Tag Archives: wine

A proper summer holiday: sports days, birthdays, pyramids, bumper cars … and a subterranean mail train

Posted on August 15, 2026 by fortewinks

La Grande Motte: A Very French Holiday Destination By and large, a Reception School Sports Day wouldn’t normally float my boat. But this was no ordinary Sports Day; this was Little Hurricane’s sports day to which I was invited by … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged adventure, children, daughters, dining, europe, Family, france, friends, games, holiday, life, Party, restaurants, summer, travel, wine, writing | 3 Comments

Hello to half a century (and then some).

Posted on May 7, 2018 by fortewinks

Fifty-five is not an insubstantial age but not as old as I hope to be one day – assuming I will remain in fine fettle of course. This year’s birthday celebrations extended to before and beyond the day itself and … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertaining, Family, Food and wine, Friends, Health, holiday, Home, Life and romance, London, Motherhood, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged 55, Arcadia Spectacular, Art, Entertainment, Family, Food, Fun, GranCanaria, happy, holiday, humour, Idyll Suites, Innovation, life, Maserati, middle age, Party, sun, Sunday Times, wine, work | Leave a comment

A Wanstead afternoon and other social shenanigans

Posted on April 20, 2016 by fortewinks

It began on the first Friday of April. I had invited very old friends from Cambridge days of yore, people with whom I had mingled during the year of my secretarial training. The early ‘80s involved partner in crime, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertaining, Family, Food and wine, Friends, Home, Life and romance, London, Uncategorized | Tagged Art, Bethnal Green, Family, Food, friends, Giovanna Forte, life, Shoreditch, wine | Leave a comment

Girls on Tour: The Three Graces and a Tasmanian Roadtrip

Posted on May 18, 2015 by fortewinks

The Three Graces at Nubeena. Painting by Tornado. Australia is a substantial and beautiful country that until recently left my interest unpiqued. Until that is, Exocet (Youngest of All) deemed her culinary career incomplete without experiencing the territory’s joyful food culture; she … Continue reading →

Posted in Design and architecture, Entertaining, Family, Food and wine, Friends, Life and romance, Travel | Tagged Art, australia, avoca, boyfriend, cape raoul, daughters, family, female factory, Food, food and wine, friends, friendship, geology, Health, hobart, life, love, melbourne, MONA, oatlands, tasmania, white beach, wine | 3 Comments

Sicily and the art of slow

Posted on August 24, 2013 by fortewinks

Mr Smart, Head of Art is ultimately responsible. Chatting last term to Beautiful Boyfriend (mine, not his) he recommended as the starting point for our imminent vacanza, a swanky Palazzo apartment owned by a Countess he happens to know. Palermo … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Design and architecture, Food and wine, Friends, Health, Life and romance, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged architecture, Art, Barbie, beach, boyfriend, campofelice di roccella, Cappella Palatina, Cefalù, Christ Pantocrator, cooking, Food, fruit, holiday, love, markets, mosaic, Palermo, pasta, pesto, Prosecco, sea, Sicily, Smart, sun, wine | 2 Comments

The holiday: Gozo far … and find unspoiled heaven

Posted on August 30, 2012 by fortewinks

Sunbather from ancient Gozo Excitement mounted as my long awaited, high-pamper-factor, sun-filled holiday hove into view, destination Gozo, a tiny island of the Maltese archipelago, which lies about 80km south of Sicily and 290km north of Africa. As yet unsullied … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertaining, Food and wine, Friends, Health, Life and romance, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged Food, friends, Gozo, Health, holiday, Malta, sun, Ta'Cenc, Ta'Mena, tan, wine, Xlendi | 1 Comment