Italian nineties
Marco skipped into my Milan hotel lobby sporting dark glasses, jeans and stubble. He gave me a hug. It had been five years since television director Marco had covered my visit to Crotone for Quelli che … il Calcio. We … Continued
Away from Tomé
Bats swooped through the airy rooms of the clapboard plantation house I was staying in. Elemental rain hammered the lush undergrowth and large fruits thudded to the ground. I walked down the middle of the road in near total darkness … Continued
Eaten the World Cup
It all started with an Ecuadorian fish stew on the damp Holloway Road. Perhaps every World Cup should. My stew had depth and colour and blew away the dark night. On the pitch, hosts Qatar were overwhelmed by an energetic Ecuador and the enormity of the occasion. I … Continued
Eat the World Cup: foodline
I’ve watched the 2022 World Cup in London restaurants and bars from all 32 participating countries. The Eat the World Cup foodline details the locations, dishes and drinks sampled on this epic culinary football challenge. Number – Date – Country – Restaurant / … Continued
Eat the World Cup
Eat the World Cup is a mission to watch the 2022 World Cup in London restaurants and bars that represent all of the 32 participating countries. It involves experiencing Argentina with a steak, Germany with a stein and Saudi Arabia with a special … Continued
Our Man in Muscat
I had blasted around Oman in a white saloon. I had trekked mountains, clambered desert dunes and seen green turtles lay their eggs on the corner of the Arabian peninsula. I was now in Muscat’s fish market with a serious … Continued
Cretan hop
I picked up a cheap replica of the Phaistos disc in a tourist shop outside the Minoan palace of Knossos. The Phaistos disc, an inscribed clay circle housed in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, has never been translated. I pulled the tiny … Continued
Interview with a nomad
Ultimate traveller website NomadMania divides the world into 1,301 regions based on territory, population, diversity, economy and tourist appeal. I had visited 373 of the world’s 1,301 regions (England rank: 43 / International rank: 600) as at September 2021. NomadMania … Continued
Peso of life
Viva Mexico! I watched top-flight matches at two 2026 World Cup stadiums: the Akron in Guadalajara and the legendary Azteca in Mexico City. And experienced the heady commerce of the Mexican game – delicious snacks, free beer and a Pearl … Continued