Shades of saffron, mustard and tangerine stretched as far as our eyes could see – the robes of some 12,600 Buddhist monks from southern Thailand who travelled by bus to Bangkok to attend the mass alms giving to commemorate Visakha Bucha Day*. The sun may still have been low in the sky when we got … Read more
Our third morning in Portugal’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Douro Valley wine region began with the now mandatory drive through magnificent countryside, our small bus skirting the edge of the misty valley before climbing up to Favaios, on a plateau which at 600 metres is the Douro’s highest point. Favaios is home to Quinta da Avessada, … Read more
So we’re in the Douro Valley? I’m not sure if it was the three days of intense activity at Wine Pleasures’ International Wine Tourism Conference in Porto, Portugal – watching presentations, live-tweeting, blogging, networking, lunching, drinking and dining, and, on the last day, giving a presentation on Grantourismo. Or whether it was the twelve months of … Read more
Quaffing vinho verde in Portugal’s Minho Valley we may well have been – and with a Count no less! – but not for two weeks, as the date on our last blog post To Porto, to Present Grantourismo, Talk Travel and Taste Wine suggests. We’re actually on an altogether different continent working on some fun projects … Read more
I grew up in a family where everyone played at least two musical instruments. That’s not a boast. I had to listen to musical scales being played on piano every day during my childhood. For three hours. Every day. I placed my fingers in my ears while cello, violin and viola practice was taking place. … Read more