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THE BUZZ
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BIG QUESTION
32
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TRAVELLER
FOR SEAFOOD FANS
MANCHESTER
The adventure
Pull on a pair of
waders and head out to the home of the
world-famous Morecambe Bay shrimps.
Hitch a ride on a vintage tractor to
drag nets through the mud flats of this
beautiful bay, while learning all about the
crustaceans and other regional seafood.
The skills
With guidance from local
fishermen and expert chefs, students are
taught how to read the tides, then catch,
peel, prepare and pot their own shrimps
and learn other seafood recipes.
The stay
The nearby Swan Hotel &
Spa offers a comfortable place for the
night, with cosy rooms; a local, seasonal
restaurant; pampering spa and heated
indoor pool – just in case you haven’t had
quite enough of being damp by then.
From£119 (€142) for a double room
at The Swan Hotel & Spa (swanhotel.
com). Tours need to be pre-booked and
are subject to tides and weather. They
cost £25pp throughTaste Cumbria
(tastecumbria.com). Morecambe Bay is a
90-minute drive fromManchester Airport.
FOR LUXURY GOURMETS
PISA
The adventure
Take a walk though the
beautiful Tuscan woodland with Giulio
Benuzzi and his dedicated dog, Edda,
whose olfactory powers help him sniff
out the elusive luxury fungus. Afterwards,
lunch in a traditional Tuscan villa includes
dishes such as bruschetta with fresh
truffles or truffle tagliatelle.
The skills
Giulio, who has made truffles
his life, will guide you through the science
behind how the mystical delicacies grow,
and show you how to clean and store
them. You can also take a cookery course
here to learn truffle-based recipes.
The stay
Tuscan farmhouse hotel Villa
Olmi in Bagno a Ripoli, a short distance
from the heart of Florence, is a suitably
rustic, stylish place to base yourself.
Giulio can arrange pick-up fromhere or
any other hotel in and around Florence.
From€174 for a double roomat Villa
Olmi. Book at hotels.easyJet.com.
Tour with truffle lunch from€220 per
person (trufflehunter.net). Florence is an
80-minute drive fromPisa airport.
FORWINE BUFFS
PORTO
The adventure
Immerse yourself in all
things grape in the Douro Valley, an area
renowned for its traditional vineyards.
Luxurious wine spa hotel The Yeatman,
on the banks of the Douro River, provides
a comfortable base to explore the region
and enjoy its produce.
The skills
The hotel can arrange trips to
explore the vineyards and is just a short
train ride from the valley. Discover how
wine and port are made in the traditional
way – by stamping on the grapes – and,
if you time your visit with the September
harvest, you can have a go yourself.
The stay
The Yeatman overlooks the
UNESCO-recognised centre of Porto and
has one of the world’s most extensive
collections of Portuguese wines, a
Michelin-starred restaurant, a decanter-
shaped pool and vinotherapy spa. For the
wine obsessive, theTaylor Master Suite
offers a bed inside a port barrel (
above
).
From€214 for a double room. Book
at hotels.easyJet.com. The hotel is a
25-minute drive fromPortoAirport.
“Where are the
best adventures
for foodies?”
Cookery classes are so passé these days. Food
writer
Rosie Birkett
dishes up her top three trips if
you want to take culinary holidays to the next level