UK and Europe
Plate-hopping in Portugal – Dish
“Let me tell you about the Portuguese and fish. In this nation hitched along Europe’s western edge, fish are everywhere. They’re underfoot, in the design of the mosaic pavements. They’re above your head, painted onto glazed azulejos tiles and coiled around stone columns. They’re celebrated in small-town museums, with popular folk songs, and at the Feast of St Anthony, an annual bacchanal of drinking, dancing… and sardine eating.”
Why I escaped NZ winter for two months on a Greek island – Stuff
“Best of all? Compared to its smaller island neighbours – not to mention other southern European hotspots like Spain, Italy and Portugal – Crete is relatively affordable beyond all but the most touristy areas.”
Take her to the river – North & South
“But then, towards the end of our tour, something wonderful happens. We’re in the enormous Grand Chapel, where the popes worshipped amid Gregorian chanting choirs. Our guide quietens the group, telling us it’s time for our surprise. Then he starts to sing.”
Blue Danube – Cruise & Travel
“Compared to some of Uniworld’s more flamboyant vessels – all gilt-edged furniture and over-the-top Murano glass – the SS Beatrice is a study in restrained elegance. Blue and white decor gives it the look of a high-end super yacht, with light wood and large windows adding to the airy, open feel.”
Drifting down the Danube – BusinessDesk
“In the past week I’d visited three countries, two magnificent European capitals, and numerous lovely towns and villages I might never have discovered on my own. I’d eaten like a queen, enjoyed excellent but non-obsequious service, and slept every night in what amounted to a floating luxury hotel.”
Celebrating unbroken bonds: the legacy of NZ soldiers in Crete – The Listener
“At 6.30pm, the official Galatas commemorations begin with prayers led by the local Greek Orthodox bishop and priests from the church next door. Although I can pick out the odd “Neozilandon” in the speeches, this ceremony is as much a remembrance of the local people’s suffering as it is a tribute to the Allied soldiers who fought alongside them.”
A river runs through it – Dish
“We retire to the on-site store to devour slices of baguette smothered in truffle butter, drink icy Rosé, and discuss how feasible it would be, really, to give everything up for the life of a French trufficulteur.”
Bristol: The ‘mini London’ locals are flocking to – The Post
“Bedminster is where I’ve been staying, and I can think of no better Sunday morning in Bristol than breakfast at a café on North Street, a wander around the market stalls at the local Tobacco Factory arts space, and a stroll into town via the vibrant Wapping Wharf quarter.”
Go with the flow on the river Rhône – Australian Women’s Weekly
“We glide south, rural France moving past like an ever-changing film strip: grand chateaux and humble farmhouses, vineyards and forests, fishermen and freedom campers, local families picnicking in the waning sun.”