Archive for ‘May, 2016’

Melbourne – city of music

Melbourne is a music town and thus makes markontour feel very much at home. In particular, I love Brunswick, Melbourne’s Dalston/Greenpoint; I love its vibrant community radio; I love the free tramway service in the centre of town; I was surprised to find Theakston’s Old Peculiar costs $16 a pint. Most of all I love the chance to catch up with old friends from Nottingham days and that’s probably why there’s an even higher than usual markontour quota of references to bars and record shops in this very incomplete city guide!

The Sugarloaf Vineyards

Who’d have thought they could make wine in Wales? God’s own country is green and pleasant because of the frequency with which the atmosphere turns moist, a weather condition not usually associated with good terroir. Yet, hot on the heels of a truly tremendous valleys’ whiskey distillery at Penderyn, Cymru now also boasts the Sugarloaf Vineyard just outside of Abergavenny. Markontour had the pleasure of trying the tasting menu in the spring bank holiday sunshine.