea bags and … Continue reading Piemonte 19: Old Vintages research week: 12 – 17 November 2023

Wednesday 8 November After our excellent truffle lunch in Vaglio Serra, Marco, the MD of the Vinchio Vaglio cooperative kindly drove us to I Castelli in Alba. We arrived at precisely 14.15, as our friends Joanna, Rob, Sue, Ian, Jason and Jess fell out of local Zuppa where they’d lunched after their very early flight from … Continue reading Piemonte 18 : Alba-based Wine Tour on 8 – 11 November 2023

Having had a very drawn-out day on Saturday 4 November, (only leaving for Gatwick on the 17.38, and staying overnight in BLOC after a surprisingly good vegetarian meal in the Garden restaurant of the Hilton) we checked in our luggage at 06.00 on Sunday 5 November and breakfasted in Wagamamas before a very easy spacious … Continue reading Piemonte 17: three glorious days in Monferrato: 5 – 8 November 2023

Friday 13 October  We left the house on foot (and in waterproof trousers) in the pouring rain, to catch the 09.06, whose restricted speed meant a late arrival at Waterloo, eating into what had appeared to be generous margins to reach Euston. We were safely seated on a full train only 8 minutes before departure. … Continue reading 13 – 17 October 2023: A wedding in Glasgow and an impromptu stay in the Lakes

Monday 18 September  This area in the south west corner of the island,known as Sulchis, has a very distinctive and long history of unusual wines. We started learning about these at Cantina Mesa, with Luca Fontana, brand ambassador. After showing us the extraordinary black polished marble interior of a very large and striking modern winery, … Continue reading Sardinia 3: 18 – 21 September 2023

Friday 15 September We left a quiet Nuoro at 08.45 to travel to Oristano (about an hour) first to leave our luggage with the helpful Davide at Locanda da Renzo, in Siamaggiore, and then to visit La Cantina della Vernaccia at 10.30. The journey went smoothly, and the Locanda is a good example of a traditional … Continue reading Sardinia 2: 15 – 18 September 2023

Monday 11 September  The journey from Andover on the 12.38 to the 16.55 Easyjet flight from Gatwick to Olbia couldn’t have gone more smoothly. This was a huge contrast to the journey to Brighton we’d made two days earlier (on the hottest September day ever recorded) to see Jez and Emma, and briefly Helena, Paul … Continue reading Sardinia part 1: : 11 – 15 September 2023

May produced some extraordinary flowerings - after a wet winter and a showery spring: and as the deadline for the text of David’s book loomed (30 May) the half term holiday brought some excitements for the younger members of the family (books AND cricket!!) : June was hot; very, very hot (but not as hot … Continue reading Summer in Andover 2023

Wednesday 2 August We made a very slow morning start at the modest Hotel Cavour in Asti. Yesterday’s activities had taken their toll and David felt under the weather as well as weary. Our train left at 11.13 from platform 2 at the station immediately opposite the hotel, scheduled to arrive at Follonica at 15.50. … Continue reading Tuscany : Massa Marittima 2 – 7 August 2023