But while the bonnie land north of the border promised an edible Eden long-remembered, remarkably it had never made it onto our hiking retinas. Before relocating to the Canary Islands fifteen years ago, our camping and walking weekends had taken us from Lands End to the Lake District but no further.
With the food expectations bar set at a romantically reminiscent high, and walking expectations right up there with it, it was fitting that some thirty years after first awakening our taste buds, Scotland should receive pride of place as our first UK gastro-hiking destination.

In early September, with ten days ahead of us, we set off to explore the epicurean and walking delights of a slice of Scotland, from Dumfries & Galloway to the Isle of Skye.

Walking in Scotland – Infinite Beauty
It had been a long, hot summer in Portugal, most of it spent in the curtained and cool interior of our office, save for a trip to the glorious Drôme Provençale where we walked in temperatures of 30+ degrees, longing for the cool onset of autumn. Arriving at Glasgow airport, our wishes were fulfilled as the UK’s record-breaking summer retreated, and September arrived with an unseasonal chill in the air.
Driving south to Dumfries & Galloway, an undulating canvas of velvet green meadows unfolded, grazed by long-haired cattle and barrell-shaped sheep. Clumps of proud Scots pines stood tall like troops on a green baize battle field, maintaining their perfect formation against the prevailing breeze while on the skyline, the sails of wind turbines carved circles in the sky.

Stepping out from our hotel door or driving out to quaint villages, we followed trails that climbed grassy meadows, skirted farms and crossed rickety styles in fields whose views constantly stopped us in our tracks as our eyes scanned the uncluttered, unspoiled expanse of nature that surrounded us. On quiet country lanes bordering meandering streams, through dark woods of oak and chestnut, and along an old Roman road we walked, barely encountering another soul along the way save for the occasional dog walker. Our paths took us to an old Covenanters graveyard where we strolled between ancient headstones carved with inscriptions whose opening sentences have long ago fallen into the ground on crumbling stones.

The further north our journey took us, the more dramatic the scenery became, soft rolling meadows gradually giving way to deep, twisting glens and silent lochs enfolded in brooding hills as the splendour of the Highlands engulfed us. Water became a constant companion to our walks, either stretching into the distance in deep lochs alongside the path or falling from the sky in near-horizontal force, soaking us through to our underwear. From Crianlarich we followed a section of the West Highland Way, in weather so atrocious ducks would think twice before venturing out, yet here we met more fellow hikers than we had seen for our entire trip and every one of them had smiles the size of the Forth Bridge, clearly loving the double challenge of the trail and the weather.
The unrelenting rain followed us all the way to the Isle of Skye where the landscape opened out into straw-coloured moorland beneath a vast sky of gathering clouds. Here our walks took us over rugged headlands and along sandy beaches of delicate pink coral, the wind threatening to carry us off like boot-clad kites.

As diverse as it is stunning, the hiking in Scotland is an enthralling cornucopia of landscapes, whether you’re bagging Munros, strolling the banks of lochs or heading out on one of the many long distance paths that criss-cross the countryside. And don’t be put off by the prospect of cold, wind or rain, we encountered all three and it only served to strengthen the hiking kindred spirit. This may have been our first foray into Scotland’s hiking delights but it certainly won’t be our last.

Dining in Scotland
Whilst Scotland may not have many Michelin Star awarded restaurants (four in the 2018 guide), the standard of gastronomy we encountered right across our travels was extremely high and in places, exceptional. The emphasis on using fresh, local produce and of incorporating innovative techniques and contemporary presentation to traditional recipes was a theme we found reflected across a wide range of hotels and restaurants rather than just in a handful of places in which few locals could afford to dine.
Like everywhere with a strong culinary tradition, some dishes could be found on almost every menu – haggis, venison, cullen skink, fish & chips and interestingly, Eggs Benedict – and in almost every case prepared and presented with a local twist but always delectably tasty. The stand-out classic dishes we encountered were the fish & chips and the haggis-stuffed chicken breast at Harry Haw’s on Bute; the cullen skink and the Eggs Benedict at Hame hotel on Skye; a creamy and spicy pumpkin soup at Lochside Tea Room in Dunvegan on Skye; black pudding mash at Four Seasons hotel in St Fillan; a steak and haggis pie at the Cuan Mor bar-restaurant in Oban; and the steak pie and the tablet ice cream at Best Western Crainlarich.

The availability of superb produce is one of the things that made our Scottish foodie travels so tasty and there are some dishes that will join our Kircudbright hall of gastronomic fame, lingering in my memory for as long as it takes to get back there and try them again. Amongst the ingredient highlights of our trip were venison parfait at the Trigony House Hotel; beef tartare with beetroot sorbet and jelly, and roast partridge breasts at Blackaddie; smoked salmon at Knipoch; and wild mushroom soup with garlic and rosemary at Achray House hotel – all products sourced from the doorstep and lovingly transformed into stand-out dishes.
I have no doubt more Scottish restaurants will choose to go down the Michelin star route, but I love the fact that Scotland is offering high quality dining to a large section of the population rather than concentrating on top notch gastronomy for the few. Long may it continue.

Scotland’s Personal Hotels
We’ve chosen to include reference here to the superb hotels we stayed in during our trip, simply because that’s where we enjoyed most of our dining. Almost all of the hotels we stayed in during our trip were small, family-owned boutique hotels and all of them provided excellent service combined with good food and a high level of comfort. The icing on the cake for us was locations close to good walking routes, either from the door or in easy driving distance.
We’ll be covering each hotel in more detail on these pages so this is just a summary of what made our stays in each so memorable.

Trigony House hotel, Thornhill – a dog-friendly, warm and welcoming gastronomic gem of a hotel with soft leather sofas, roaring log fires, and a cosy, country pub-style atmosphere. Their Barbary duck and their venison parfait were both sensational, as was their full Scottish breakfast. The sort of place you really hated the thought of checking out from.
Blackaddie, Sanquar – “a restaurant with rooms” as award-winning chef-owner Ian McAndrew describes the Scottish hunting lodge-style hotel he runs with his wife Jan on the outskirts of Sanquar. The food here is the unrivalled star of the show with Michelin standard dining featuring all fresh, local produce. Incidentally, their peat-smoked haddock at breakfast is worth walking barefoot through snow to enjoy.
Best Western Crianlarich – although bucking the ’boutique’ theme, this hotel is perfectly positioned for access to the West Highland Way and offers a warm and cosy welcome, a good restaurant and an effective drying room, all essentials in the walkers’ handbook. As a bonus, their steak pie is delicious, as are their Eggs Benedict.
Knipoch, Oban – more like a stately home, this superb family-owned hotel, spectacularly located overlooking Loch Feochan has scenic walks straight from the door, well the woods behind to be accurate, and the best smoked salmon I have ever tasted, marinated in herbs and then smoked over oak for three days. Probably the most professionally run hotel we stayed at, it exudes a quiet, sophisticated elegance.
Hame hotel, Isle of Skye – it’s hard to imagine a warmer welcome than the one you’ll get at this delightful, family-run hotel set in the bay at Roag. The décor is a fresh take on Ikea and makes a nice change from the more sombre, hunting lodge style favoured by many. Superb Eggs Benedict for breakfast, and a tasty set menu featuring meat-free choices compliment the most welcoming hotel bar on our trip, run by the incomparable Tom. We could happily have stayed much longer.
Achray House, St Fillans – a late 19th century stately home overlooking the beautiful Loch Earn, this guesthouse-style hotel offers a comprehensive collection of wines, whiskies and gins. It also has superb service, lovely bedrooms with oodles of floor space, and excellent food including a delectable fish pie and the best date & Pecan nut pudding I’ve ever eaten.
Four Seasons, St Fillans – set just along the road from Achray, and not to be confused with the Four Seasons group, this dog-friendly hotel has great views over the Loch from its front bedrooms and runs a popular restaurant which, on the night we stayed, featured roast belly of pork with black pudding mash, an accompaniment which I feel is bound for our dining table.

In summary…
We expected a great deal from our short visit to Scotland, and it delivered in spades. The food was consistently excellent and we did not have a single bad eating experience, far from it. The walking was hugely varied and a constant joy. Paths were usually well signposted and invariably featured lots to keep interest levels high, from Roman fortlet to an old POW camp, not to mention the ever-changing, always stunning landscape. Routes could be easy-peasy or testing, depending on how much time and energy we wanted to expend and there were no issues with access to public paths. What was perhaps most surprising for us was the very high standard of accommodation we enjoyed. Each hotel had its own personality and the food ranged from good to outstanding but they all delivered top notch service and a wide-armed welcome.

Scotland’s Hotels of Distinction and Scotland’s Personal Hotels invited Buzz Trips to experience the hospitality and gastronomy of their hotels in order to showcase the delights of a stay in Scotland. Together we devised an itinerary that would allow us to take in some delightful walking as well as sampling a small selection of their superb hotels.

We knew there would be historic cities and beautiful landscapes. But the truth is that we had no idea just how overwhelmingly stunning those landscapes in Croatia would be, or that we would be assaulted by mouth-wide-open views that simply never let up.

Possibly the biggest surprise was Croatian gastronomy. We really didn’t know what to expect. What we found was a culinary tradition that, for us, surpassed areas which normally have travel bloggers salivating over their keyboards (I’m especially thinking Morocco and France).

Croatia had it all, putting it right up there as one of our favourite gastro hike destinations

Walking in Dalmatia – A land of emerald lagoons and flamboyant insects
We’ve enjoyed more challenging walking and more dramatic terrain than we experienced in Croatia. However, often it felt like walking in an unspoilt paradise – a Garden of Eden. I’m not sure how much of a reputation Croatia has as a walking destination but in mostly perfect walking weather in May we rarely met any other hikers.

On Hvar, we strolled through olive groves and past tiny historic hamlets, mysterious stone mounds and fields of wild flowers where the scent of wild orange jasmine was borderline orgasmic. One trail emerged at a small farm by the perfect Adriatic Sea and we were treated to a home grown feast during an afternoon so idyllic, it will take some beating.

On Mljet our routes traversed dreamy lakes and dappled forest paths where a flighty army of butterflies and the most exquisite looking insects I’ve ever seen added explosions of colour to the rich green landscape. At one point we caught a boat to an island within an island. At another we emerged at Roman fort beside a picturesque lakeside town and listened to the woes of a woman tending a goat with anger management issues.

Each walk was full of beauty and interest. There was often a tangible feel of walking in the paths of people from great ancient civilisations.

We’re also big fans of city hiking and Dubrovnik and Zadar offered two destinations that were ripe for exploring on foot. Dubrovnik’s streets can be a bit manic, but an escape to the walls both acted as a breather and stole our breaths away. Captivating Zadar didn’t have the same level of tourists but was the huge surprise of the trip that we would have overlooked completely if wasn’t for the fact that Ryanair made it a cheap option to fly there.

Our memories of all those places are filled with warmth, big smiles and a sense of discovery.

Wining & Dining in Dalmatia
From our first meal in Zadar, a world-beating seafood risotto and sensationally savoury cheesy gnocchi, our tastebuds were whooping with joy throughout our time in Croatia (save for two truly bad meals in Dubrovnik).

We were constantly impressed with the diversity of what was on offer; from light Mediterranean pastas and fish and seafood dishes to rich stews (pasticadas) and herby sausages. Traditional Croatian konobas with rustic designs and cosy courtyards were our favourite places to enjoy a varied cuisine that should keep all palates satisfied. Even the accompaniments to the main dishes scored high marks; creamy polenta instead of potatoes or blitva (Swiss chard, potato and garlic), a seriously tasty side dish that’s good enough to eat on its own.

When it comes to wine, Croatia’s is still a bit overshadowed by other European countries. But it has been a wine producing country since Roman times and the peppery, fruity reds we downed enthusiastically were right up our street, especially the Plavac Mali.
What made Dalmatia and other areas of Croatia a dream destination was the huge generosity and infectious humour of the people who offered us drinks at the slightest opportunity. I’ve lost count of the number of free grappas we were plied with – usually a throat stripping one for me and a softer, sweeter variety for Andy. The grappa highlight was at Konoba Lambik on Hvar where they even had a grappa experimental lab.

We were totally smitten by Croatia; its people, landscapes, towns, cities, food and wine. It was one of those places that had all the ingredients that ring our travelling bell.
It is an extraordinary gastro hike destination and we can’t wait to return to explore, and eat, more.

Jack is co-owner, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites as well as a contributor to lots of other places. Follow Jack on Google+

Chania on a Saturday night and we’re faced with an overload of what might be described in guidebooks as ‘inviting harbourside tavernas serving authentic Cretan cuisine’. Most of them display exactly the same menu. Pumpkin heart baked with feta cheese and herbs is not on any.

Every so often we’re approached by an affable Cretan who engages us in small talk before getting round to his objective – trying to persuade us to choose his restaurant over all the rest. He does this by reeling off all the authentic dishes on the menu, the same authentic dishes served in the restaurants on either side.

He’s a nice guy, they’re all nice guys, and I’d never dream of being rude to someone trying to honestly earn a living. I say “we’ll think about it” and we move on. What I really want to say is “Why would I choose to eat here? Your menu is exactly the same as a hundred others. It shows no innovation, no creative bent on the part of the cook (note: cook not chef). I’ve been eating from this same menu for two and a half weeks.”

Before anyone gets all prickly and castigates me by pointing out how diverse and wonderful Greek gastronomy is, I already know. I love Greek cuisine. We cook Greek food on a regular basis. This is an interchangeable gripe. It could be aimed at any number of destinations where most local chefs and restaurateurs never stray from the ‘authentic local food the way grandmother used to make it’ path.

Talk of a rural Crete taverna which breaks the mould
On a drizzly day in a volunteer information centre below the ancient hilltop city of Polyrinia, the two British residents running the cosy coffee sanctuary talk to us about off the beaten track places we ‘must’ visit whilst they play a weird version of gin rummy and sip steaming coffee. One of them nurses a mug which says ‘Still hate Thatcher’ on the side.

One of the ‘musts’ are natural white pyramids. Another is a taverna at the top of the Anidri Gorge, a place which serves food that is “ delicious and a bit different”. It’s not the first time the restaurant has been recommended, usually accompanied by the person who’s doing the mentioning going all dreamy-eyed as a memory forces an involuntary lip lick.

Our taste-buds perk up. We’re due to walk the Anidri Gorge.

Straying from the traditional path at the Anidri Gorge
From a kafeneion (Greek coffee house) decorated with a washing line of powder blue gourds, we follow a trail that takes us past agricultural hamlets and olive groves where black nets carpet the ground, obscuring the path at one point. As we climb, the silver groves give way to open rocky hillsides where vultures glide by at shoulder level and goats gorge on wild flowers, ignoring the bizarrely beautiful stinky lily, for obvious reasons.

At the village of Azogires we pop into the Alpha café to ask about an art gallery opposite, on the basis an art gallery in a tiny rural Cretan village deserves to be asked about. Another artist with a soft Scottish accent,Linda, introduces us to Mr Lucky, the owner of the eclectic café. It’s as much a mini agro-museum and place to pick up all manner of local goodies; from herbs and honey to olive oil and wine in plastic bottles. Mr Lucky is a jewel-rich mine of useful information and with his walrus moustache and shepherd’s crook he makes the eccentric café seem almost mundane.

The place is known for producing particularly scrumptious omelettes filled with a mix of secret ingredients; a recipe originally created by Mr Lucky’s grandmother. Sadly our timing is out; we’re too early for lunch so finding out why Alpha’s omelette is so sought after has to be put on hold. Mr Lucky sends us on our way with a gift of a bottle of wine and details of a detour to a waterfall and Venetian bridge, an enchanting diversion which eventually hooks up with our original route at the Monastery of the Holy Fathers.

Our timing when we descend to to the hamlet of Anidri at the head of the gorge of the same name couldn’t be better. We’d been warned it might be difficult to bag a table at Kafeneio sto Scholeio, but there are still a handful free in the shady courtyard.

Blackboards with dishes written in multi-coloured chalks come in two languages, Greek and English. There is dakos salad (lilac chalk), fennel pie (also lilac) and kalitsunia (yellow)… and there is also pumpkin heart baked with feta cheese and herbs (olive) plus many dishes that are strangers to other traditional menus.

After much deliberation we order lentil purée with carrot, potato and walnuts (orange), and a slice of fig, blue cheese, and walnut tart (olive). By the time our luscious lunch arrives (leaping effortlessly over expectations) there are no other tables to be had. The place is bursting with a blend of hikers, independent travellers and locals.

This traditional menu with a delicious difference has inspired a wide range of people to make a pilgrimage to dine at Kafeneio sto Scholeio.

Attracting customers by being traditional and yet different is a priceless penny which will never drop with many, many restaurateurs in countless destinations across the world.

Jack is co-editor, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites as well as a contributor to online travel sites and travel magazines. Follow Jack on Google+

Spending ten days walking the Hochschwarzwald (Black Forest Highlands) before moving onto Freiburg and the Kaiserstuhl, the reality of our experience versus our preconceptions was both wide of the mark, and on the nose, in equal measure.

Walking in The Black Forest – Seeing the Wood for the Trees
Arriving at the beginning of October and just as a cold front slipped its icy cloak over the higher ground, the first revelation to hit our retinas was just how extremely un-black the Black Forest is. Emblazoned in autumnal glory, rarely have I seen such vibrant displays as multiple varieties of maple, acer, beech and cypress trees cast off their summer inhibitions and flaunt their gold and crimson hues.

Even without the glory of the season, the multifarious faces of the forest were a joy to explore. Trails so comprehensively waymarked that even the most directionally-challenged of hikers would struggle to get lost on, meander through forests that morph from light and airy, golden leaved beech and ash trees through which the sunlight pours, to dark and brooding, dense firs and pines whose emerald embrace shuts out all ambient noise and light leaving you cosseted in its perfumed cradle.

But walking in the Black Forest is not all about the trees. Every route that we walked emerged frequently into wide open meadows with far reaching panoramas which showcased the full glory of the Schwarzwald. Each day was a new yin and yang adventure trail where we found ourselves stepping through the back of the wardrobe into snow dusted pine forests and then emerging from a wall of wood into sun-filled meadows where thin spirals of woodsmoke rose from chimneys atop oversized roofs whose eaves swept down to the earth. From circumnavigating their shores to stumbling across one hidden deep inside a forest, manifold lakes are another outstanding feature of the Schwarzwald, bringing a compelling tranquillity and reflected glory to the already arresting landscape.

In its swaddling environment, the Black Forest liberates your mind from the mundanity of the outside world, leaving it free to wander its own trails. Understanding the relationship between the forest and those who live within its confines is one such journey within a journey, a gradual awakening that seeps further into your consciousness with each day spent on its paths.

Wining & Dining around the Black Forest
There’s no escaping the fact that the kuchen of choice in the Black Forest is its eponymous Gateau. Far from the synthetic mush that still makes its way onto our supermarket shelves, the ‘real thing’ is light, moist, rich in cherries and cream, and perfect with a cup of coffee at around 4pm. Equally, the ubiquitous wurst is a welcome sight after a long, cold day’s hiking. Particularly memorable wurst experiences were wild boar sausage (complete with the obligatory sauerkraut) at a specialist restaurant in Freiburg; the city’s famous red sausage, Lange Rota, served steaming hot in a bun from stalls in Münsterplatz, and a flavoursome currywurst in a lakeside hütte in Schluchsee.

But that’s not why the Black Forest makes it onto our recommended gastro-hike destinations list.

Presumably influenced by its proximity to the French border, this region of south west Germany punches far above the culinary weight of the country as a whole and has no less than 28 Michelin Star restaurants within its borders. Blessed with a ready supply of wild herbs, nuts, mushrooms, venison, wild boar, lake fish and fruits, we encountered superb food, sometimes even in the smallest gasthaus or hütte where traditional recipes were being creatively reinvented using local produce so fresh it transported you right back to the trail.

At the Waldhotel in Alpersbach, owner and chef Josef Fehrenbach nightly prepares gourmet four course meals for his guests using produce gathered on his doorstep. Specialising in wild herbs, diners are treated to such aromatic delights as juniper smoked trout fillet; herb infused beef fillet; and chocolate mousse with lavender, olive oil and pear.

Hotel Peterle in Falkau-Feldberg also prepares four course gastronomic treats for its guests and we enjoyed succulent pork fillet stuffed with smoky Black Forest ham and topped in savoury cheese; rich leg of wild boar served with peppery wild mushrooms; and parsnip soup infused with chilli and ginger.

One night in Falkau, falteringly making our way along unlit forest paths by the light of a phone torch, we arrived at a little Gasthaus where the presentation was somewhat over dressed but the taste of the dishes was superb. A balance of German and New Zealand specialities to reflect the nationalities of the husband and wife team who run it, Bierhausle prepared a moist and flaky piece of fresh lake perch in a saffron foam along with a dangerously quaffable pinot noir from a local vineyard.

Before we went, we had high hopes for the Black Forest as a hiking destination but little hope as a gastronomic one. In hiking terms it exceeded expectations and as a foodie destination, it blew them out of the water altogether.

Andrea (Andy) Montgomery is a freelance travel writer and co-owner of Buzz Trips and The Real Tenerife series of travel websites. Published in The Telegraph, The Independent, Wexas Traveller, Thomas Cook Travel Magazine, EasyJet Traveller Magazine. Co-author of Walk This Way Tenerife and The Real Tenerife. You can read her latest content on Google+

Actually, they could.

Walking around the Italian Lakes –  Immaculate and Wild
We expected rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves and lakes with such beauty they could lure the stars from the sky… or Hollywood at least.
There’s an overdose of those – a banquet of idyllic walking routes around lakes and islands that invariably end at places which must have graduated top of their class at the school in the quaint and charming towns category, all complete with ubiquitous atmospheric tavern.

Lake Ledro was our rather pretty but understated introduction with Lake Garda raising the beauty stakes, before it was outshone by Lake Orta, Lake Iseo and Lake Maggiore.
The scenery is nearly too intensely divine to absorb. It reminded me of the west coast of Scotland. Not in similarity of looks but in the way you are constantly bombarded by extreme scenes of beauty to the point of submission and outbursts of ‘I cannae take any more Cap’n’.

Then there are the gardens, especially those at Lake Maggiore. Shows of obscene wealth and power some may be, but these displays of riches reward all who stroll their seductive walkways; the gardens so extensive that exploring each is, in essence, like following mini walking routes.

Most surprising to us were the walks on the wild side, the rugged mountains that act as a dramatic yang to the pristine lake-side’s yin. Routes such as the Cima D’Oro above Lake Ledro, where narrow paths dissect steep hillsides and where the last winter snows lingered, occasionally blocking our way, adding a touch of spice that taught us the Italian Lakes have an untamed edge to their pristine character.

It’s this diverse mix of options that makes for such satisfying walking in the Italian Lakes. Whether you’re into dreamy walks that prod the poet in you or challenging mountain yomps that bring out the adventurer, it delivers and then some. And the signposting is pretty good as well.

Wining & Dining around the Italian Lakes
What can I say, it’s Italy. Like the scenery, the cuisine surpassed expectations. I had one mediocre meal all the time we were in Italy and that was in a hotel catering for Northern European guests rather than Italians. Even one of the most depressing hotels we’ve stayed at in a long time (fabulous views, monastic cell of a room without the character of a real monastic cell) served up rabbit that was better than any I’ve eaten… and I live in a place that specialises in rabbit.

Warm ham and cheese piadinas in unassuming cafés; flaky fresh lake fish served by the fishermen who caught them; simple pastas and risottos packed with fresh flavours; desserts to wow someone who can take or leave desserts (me); Michelin Star meals that occupied a culinary stratosphere when it came to looks and taste – at every level the standard of food was exemplary and, Michelin restaurants aside, not as expensive as I’d expected.

Stand out meals were a simple plate of tricoloured risotto made with rice from the paddy fields around Novara; breakfast of fresh pastries, hams, cheese and blood red Sicilian orange juice by the side of Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore; crispy sun dried sardines from Lake Iseo; enchanting dishes at Al Sorrisso in the hills above Lake Orta; the most fun dessert ever at Piccolo Lago on Lake Mergozzo and an array of imaginative dishes to match the fantastical setting of a faux Arabian Palace at Orta San Giulio.

Best of all was a relatively simple dish in a cosy little restaurant beside a pond-sized harbour in Gargnano – turbot in a black spinach and squid ink crust. It has got to be one of the tastiest dishes I’ve eaten… except I didn’t get to eat it as it was Andy’s choice.

The area around the Italian Lakes isn’t a perfect gastro-hike destination, it’s much more than that. The Italian Lakes are the perfect destination – end of sentence.

Jack is co-editor, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites as well as a contributor to online travel sites and travel magazines. Follow Jack on Google+

Walking in Provence – A Palette of Prettiness
All those impossibly picturesque landscapes in paintings are no artistic interpretation, Provence  looks like a Van Gogh. Sunflowers; rolling hills; balloons floating across a powder blue sky; perfect historic villages where modern day developers intent on erecting blandness have been firmly told ‘NON!’

The Provence of reality lives up to the Provence of the imagination. Where walking in some locations combines a challenge with remarkable scenery, there’s something dreamlike about hiking in Provence. When I think about it now my memories are almost shrouded in soft focus and we’re traipsing slowly through green vales, probably trailing a hand through long grasses.

Our trails took us through a gentle countryside, passing scented towns such as Simiane-la-Rotunde and Banon on a lavender trail even though the striking purple flower had long since left the scene. We walked the cobbled, historic streets of Arles and Saint-Remy de Provence where the influence of great artists accompanied every step. In Les Baux, in the depths of an underground quarry, we were treated to one of the most magical travel experiences we’ve ever had. Our accommodation was also the stuff of warm and fuzzy dreams. Outside Forcalquier we rested our heads in a converted stone barn on a hillside with time-stealing views. Near Beaucaire it was an exquisite 18th century farmhouse where they produced their own olive oil and mixed imaginative jams. As a bonus it was a hop, skip and a stagger to a wonderful vineyard.

Provence is a land for dreamers, poets and lovers; walking here is to be savoured like a fine wine.

Wining & Dining in Provence

The wine, ah the wine. Even the most lowly, unlabelled bottle in France tastes sweeter than some of the ‘finest’ wines we’ve quaffed in some destinations. Fads come and go with us but invariably  French wine always just hits the right spot.
At every opportunity we’d ‘sample’ the local vin, not once tasting a bad one. Drinking wine in the vineyard where it was ‘born’ really brings its flavours to life and after a totally impromptu visit we left Morgues du Gres with another bag of unforgettable memories… and a couple of bottles.

It’s France, the wine is never going to be a let down.

Then there’s the food. French cuisine is renowned all over the world and yet on occasions we were a wee bit disappointed.
Whilst we had good meals in atmospheric restaurants in Forcalquier, Arles, Saint-Remy, Pierrerue and Beaucaire the dining experience was sometimes blighted. In Pierrerue a wonderful meal was tainted by unnecessary snootiness. In a Michelin star restaurant in Tarascon the minus points came courtesy of an overdose of fussiness accompanied by food that simply didn’t wow us.
But the highlights more than countered these blips; a bulging bowl of moules partnered by a crisp Chardonnay; a plate of figs with goat’s cheese; lunching with the locals in an unpretentious restaurant in Tarascon.
Then there are the markets with displays that instantly make you feel ravenous. And as for French cheeses – ooh la la. Is there anything more satisfying than sitting in the sun with a bottle of red and a selection of French cheeses? Obviously there is, but not when you’re sitting at a picnic table dipping a chunk of fresh bread into soft Banon cheese that has been melted by the sun’s rays. Our cholesterol levels probably rocketed in Provence thanks to saying hello to far too many cheese boards.

In many ways Provence was almost perfect as a gastro-hike destination. But, despite having many of the right ingredients, the fussiness we experienced in a handful of establishments prevented this artistic part of France from being one of our all time favourite gastro-hike destinations.

Jack is co-owner, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites as well as a contributor to online travel sites and travel magazines. Follow Jack on Google+

Over the last couple of years we’ve spent quite a bit of time walking on Gran Canaria. On one trip we walked from the hills above the south coast right to the water’s edge on the north. That sort of walking expedition gives you a generous serving of the island’s scenery, rural life and gastronomy.

The scenery shifts and changes constantly; from sprawling canyons to vertigo inducing ravines to misty, atmospheric forests. For a relatively small island there’s a lot of big country to cast admiring eyes over.

In villages and rural houses we tucked into hearty and fresh Canarian hill food. Much of it wasn’t really any different from any other Canary Island. However, there were plenty of chefs along the way who clearly liked to be a bit more creative with their food. It’s because of them that Gran Canaria is not only an exceptional walking destination, it’s a location that should satisfy the tastebuds of anyone who likes some adventure on their plate as well as in the great outdoors.

Walking on Gran Canaria – Grand Canyons and Ancient Abysses
Good walking scenery should stop you in your tracks. Routes on Gran Canaria regularly had us stepping on the metaphorical brakes to stand, hands on hips, soaking up expansive vistas of rocky canyons and intriguing plateaus. There is a distinctly wild western look to some parts of Gran Canaria, especially around Tejeda. In others, crossing from Tejeda to Fontanales for example, the scene can shift from being as dramatic as the Scottish Highlands in appearance, even with soggy sheep, to enchanted forests that could easily be home to flighty faeries.

The scarred ravines around Agaete and Tamadaba exude an air of times long gone, assisted by the fact that the area is home to burial grounds of the Canarii, the island’s original inhabitants, as well as a network of caves where the Canarii once lived. This cave dwelling habit hasn’t entirely died out and there are still some troglodyte communities around.

Walking trails lead to the summits of Gran Canaria’s highest peaks, where atmospheric plateaus seem Lost World-ish, as well as to the bottom of volcanic cones. The landscape is almost constantly transforming; a shape-changing world that keeps you alert and interested.

One thing that remained constant during our treks through Gran Canaria’s rural world was the friendliness and generosity of the people we encountered. During every visit we’ve had an experience that illustrated this. When you’re walking in unfamiliar surroundings, the friendship of strangers means an awful lot.

When we walk on Gran Canaria, we come away uplifted, as though our spirits have been soaring with the birds above the island’s extraordinary landscapes.

Wining & Dining in Gran Canaria
When the first sight that greets you when you trundle into a picturesque hill town is a crispy looking pig on a spit, you know that you’re going to be faced with some interesting gastronomy.

For anyone unfamiliar with Canarian cuisine, there are plenty of interesting but simple dishes to try. These can range from savoury local cheeses and salty sardines to chunky moray eels, fried goat and saucy rabbit.

In many places, even in the heart of rural Gran Canaria, there are local chefs who break out from the rigid conventions of Canarian cuisine to mix things up a bit. There’s the artistic chef at Casa el Caminero in Tejeda who is as creative with his food as he is on canvas, combining local honey rum with bananas to make a drunken dessert. Then there’s Pepe at El Mondalón, marrying almogrote from La Gomera with papas arrugadas (Canarian wrinkled potatoes) to create something so good you could cry. Fermín at La Poshada in Fontanales is a perfectionist with his culinary works but who can also make the meanest bocadillo you’ll sink your teeth into.
Victor at La Finca de la Laja in Agaete isn’t a chef but he and his family produce some of the most quaffable wines we’ve downed on Gran Canaria as well as running the most northerly coffee plantation in the world.

In every town there seems to be locals with a creative, culinary bent. Even in a traditional restaurant in Tejeda, the olive oil accompanying chunky bread comes with a funky design, painted with balsamic vinegar. At La Botica in tiny Agaete, the tapas is imaginative and the wine irresistible.

The bottom line is that the gastronomy on Gran Canaria can be as diverse as the countryside… and that’s without mentioning the restaurants and tapas bars in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

To put it another way, Gran Canaria can provide a feast for the eyes and the stomach and what’s more it can do so every single month of the year.

Jack is co-owner, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites as well as a contributor to online travel sites and travel magazines. Follow Jack on Google+

Walking in The Pyrenees – Pure Air & Intoxicating Vistas
As far as the walking goes, it’s The Pyrenees – so no great revelation that the walking is inspirational.

Our routes took us through perfectly preserved Medieval villages where it required superhuman displays of willpower not to give in to the lure of wickedly inviting bars; across high pastures with bright and perky displays of Alpine flowers and alongside exuberant mountain streams that danced their way down the verdant slopes.

Personal favourites include around the almost ‘too pretty to be true’ Valle de Nuria which on a clear summer day is just about as good as it gets when it comes to WOW views – and, as a bonus, is family friendly as well. Another outstanding hit was around Setcases where there are secret waterfalls to be discovered and the route from Ulldeter back to Setcases blends mountain-top drama with the most wonderful high meadows where cows, horses, chamois and marmots live together in harmony.

The mountainous terrain means just about every walking route involves a muscle stretching ascent which adds that essential and satisfying challenge. In most towns you can step outside of your accommodation and straight on to the trail, which makes any hiking destination especially attractive as far as we are concerned.

Wining & Dining in The Pyrenees
The food in Catalonia never fails to have our tastebuds applauding (metaphorically speaking). It’s one of those destinations where you feel you’re never going to run out of new things to try. Just when you think you might, Catalonia’s creative chefs come up with something different.

There’s a lot of hearty fare in the hills and some places relish serving generous portions of meaty dishes and stews – it’s good honest, country cuisine and sometime’s, after a long day yomping around the hills, you just want to gnaw on a big chop or wrap your mouth around a savoury butifarra sausage.
But too much of it can get weighty on the stomach which makes places like Cal Sastre in Santa Pau, Hotel Grévol in Llanars and the Hotel Calitxo in Molló perfect for balancing the hearty with the  creative. These three gastronomic shrines serve lighter and more sophisticated takes on traditional Catalan cuisine.

For adventurous foodies even the most traditional menus can throw up some interesting choices like rabbit and snails, or pony whilst the three establishments mentioned above conjure up culinary creations that positively woo the tastebuds. At Cal Sastre, Jesús’ violet marmalade elevates foie to the giddy culinary heights whilst we’re sure it’s against some sort of local law not to try his ‘famous’ cannelloni.

As for the wine, well the local vino tastes immensely quaffable at the end of a long day’s walking and, as well as local specialities like ratafia, there are surprises to be had. Ramón’s gin palace in the Hotel Cacadores is a revelation.

Overall, and simply put, we award The Pyrenees a giant sized thumbs up for being an exeptional gastro-hike destination that ticks all the right boxes and then some.

Jack is co-owner, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites as well as a contributor to lots of other places. Follow Jack on Google+