I love discovering specialist food and drink products during my travels, so my visit to Herdade de São Miguel in Alentejo, Portugal was an eye opener. It was at the winery’s modernist head quarters on its Pimenta estate that I first learned about the renaissance of vinho de talha. I have already shared the story ... Read more »
Travel Quote Tuesday | Far From The Madding Crowd
“Seek out some retired and old-world spot, far from the madding crowd, and dream away a sunny week among its drowsy lanes – some half-forgotten nook, hidden away by the fairies, out of reach of the noisy world – some quaint-perched eyrie on the cliffs of Time, from whence the surging waves of the nineteenth ... Read more »
Travel Quote Tuesday | A Sun-Drenched Elsewhere
“Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.” ~ Isabelle Eberhardt In my everyday home life I’m a very sedentary soul. Of course I go places, my current daily work commute between North London and ... Read more »
A Taste of Alentejo | The Gastronomic Soul of Portugal
‘Ask any Portuguese and they’ll agree – Alentejo is the gastronomic soul of Portugal!‘ So said our guide Ruben as we set off on our taster tour of the region. But since he’s also the Communication Manager for the region’s tourism promotion agency, I took his words with a pinch of salt, categorising them as ... Read more »
Put A Cork In It, Alentejo!
Did you know that Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork? Half of the world’s cork is produced here, much of that within the Alentejo region, which I explored recently. Cork is grown and harvested across the Alentejo, well suited to the hot and dry climate. Most of the processing happens in Azaruja, ... Read more »