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