Top 5 Ireland’s Cliff Coast (Clare regional guide)
The Wild Atlantic Way is a 2,500km driving route along half of Ireland’s coastline; it’s far too much to tackle in one go, so is divided into more manageable sections like the southwest ‘Cliff Coast’. Sure, you’ll see the famous Cliffs of Moher with thousands of day-trippers, but Ireland’s Cliff Coast has so much more […]
Jura (regional guide)
One of the less visited areas of France, Jura is a diverse landscape of plains, vineyard-clad hills and the rugged Jura Mountains, which it shares with neighbouring Switzerland. There’s some spectacular scenery and delicious food, but most exciting of all is the unique vin jaune (‘yellow wine’) that has made this region famous among oenophiles […]
Top 5 Places to Stay in the British Isles
For a couple of relatively small islands, Great Britain and Ireland offer an awful lot to discover. They’re the perfect size for a driving holiday, whether it’s a long weekend in just one area or a few weeks taking in as much as possible. The scenery is diverse and beautiful, from the glens and peaks […]
Lyon (city guide)
Lyon was dubbed ‘the capital of world gastronomy’ by celebrated culinary critic Curnonsky in 1935 and today boasts over 20 Michelin stars – though you really come here to eat in bouchons, traditional casual restaurants, similar to Parisian bistros but unique to Lyon. Best of all, Lyon also has a lot to offer between meals […]
Barossa Valley (regional guide)
Top 5 Barossa (regional guide) Australian wine areas don’t get much more iconic than the Barossa. Without getting into too much detail, the Barossa ‘wine zone’ is divided into two official ‘wine regions’: the cooler, higher Eden Valley in the east and the warmer Barossa Valley in the west; plus a small stretch further west […]
Adelaide (city guide)
While I’m a Sydney girl born and bred, Adelaide is my other favourite Australian city – I’ve always loved its more human scale. Perhaps it’s the diverse and picturesque wine regions on its doorstep that has led to such a serious food and wine culture. Home of the Australian Wine Research Institute, one of the […]
Murray River (regional guide)
Forget man-made boundaries, the mighty Murray River is a natural boundary that connects Australia’s three south-eastern states. From its source in the NSW Snowy Mountains it forms much of the border with Victoria before flowing into the sea at Goolwa in South Australia. Each state has its own Murray Region, but Murray River Region guide […]
Adelaide – Best Restaurants
In the early ‘90s, Cheong Liew, Phillip Searle, Christine Manfield and Tim Pak Poy took the great produce on Adelaide’s doorstep and laid the foundation for the innovative restaurant scene Australia enjoys today. Then all except Cheong moved east to continue the adventure and the local scene dwindled to excellent yum cha, great coffee and […]
Melbourne (city guide)
Top 5 Melbourne (city guide) There’s a lot to love in Melbourne – edgy modern architecture, a culture of permanent food markets, plus the likes of Attica, Vue de Monde, Andrew McConnell’s varied offerings and the MoVidas … just for starters! So how to narrow it down to just five things? Well – if I’m […]
Adelaide Hills (regional guide)
Adelaideans, do you know how blessed you are? Just 20 minutes from your city centre, you start climbing into one of the most beautiful parts of Australia. I love the Adelaide Hills, especially when they’re bursting with spring blossoms or glowing with autumn leaves. A drive through the Hills is a joy in itself – […]