Senise is a town situated on the edge of Europe's largest reservoir. Actually depending on who you speak to could be second largest or the largest made of beaten earth, no facts are actually fact here and that's all part of the charm.

The Pepperoni of Senise, a dried, s...

What a pleasure it was to visit Chiramonte, a mountain top town about 40 minutes from Tursi. I was on the trail of some of best Salami, pancetta, Laredo produced in la Basilicata. 

As always a drama, in fact more than one. The road after Val Sinni was closed and so we w...

San Severino Luciano is in the Pollino National Park, the largest in Europe at almost 2000 square kilometers. Pollino is a wonderful Summer refuge from the searing July and August heat. Its dappled shade a welcome respite. It is also home to the oldest tree in Europe t...

Trecchina almost on Basilicata’s West Coast, close to Maratea is renowned for its fine sour dough bread. There are an assortment of bakeries selling from semi industrial to truly artisan loaves. I chose those that I liked the best to bring home for a tasting....

Basilicata is a region steeped in history and overflowing with marvellous produce waiting to be transformed into wonderful dishes redolent of this extraordinary part of Italy.

Vaguely following the path of Rocco Papaleo and his band as they walk from Maratea on Basilica...

The Mandarin, in all its guises is one of the most photographed houses in la Basilicata. The Arabic arches, now fully revealed are just the perfect photo op for bride and groom.

My first beautiful bride Federica, spent the night before her wedding day here with her sist...

2017 was a year of highs and lows as far as The Mandarin was concerned. The beginning of the year saw snow, the like of which in Tursi is only seen every 20 years or so. Temperatures of minus 8 every night for a week and well over a foot of icy, slipperiness. Followed...

The Mandarin and The Kumquat are all about re loving, upcycling and reusing everything. Southern Italy probably invented recycling, many household items are remodeled and nothing is ever thrown away. Wire coat hangers for example are cut into pieces and shaped into S s...

It’s the start of April and l am on the beach, my biggest dilemma......deciding whether l should shed my jeans and expose my super pasty winter legs to the sun. It’s 9 o'clock and already quite warm. The sand is spotless after a winter with no visitors, the sun is maki...

At last l have discovered just what l enjoy doing with my life, restoring these beautiful old houses and sharing them with my friends. 

It’s just so wonderful when guests totally get the vibe. Ok for some it’s a bit strange without TV, but do we really need it in our li...