Where Odysseus threw a barbecue: exploring Sicily’s Favignana island

The Egadi isles are said to have inspired the mythical islands in the Odyssey. Today, the largest of the group is a quiet place of blissful beaches, fresh fish, neon seas and ice-cream breakfasts

Turkey’s melting pot: a foodie break in Istanbul

The best way to understand the city is through its food, and the best guide is a Michelin-star chef who knows where to find the finest doners, the crispest calamari and the richest taramasalata

Rail route of the month: vines on the line from Avignon to Lyon, France

Our slow travel expert takes the train through the Rhône’s wine country, hoping for grand cru views and a glass of Condrieu

A Pembrokeshire coast walk to a warm, welcoming pub

Wildlife, fossils and industrial heritage add extra interest to this wild cliff walk to an inn for all seasons

An alternative guide to Leeds: a city with an independent spirit

A book club in a disused petrol station, an electronic music hub in an old bus garage … Yorkshire’s largest city is a hotbed of grassroots creativity

My top restaurants and food discoveries from 20 years of writing about France

From roadside picnics to Michelin-star restaurants, the former editor of France magazine picks her most memorable foodie moments

A street food tour of Genoa

From fluffy focaccia to creamy pànera, local Michelin-starred chef Ivano Ricchebono introduces our writer to a taste of the Italian port city

Steaming in: Galicia’s scenic – and free – thermal baths

In the northern Spanish town of Ourense, locals and visitors luxuriate in warm spring waters at a series of free public baths – or enjoy a private spa for a fiver

Relaxed old-school glamour: springtime in Cefalù, Sicily

With its extraordinary architecture, maze-like streets and ever-present sunshine, it’s no accident that so many film-makers have used the town as a location

A feast for foodies – why Oviedo is Spain’s new capital of gastronomy

The Asturias city is home to revered cider, cheese, meat and beans – and a new rail link now makes it easy to get to from Madrid

London’s spice trail: the sights, tastes, smells and sounds of India – in Wembley

In one of a series of new women-led tours, groups visit the shops, cafes, restaurants and magnificent Hindu temple on Wembley’s Ealing Road

On the whisky trail: a weekend of wee drams in Moray Speyside, Scotland

The region between the Cairngorms and the Moray Firth is rightly famous for its whisky, but that is just one of its many charms

On the menu for 2024 … 20 chefs and food writers pick their dream meals across Europe

From roast goat in Greece to rhubarb cake in Romania, we ask the experts where they’ll be going for their culinary fix this year

‘One taste explodes like a moon rocket booster’: readers’ favourite foodie finds in Europe

Lava soup in Iceland, assassins’ pasta in Bari, Georgian breads and Norfolk seafood … our tipsters pick their favourite culinary treats across the continent

A Black Forest fairytale: riding Germany’s ‘hell valley’ railway in winter

The Höllentalbahn is a spectacular line through south-west Germany’s forests and magical towns. Enchanting stop-offs en route include gothic Freiburg and pretty Titisee lake