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…
In September 2024, we spent two weeks in the Azores Archipelago, sometimes called “The Other Eden.” It consists of nine volcanic islands situated in the Atlantic Ocean, mid-way between Europe and America. The islands were discovered and settled by Portugal in 1427. We drove to Gatwick Airport from Harrogate, left our car with Maple Parking…
Kleinbottwar is a pretty little village in the Württemburg wine region of Germany and is known principally for its Riesling wines. There are three adjoining Grosse Lage-classified vineyards in the area 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 is one of Württemburg’s…
Soon after Christmas in 2022, we spent 3 days in a delightful wood cabin in the Black Forest We left Kleinbottwar after breakfast and drove 118 km along the A81 towards Loßburg on the high plateau of the Northern Black Forest at an altitude of 600-800 metres. The source of the Kinzig, which crosses the…
We spent ten days over Christmas in Kleinbottwar – a pretty little wine village in the Württemburg region of Germany on the Murr river, around five kilometres northeast of its confluence with the Neckar river. Christmas Festivities started on the 23rd. Hot Glühwein was drunk with sausages in the evening with neighbours. There were heaps of…
Jutting out into the Palk Strait and connected to mainland Sri Lanka by a three kilometre long causeway, Mannar is just thirty kilometres from India. The dry, sandy and laid back Mannar Island where donkeys roam the streets, is surrounded by blue seas. It is a great place for a few days stay and here’s…
We spent a weekend at he Blue Magpie Lodge in Kudawa, Sri Lanka, using it as a base for visiting Sinharaja Forest. We left Colombo at dawn and drove to Ambalama – a roadside cafe in Hanwella, for a fine Sri Lankan breakfast of freshly made hoppers – pancakes made with rice flour and coconut milk…
The oarsman beached the boat. It was painted blue and the man was wearing a blue sarong. Three young women in blue traditional dress stepped out of the dugout canoe. They were wearing white necklaces and had white flowers in their hair. They carried wicker baskets full of hoppers, milk-rice, fish curry and Sri Lankan sweets to…
It was already dark when we reached Jetwing Surf. From Pottuvil on the east coast of Sri Lanka, a fleet of Tuk-Tuks ferried us to the little seaside hotel – the coach could not negotiate the narrow roads. With twenty cabanas in a seven acre coconut grove, Jetwing Surf looked pretty. We checked-in, sipped chilled…
The coach sped along the Southern Expressway. We ate stuffed roti and egg buns from the picnic box and sipped mineral water from glass bottles. It was six thirty in the morning. The motorway service station was packed. The sun was beating down and men and women were eating breakfast in shady corners. There were queues…
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