Italy without

We have returned from our European travels - first stop Italy and that is why this edition of Around The World Without goes Italiano. I'm talking Dean Martin, Vespa, pizza, pesto, Ferrari, Pisa, Da Vinci and more. I am into anything and everything Italian at the moment. The food, the architecture, the fashion, the cars...the food!

Agriturismo is the Italian word of the moment. Read about our travels to beautiful Pisciotta...

Speaking of the food, Mr Smith and I have found Italian heaven in Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol England...Read more

My pasta machine is out and this weekend I am trying Jamie Oliver's Potato and Asparagus Ravioli and I am now onto making my second Chocolate Absinthe cake. Below is my Chocolate Absinthe cake which I made for Easter. If you would like to cheat and buy the Chocolate Absinthe Cake, then check out your local delicattessan and ask for Gualmini cakes.

Gualmini Cakes
Antonella Gualmini’s father used to run the bakery in Montefiorino, a small village high in the Modena Appenines, on the ancient pilgrimage and trade route which links Emilia Romagna to Tuscany and the south. In the 1980’s Antonella and husband Federico started to specialize in cakes, experimenting with alternatives to wheat flour and also, whenever the required ingredients were available, making organic cakes. Their cakes should be stored in a cool, dark place and, once opened, should be eaten within three days. If you are in Bristol England, then drop by Chandos Deli for a Gualmini Cake.


Florence Without: Le Stanze Di Santa Croze
E ven the Italians find Florence simply beautiful. Artists sit by the water and paint, historians wander the city and explore, designers take inspiration from the Renaissance architecture. The city is crammed with tourists, but take a short walk down some alleyways and you will find a gorgeous piece of history by the Church of Santa Croce. More here...