Crumbs to Crunch

Have you ever wanted to travel all around a country but simply don't have time? Poble Espanyol in Barcelona is the solution to seeing Spain in a nutshell. This 'Spanish Village' is an outdoor architectural museum which offers the chance to see Spain in one hour. Poble Espanyol was originally built for the 1929 International Exhibiton to showcase different regional architecture from Santiago de Compostella to Seville but was so popular it is still open today. Strolling along the cobble streets really did give the feel of a village instead of a museum. Many of the buildings house workshops were you can see artisans creating beautiful pieces. Around every corner you can experience a different area of Spain and relax in the many squares. It was in one of these squares that I stopped off for the ultimate Spanish snack, churros. What a treat it was to sit out in the winter's sun on a beautiful Spanish square, dunking the deep fried dough sticks into thick...

I love the outdoors and watching natural history documentaries yet I had never heard of Gilbert White who is often dubbed as the father of ecology. I recently visited his house-turned-museum, in the idyllic village of Selborne in Hampshire where I learnt about this fascinating man. Gilbert White was a man with many hats - a curate, naturalist and author. His most famous work , The Natural History of Selborne, was published in 1789 and was the first English language book of its kind. In fact, it has never been out of print since. Gilbert White observed animals in the wild which was highly unusual at the time as most scientists dissected specimens in the comfort of their own study.  Through Gilbert's observations, he identified that what was thought of as one species of bird, was actually three separate species. Nowadays, you can visit the garden where Gilbert made all his important discoveries. The grounds were ever so tranquil and full of colour. They are so lovely t...

I have to confess that I don't like art much. Frankly, staring at paintings in galleries bores me. However, art suddenly became a lot more interesting when I found myself sporting a green hard hat and matching high vis to ascend 60 feet's worth of scaffolding to get a closer look at Britain's largest painted ceiling. This huge piece of art is at the Painted Hall in the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London where Admiral Lord Nelson's body was laid in state in this grand hall after he died in the Battle of Trafalgar. The Painted Hall dates from the 18th century and is currently undergoing a huge conservation project. In order to raise funds, for a mere £10, I got to see the ceiling up close and learn about its fascinating history and the conservation process from an incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. Wearing my hard hat, I felt like a modern day Indiana Jones, discovering tiny details that have never been ...

I've always wanted to live in a castle. I would people watch from my battlements, scale my towers and wander through my extensive grounds.

I visited Quebec several years ago and since then have become quite interested in its history. I was eager to visit Quebec House in Kent was the home of General Wolfe, the controversial figure who brought Quebec under British control. The house has an exhibition about the Quebec campaign and also shows what life was like in the 1730s. I was surprised to discover most heavenly smell when I entered the house. I followed my nose to the kitchen to find some goodies... To my surprise, a lady was baking treats in this 18th century kitchen. The recipes were taken from General Wolfe's wife's recipe book. I tasted lemon drops which were like clouds of sugar and also a fruit cake that had a hint of orange blossom. The cook informed me that the most popular cake with the visitors are the macaroons. They are flavoured with rose water and are even gluten free. I loved connecting with the past through these treasured recipes. Quebec House is well worth a visit, not just for the free...

Coming down Arthur's Seat No visit to Edinburgh is complete without a wander down The Royal Mile, a spectacular street headed by a magnificent castle and tailed by a royal palace.  My first stop was Gladstone's Land. This is an example of one of Edinburgh's early 'skyscrapers' where people from all walks of life lived on different levels of the building. The house was owned by a rich 17th century merchant. The upper floors are more lavish, including an ornate bedroom where the resident would entertain guests from bed! The ground floor is equally interesting as it is a recreated Luckenbooth - a lockable shop. This Luckenbooth was the workplace of a wool merchant who sold his goods through an arched window to customers on the street. At the end of the day he would lock the wooden shutters and the space would become his living quarter. Nifty! Biscoff slice with Chai Latte and Hot Chocolate. My next stop was inevitably at a tea room! Mimi's Bakehou...

Nothing gets me more in the festive mood than A Christmas Carol. For all the Scrooges out there, they must visit Chester at Christmas . Gone is the bah humbug mentality when you enter the magnificent Chester Cathedral . The cloisters are lined with trees with twinkling lights, all decorated by different businesses and members of the community.  This year, the cathedral is displaying a series of tableaux depicting  A Christmas Carol . The models are seriously impressive, particularly the gigantic Ghost of Christmas Present.  The festivities continue in the gorgeous café, located in a 13th century monks' dining hall. I feasted on the Liverpool cake which was inspired by the exotic ingredients newly available in the 19th centuiry from Liverpool's trade links, such as demarara sugar from Guyana, spices from the Middle East and sultanas from Turkey. This cake tasted a lot like carrot cake as it was moist and had lots of lovely spices. Perfect for Christmas! ...

Food and history are my two favourite things in the world. Put them together they make a killer combination. My recent visit to Henry VIII's palace, Hampton Court, did just that! To celebrate Hampton Court's 500 anniversary, a series of short plays about the well known inhabitants are being staged in the splendid rooms and courtyards. I witnessed Henry VIII composing some music, Elizabeth I interrogating a Scottish envoy about Mary Queen of Scots as well as Shakespeare's company rehearsing 'the Scottish play'. These sketches all took place in the rooms where their real counterparts plotted and schemed which made the whole place come alive.  Elizabeth I As you can tell from Henry VIII's rather large physique, feasts played an important role in court life. The kitchens where these vast banquets were prepared are still on show and even have a man operating a spit to invite tourists to get cooking! There is even a chocolate kitchen, one of the first o...