Lara Dunston 
According to the Tokyo expats we met, we would not find a candidate for our Local Knowledge Tokyo guide. “Tokyo locals aren’t friendly,” we were told. “They’re shy, so they won’t make an effort to speak to you,” one said. “They’d rather you just go away, because they get embarrassed they don’t speak English,” said … Read more
I don’t usually do a Take-Homes post until we’ve been in a place for a while, but Tokyo’s supermarkets and mini-marts are crammed with so many scrummy snack foods, both savoury and sweet, that I’ve found it hard to resist grabbing an armful each time we’ve popped in for some Kirin. So, here’s what I’ve … Read more
Our home away from home in Tokyo is a smart little studio apartment in Akasaka. There’s a school on the corner and in the tiny streets behind us there are neat weatherboard houses tightly packed together. There are leafy lanes between the houses, bicycles parked out front, and rows of shoes at the entrances. It’s … Read more
Lessons in Venice on wines of the Veneto was a priority for us during our two week stay. The wines found in Venice are as misunderstood by most travellers as the city’s cuisine – which is probably why we see more Sicilian chardonnays than Veneto soaves on restaurant tables. Of course wine isn’t produced in … Read more
When you visit Venice you can easily buy a Venetian mask, ‘Murano’ glass made in China or an I love Venezia t-shirt from any one of the souvenir stands that dot Venice and line Campo San Marco and the route to the Rialto Bridge. But explore the backstreets of San Polo and Dorsoduro and you’ll find hidden … Read more