Mushrooms, Plettenberg Bay

Honey collecting...

On Saturday I was treated to something pretty special. We drove up into the surrounding hills of Valpolicella and went collecting honey. It seems like its a hobby of the Ceradini family, as we were met by Franco's brother and nephew as well. I was explained the process of the honey making, the role the queen bee plays in the hive and the general operation of the entire hive. It was a fascinating morning, besides the two stings I received (the only person to get stung).

Leonardo (Franco's brother) has a small stone cottage up in the hills. Built in 1896, it is made from old granite rock and because it is wedged into the side of the hill, it is three storeys high. Before lunch we chopped and prepared wood for the winter season, and afterwards I was treated to a phenomenal meal of grilled salsiccia, gorgonzola and fresh salad from the small vegetable patch. Once again I was taken through an entire tasting of the Veronese wines, and then explained the importance of them in the Italy itself. I also was lucky enough to taste a prize bottle of Recioto, the local "sweet wine" from here. It is amazing how passionate the Italians are about where they are from within the country, it really is a big deal. Hence Recioto, being typical of the Veneto area, was poured with great pride!

When we were about to leave, Leonardo pulled me aside, kissed me on both cheeks and then said something to me in Italian which I will probably never forget.

"Sei uno di noi!"

You are one of us.

Claudio with the first hive.

The door to the old stone cottage.

The lunch spread.

From left to right: Matteo, Leonardo, Claudio and Franco.

Another osteria

End of London and Borough Market...



The bread man at Borough Market.



London came and went so fast. It was such a great experience, and travelling with Anna was just wonderful. We got told about Borough Market by a friend of ours,  so we made our way over on the Good Friday. What a brilliant market! It is huge, and the food doesn't seem to stop. The breads, the cakes, the teas, the cheeses, the pies, the paninis, the nuts and baklavas; it was all pretty special. I sat down with a glass of prosecco and a vietnamese curry that changed my life. Here are a couple of photos:



This was amazing. The two massive blocks of cheese sit under flames and melt, and it is then scraped off onto baked potatoes and served with pickled gherkins and onions.



Farm Stall, Western Cape, South Africa

This was a photo I took at a small farm stall in the Western Cape, just outside of Robertson. I thought the little saying on the chalk board was such a nice touch...