Memphis, the biggest city in Tennessee, epitomises the old and new South of the United States. Once a major slave-trading centre, in the 1960s it was the focus of civil rights action. Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated there, and the National Civil Rights Museum in the city is his memorial. It has always been, and still is, a major musical centre for blues, country, jazz … [Read more...] about Memphis: City of two kings
Food
Houston: space, history and food
Houston claims the honour of its name being the first word spoken on the moon. Remember what Neil Armstrong said: “Houston, the eagle has landed.” Today the Houston Space Centre isn’t nearly as important as it once was because the space programme isn’t as important as it once was. It is still the Texan city’s most visited attraction with over a million visitors a year. … [Read more...] about Houston: space, history and food
Lyon: a culinary gem amid a violent history
Lyon is a gem of a city. Set on a hilly site, it's where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet – making it a it a natural military and commercial and an attractive location in its own right. Its long history dates back to Roman times when it was called Lugdunum and was the capital of Roman Gaul. By 1032 it was part of the Holy Roman Empire but was annexed to France in 1312. It … [Read more...] about Lyon: a culinary gem amid a violent history
Lake Charles LA, beautiful and quirky
Take a beautiful national park complete with nature trails, wildlife, including alligators and pink cranes, add a beach, some casinos, plenty of local history, some great local food and a rum distillery and you have Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana. Lake Charles is about 2-3 hours drive west of New Orleans and about the same distance east from Houston, Texas. It’s a town … [Read more...] about Lake Charles LA, beautiful and quirky
Chicago colourful, contradictory and very much its own
Chicago, America’s self-styled second city is a special place defined by four factors: the magnificence of its buildings, as the cradle of electric blues, its long history of gangsterism and its blood brother political corruption, and its rather special food – deep dish pizza and the Chicago hot dog. On a quest to get a feel for all those elements I found one common factor: … [Read more...] about Chicago colourful, contradictory and very much its own
It’s all about the base
Thick versus thin. Multiple toppings versus plain and simple. Modern innovation versus traditional and authentic. These are among the many questions pizza lovers love to argue about. The thin crust style is associated with New York and its street food. Big triangular slices slightly burnt with sauce, cheese and basil (and just those if you are a purist), which are hard to … [Read more...] about It’s all about the base
Nice and greasy
You know that the fry up is still ok when respectable national newspapers like the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail break away from endless coverage of the Royals and the fresh horrors of the political left to present features like "The Ten Best Greasy Spoons in London". They are joined by the much more populist Entertainment bible of London, Time Out, which regularly … [Read more...] about Nice and greasy
Buy carefully on London Food Tours
Each of the London food tours I chose varied widely in price and content. Deliberately so, because I wanted a range of experiences, and because I was determined to try free stuff (although, of course, it wasn’t actually free at all). Top of the line was a twilight food and cocktail tour of Soho which I undertook on a Friday night. At £95 this was the most expensive, but it … [Read more...] about Buy carefully on London Food Tours
Continental Drift
There are few things better in life than quietly drifting down two of Europe's best-known rivers in comfortable surroundings, well fed, with plentiful supplies of wine and other drinks, rising each day to anew town and anew experience. The river cruises between Amsterdam and Budapest along the Rhine and Danube rivers are Among the most popular trips for the over 60s from New … [Read more...] about Continental Drift
Plenty to enjoy in the Margaret River and Perth
The Margaret River area to the south and west of Perth is the state's playground. Famous for its wine and food, it also attracts surfers, fishers, and other recreators to its many prosperous towns. Once just farmland with small dots of housing on the river or the coast, this part of Australia now bustles with traffic with towns like Busselton Dunsborough and Bunbury thriving … [Read more...] about Plenty to enjoy in the Margaret River and Perth