Summer 2025 In Kleinbottwar: Day 5


Light rain fell in the morning and the sun struggled to appear. I went for another short walk in the village and noted for the first time the Württemberger Weinstraße  sign and a carving depicting vineyards, grape harvest, pressing and wine drinking, just below the church. I noted the well stocked grocery store with no…

Summer 2025 In Kleinbottwar: Day 3 – Abiball


A walk in the Kleinbottwar vineyards Kleinbottwar village in the Württemburg wine region Germany is known principally for wines from the Riesling grape. There are three adjoining Grosse Lage – classified vineyards on a southwest- and south-facing hillside to the northeast of the village, on low-yielding, stony Keuper soils. In the middle of the three, Süssmund (“Sweetmouth”, referring to…

Summer 2025 In Kleinbottwar, Day 2 – ChorKonzert


The morning was glorious. The vineyards on the hills that surround Kleinbottwar were bathed in sunlight. We drove to Steinheim after breakfast to shop at the massive Kaufland Wine Shop. I purchased Riesling from the Kleinbottwar producer Graf Adelmann and Spateburgunder and Riesling from Rheingau producers Kunstler, Leitz, Kloster Eberbach & Schloss Vollrads. In the…

Spring In Morocco 2025 – Day 3. Meknes & Fez


We drove to Meknes from Rabat after breakfast. The drive, initially through oak forests, took two hours and thirty minutes. Mekenes is one of the most fertile areas of Morocco and is the principal wine region of the country. Mild temperatures, sunshine, moderate rainfall and sandy clay-limestone soils create ideal conditions for growing grapes. The…

Spring In Morocco 2025 – Day 2. Casablanca & Rabat


We left Marrakesh after breakfast and drove 245 kms. on the A3 to Casablanca and then to Rabat. We visited the Hassan II Mosque and its ablutions hall in Casablanca with an excellent English-speaking local guide. The mosque is one of the largest in the world and sits on an outcrop jutting over the ocean.…

Spring In Morocco 2025 – Day 1: Beaming Down


In March 2025, we visited Morocco for the first time, and spent two-weeks on an extensive tour with Exodus Adventure Holidays. That Sunday morning, Freedom Airport Taxis took us to Leeds/Bradford Airport from Harrogate to catch the 07.25 am Ryanair flight to Menara Airport in Marrakesh. It is the only direct flight from Leeds/Bradford to…

Long Weekend In London


In mid-April 2025, we spent delightful five days with Nick, Renu & Seren at their London home. We drove to London on Thursday. The journey on the M1 from Harrogate took six hours with a short stop for lunch. We drank Argentinian Malbec and ate excellent home cooked steak with mushroom sauce that evening. Friday…

Tasting At Hambledon Vineyard


Early in April, we were delighted to accept an invitation from John Fells & Sons to visit Hambledon Vineyard for a tasting. We drove to London, took the train to Petersfield and a taxi to the vineyard. We could see the South Downs ancient chalky soil as we neared Hambledon. The welcome at the winery…