It’s hard to please a teenager. Required are: patience, a nonchalance to match his/hers, and an easy readiness to serve up a tasty breakfast at the first hint of willingness – and ample time – to eat it before the inevitable slam of the front door bids a wordless farewell. I seldom possess all of … More French Toast Works
A crouching figure stops me from going further. I don’t want to intrude on his sunrise; I retreat a little, and enjoy my own. Birdsong beckons another beautiful day, but Knole’s deer are elsewhere. It’s just me, the crouching stranger, and the sky. A perfectly still summer solstice. The man stands and starts to walk … More Solstice Sky
A glut-gift of turnips together with a Tunisian tip: slice them thinly, coat with harissa, and enjoy raw. My friend promises me that her old Aunt’s method is authentic and good. Turnips are not my top choice of root veg, but they have a strong track record for having sustained people through the ages. Once upon … More Simply Tunisian
Olhão is the Algarve’s biggest fishing port, and it has a fish market to match. Its abundant stalls provide a schooling in sea food, and its Portuguese terminology. Hard-working stall holders make art with their freshly-caught fish, and at the end of the morning they scrub the place spotlessly clean. If you dislike fish (and … More Olhão Fish
Our trail through the sun-baked lanes of Olhão in the Eastern Algarve is coloured by azulejos. No two designs are the same; some are crumbling but all are still beautiful. They decorate houses, shops, corners, churches, and surround windows and grates. In the market, they tell the story of how fishing sustains this town. Azulejos … More Olhão Azulejos
Half-way through our meal, No. 4 realises something: “We didn’t order anything, but they brought us everything.” The perfect kind of place where the “menu” is for information only. No decisions, no scope for arguments, just platefuls of deliciously simple food squeezed onto our table. Fresh fish chosen at Olhão’s morning market, grilled in the … More Vai e Volta, Olhão
Have Paprika, Will Travel 