Inside the Travel Lab

Italian food. There was a time when I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about, but I can barely remember that now. The moment my train slowed to a stop in Trieste (and, if I’m honest, quite a while before that) my daydreams wandered…

I’m going to tell you a secret. I’ve longed to visit Ljubljana. I’ve longed to let my tongue run over the improbable syllables of its name before I even knew how to say them…

So, to celebrate gingerbread, gluhwein and twinkling bright lights, I bring you this post: the Best Christmas Markets in the World. (Only, it’s not really the whole world. Just the countries between Turkey and Germany. But let’s face it, that wouldn’t make such a good title…

Fear. It’s all in the mind. That’s what I tell myself as I inch my foot sideways, staring straight ahead. Daylight fills the 20 foot space between my eyeballs and the glistening wall of rock…

“This is the classic ragù that my grandmother taught me: a delicious, versatile sauce that can be used in many ways. Added to lasagne, any type of pasta, served with meatballs…” Lella from Cuoche in Vacanza

Italian food. Until I went to Tuscany, I have to confess that I just didn’t get the excitement. Pizza….Pasta…Chopped tomatoes on toast. Not only were…

Beneath the arches, a cloaked man walks through the shadows, his head bent, his hands supporting an open book. I can hear my footsteps, distorted through the darkness by the basement’s wet gravel, a hesitant chord to the beat of dripping water.

Vespa. On the one hand there’s the breathless icon, the vision of beautiful Italian limbs perched upon beautiful Italian design, zipping past fountains, ochre walls and cafes practically swaying with romantic intrigue. On the other, there’s a bald man in a shirt and tie. The man…

This week, Italy celebrated its birthday. All one hundred and fifty years since Garibaldi united the country under a common flag and a tradition for fine food. This week I…

Life sometimes reinforces our inadequacies in a brutal, confrontational way. Soon, I’ll be introducing you to Norbert Niederkofler, an imaginative, creative chef who began life in the Dolomites, travelled the world, then returned to his homeland to bring his vision of art to the table. He’s…