Gizli Bahçe Konaklari – The Secret Garden Mansions in Antalya

Secret Garden Mansions

Gizli Bahçe Konaklari - The Secret Garden Mansions of Antalya: High above Antalya harbour and nestled against the old city fortification we came across Gizli Bahçe Konaklari, a cliff-top restaurant with fabulous views of Antalya Yacht Harbour and its surrounds. But, the Gizli Bahçe Konaklari is not just a restaurant with splendid scenic views.  Here we discovered the Secret Garden Mansions, some historic Seljuk mansions from the Ottoman period. Gizli Bahçe Konaklari When we happened … [Read more...]

The Innkeeper, The Voyeur and The Tortellini Pasta

Tortellini Festival - Castelfranco Emilia

Sagra di San Nicola - A Tortellino Festival Held in Castelfranco Emilia: In Castelfranco Emilia, a town in the province of Modena, the Feast of St Nicholas is celebrated on the second week of September. The Sagra di San Nicola is actually a Tortellino Festival where the creation of tortellini is re-enacted every year. Legend of the Tortellini If you think that your favourite pasta looks like a belly-button, there is a reason for this.  According to one interesting legend, an innkeeper … [Read more...]

With Snow and Frost Comes Eiswein or Ice Wine

Ice Wine - Frozen Grapes

Eiswein or Icewine are a Type of Dessert Wine Made From Frozen Grapes: The cold weather, snow and frost are elements that are usually not conducive for growing anything.  But for producers of Eiswein (German for ice wine), snow and frost are just the perfect conditions that they pray for. So What is Ice Wine? Ice wine is a type of dessert wine that is produced from grapes that have been frozen while still hanging on the vine. It is believed that ice wine was first invented in Franconia … [Read more...]

Falling in Love with Churros

Churro - Spain Food

Churros Are A Popular Snack and Breakfast Food in Spain: On a recent trip to Carmona, I fell in love with Churros! No, churros is no olive-skinned Spanish soccer heartthrob, but the humble breakfast and snack food that is so popular in Spain, Portugal and Latin American countries. A First Taste of Churros We arrived at a very shut Carmona market square and were told by our guide that we had twenty minutes to kill. I later find out that there is quite a lot to see in Carmona, and why he … [Read more...]

Olive Oil Tasting – Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive Oil Tasting in Seville

Olive Oil Tasting: Tasting Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil at Basilippo in Seville: Spain produces some 45 percent of the world's supply of olive oil, which makes it the largest olive oil producer in the world. So on any holiday in Spain, especially to the Andalucia region, an olive oil tasting tour is an opportunity that's not to be passed up, especially for those who love this liquid gold. On our journey from the city of Seville to Carmona we made a detour to the Basilippo Olive Oil … [Read more...]

Tapas in Madrid: Mesón Rincón de la Cava

Tapas in Madrid

Mesón Rincón de la Cava is a Traditional Tapas Restaurant off Plaza Mayor: Mesón Rincón de la Cava was the first Madrid restaurant where we had a taste of the famous Madrid tapas. Many of us had just arrived in Madrid, but the mention of tapas and we were very prepared to throw off our jetlag and head out for an evening Madrid city tour, which included a taste of tapas. Tapas in Madrid The Mesón Rincón de la Cava is just off Plaza Mayor in Calle Cava de La San Miguel. This … [Read more...]

A Seafood Dinner at the Casa Florido, a Torremolinos Restaurant

Spanish food dishes

Torremolinos Restaurants - A Seafood Dinner at the Restaurante Casa Florido: There are hundreds of restaurants in Torremolinos and knowing which one to dine at is a challenge, unless of course if you have a recommendation from someone who knows. While in Torremolinos, we joined a dinner outing to the Restaurante Casa Florido which we were told has really good seafood. We entered the restaurant through the back entrance and were relieved when we found that the restaurant actually fronts … [Read more...]

Belgian Beer Festivals 2012

Belgian Beer Festivals

Belgium's Beer Festivals That Make Belgium The Beer Capital of the World: Almost everyone knows about Munich’s Oktoberfest, the king of all beer festivals, however not a lot is publicized about the Belgian Beer Festivals. Yet Belgium has a tradition of beer making and produces 450 different varieties of beer, including some world famous brands. Looking at their annual calendar of events, there’s a major event or beer festival almost every month of the year and below is just a … [Read more...]

German Wine and Beer Festivals 2012

Rhine Riesling Vineyards

2012 German Wine and Beer Festivals in Germany For connoisseurs of wine and beer, spring and summer are  fantastic times to be in Germany. From Berlin to the Rhineland, there is a great choice of festivals to attend, depending on whether you prefer to conduct your wine-tasting in one of the small towns along the Mosel or in Rudesheim on the Rhine or at wine festivals in the larger towns like Stuttgart, Hamburg, Mainz, Frankfurt or Aachen. And then there are the almighty giant beer … [Read more...]

Wine and Cheese Tasting in Arraiolos

Alentejo wine and cheese

Alentejo Wine and Artisan Cheese in Arraiolos: We came to Arraiolos to admire the town's famous Tapetes Arraiolos (Arraiolos carpet) and as part of the visit, we were treated to wine and cheese tasting in the Praça Lima e Brito, Arraiolos town square. Praça Lima e Brito is quite a peaceful place with the Arraiolos Town Hall building, a dancing fountain and a couple of churches and historic houses located on the square. All the activity seemed to concentrated outside the cafes where … [Read more...]