An Edible Voyage

January 2020 A hotchpotch of parillas, cafes with coffee and medialunas deals, street food, and the odd hipster cafe thrown in for good measure. For me Buenos Aires was one of those places that’s great to just be in.    Not a huge amount of activities or sights that I was interested in, but a great vibe with some really cool hidden areas, think railway arches turned in to ice cream parlours and bars with swings outside between Plaza de la Shoa and Parque 3 de Febrero, and groups of containers serving posh burgers and artisan beer at Los Dos Arcos.    For an informal beginners Tango lesson, head to La Cathedral, a dingy and sweaty building but full of atmosphere.    It does get busy and becomes a bit like dodgems, but that means there is less pressure.

January 2020 Patagonia. Home of jagged mountain peaks, mirror lakes, ice fields, and miles and miles of steppe under huge, ever-changing skies. El Calafate The main activity in El Calafate is a trip to see the Perito Moreno glacier.  I was a little unsure whether to go as I feared it may be a tiny, tourist packed boardwalk with a glacier in the distance and a lot of standing around.  I'm so glad I went as it was incredible, exceeding my expectations by far.  Several kms of walkway at varying heights that get close to the glacier, and a beach with rocks, drift wood and miniature icebergs to explore meant a fairly active day.  As one of the few advancing glaciers in the world,  the anticipation builds as the afternoon sun beats down on the ice and you can hear the ice splitting and shifting.  Then with a crack as loud as thunder, a huge chunk crashes in to the lake.  It's an impressive sight and a thrilling experience.  El Chalten The wea...

February 2020 Snow in winter, sun in summer and always incredibly scenic mountains.  The cuisine is influenced by rural farming villages of years gone, leading to hearty dishes, heavy in dairy products. Winter and summer I love the French Alps.    Chamonix is my choice for the summer – plenty to do, great vibe, some stunning hikes, start of the Haute Route trail, and close to some beautiful lakes to cool off in.    Come winter, La Plagne is great for mixed ability groups as there are lots of wide, cruisey blue runs, but plenty to keep more advanced skiers and boarders challenged.    St Martin de Belleville is a pretty, quaint mountain village with a relaxed vibe, but which is linked by a gondala and chair lift to the 600km of pistes in the 3 Valleys.    It’s a great option if you’re not looking for anything too raucous but don’t want to compromise on the size of the ski area.    And if you do fancy an apres-ski p...