Did one of the finest British travel writers of the 20th century start his epic adventure across Europe on a meteorological fib? Patrick Leigh Fermor – “a thousand glistening umbrellas tilted over a thousand bowler hats in Piccadilly”. The Sunday Times – “At Kew it was 33° (1°C). Light falls of snow again occurred locally.” But does it… Continue reading
Shedding light on Turkey’s quieter classical remains
Most tourists in Turkey know of Ephasus and Troy. Yet there is a multitude of Greek and Roman sites around its south and west coast, many of them little visited with scarcely an explaining noticeboard. But this rich, unreported history is under threat, as the country’s tourist boom continues. One archaeologist wants to develop a… Continue reading →
Strolling the mountains around Lake Uri, with super-helpful signposts
This is an update of a piece of mine originally published in The Times. In a gloomy recess in Ingenbohl Forest above Lake Uri, a buttercup yellow arrow beamed cheerfully out of a monochrome background. “Trust me,” it seemed to say. “I’m a Swiss signpost.” Think of a cartographical St Bernard, proffering reassurance, guidance and,… Continue reading →
Clever chef brings haute cuisine twist to plant-based meat
Avoiding meat and dairy is one of the single biggest ways to reduce a person’s impact on the Earth. But if people resolve to cut down on the meat they eat, or give it up altogether, how attractive, or even palatable, are the alternatives? In one New York restaurant an inventive chef is creating a plant-based… Continue reading →
How the drive to push meat off the menu could soon turn into a stampede
Spanish Plant-Based Meat Company Heura launched its latest products this month (September 2021), somewhat provocatively, in the high temple of bovine muscularity, La Monumental, Catalunya’s last bullfighting colosseum still in operation. It was a potent photo opportunity, a “pork” sausage and a chorizo brought to market in a place so deeply imbued with the ritualistic… Continue reading →
In the climate crisis, could Lumo be the ticket to ride to a net zero future?
The worst day of the year for the railways in the UK isn’t when storms, floods or snow do their worst to cripple the network. It’s on that one day in August when the ritual above-inflation rise in fares is announced for the next New Year. By the same token, the best day for motorists… Continue reading →