Paris is a wonderful city to stroll around. It’s full of gardens, monuments and beautiful shops – galleries, boutiques, perfumeries, bookshops, antiques, bric a brac and some really quirky stores. Wandering aimlessly in a city this size can seem a bit daunting though, so on my last visit I created a DIY walking tour centred […]
Brittany’s capital city is a charming university town just 2 hours from Paris by TGV. There’s much to recommend it as a short break destination, from cobbled streets of beautiful half-timbered houses to art-deco buildings covered in glistening mosaic tiles, a huge Saturday market that spans several streets and covered halls, and food ranging from […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Milan, Italy’s second largest city, is such a convenient spot to fly in and out of – and there’s that unforgettably breathtaking view of the Alps as you drive towards Malpensa Airport. But I really don’t enjoy large cities … so my solution is to keep ‘my Milan’ very small, more a village centred around […]
My love affair with Italy began in 1989 when I saw Florence for the first time. The imposing Duomo, with its green and pink marble walls and distinctive terracotta-tiled dome, was largely what won me over … I love the way you catch glimpses of it from virtually everywhere within the old city. Considered the […]
Top 5 Sydney (city guide) I’m a Sydney girl born and bred, and I love showing visitors this beautiful city I call home. Knowing how much Sydney has to offer, I find it challenging to view my hometown through the eyes of a visitor … to think about what I would see and do if […]
Home of mortadella and Maserati, Emilia-Romagna’s capital city is also famous for its porticos (covered walkways), all 45 kilometres of them, some dating back to the 11th century, which makes it a very comfortable city to walk around in any weather. It has one of the most extensive food markets I’ve ever seen, the Quadrilatero, […]
