February 2026. Turin. I always say, in a confident way that brooks no argument, that you need to visit a place at least half a dozen times to get the measure of it. And that applies whether it’s Tamworth, Toddington or Turin. I wouldn’t wish six trips to Totnes on my worst enemy, mind. Three nights in Turin, but...

February 2026. Turin. We woke up on that first morning in Turin feeling a bit like this; I felt sorry (not sorry) for Mrs RM, who had gone pint, pint, half litre of white wine, pint of Leffe. Luckily I Reali Bed & (sort of) Breakfast had a coffee machine, but even after five espressos neither of us felt like doing...

February 2026. Turin. In 1985 the New Musical Express gave a legendary review of The Jesus & Mary Chain, berating them for no longer having the energy to play the twenty minute sets, slipping in their into the “rockism” of hour long shows with encores. Similarly with blogging, it’s harder (for me, anyway) to write...

February 2026. Turin. You left us in M** Bun at 6pm after a very late lunch, largely liquid, and it was time for an early night back at I Reali and a catch up on our respective blogs. But central Turin on a Friday night was just about to liven up, and Mrs RM insisted, insisted I tell you, that we popped in the...

February 2026. Turin. Two hours and two pints into Turin, with the sudden realisation we hadn’t eaten since sharing a croissant in Monaco that morning. The disappointment in finding the city’s highest rating brewery/skatepark/burger bar didn’t start flipping till 6pm on a Friday was palpable, but luckily Google...

February 2026. Turin. You’ll be wanting to see Mrs RM’s tourist map for Turin, the highlights marked with chocolate bars. Our first target after checking at I Reali guesthouse was food. What’s more authentically Torino than an artisan burger at a brew pub with cask near a skate park ? Open Baladin is the BrewDog...

February 2026. Monaco to Turin. If you’re missing the English pub reports here’s a spoiler. The first half dozen pints back in Old Blighty are….Beartown, Holt, Tiny Rebel, Harrogate, Thornbridge Jaipur and Abbeydale. And not a duffer in the six. But first, coffee and croissants in Monte Carlo station, cheaper than...

February 2026. Monaco. One night in Monaco, as Murray Head nearly sang; one day is plenty, but not more than enough. I really enjoyed the principality, but you can walk from shops to casinos to the Old Town in half an hour, though you’ll appreciate those evcr-present free elevators on the walk back. We left Hôtel de...

February 2026. Monte Carlo. Monaco. Apart from the fast cars on small roads, you’ll know Monaco best for the curry caffs casinos, where we headed now from the shops. You’ll know you’ve reached the gambling quarter when you see the posh cars on display in a big square. Sadly, my Toyota Aygo was nowhere to be seen....

February 2026. Monte Carlo. Monaco. Yes, yet another reference for Charlene’s classic, the Harlow in the lyrics sadly not the Essex town. The campaign for her to headline Glastonbury starts here. Dumping our bags at the Aparthotel on the French/Monaco border (Mrs RM is claiming it as a night in the principality), we...

February 2026. Monaco. Finally leaving Genoa after what readers of this blog will say feels like a month, we take the train to Ventimiglia and then reach a third country in 30 minutes on a colourful French train, daringly taking an earlier departure to Monte Carlo than the time we’d booked for. Does Monaco even have...

February 2026. Genoa to Monaco. Four nights in Genoa, never enough, with a final Capricossa from Bacia la Mano. 45 seconds from oven to our room on the second floor of the B & B Hotel at Principe Station. That pizza oven is a design classic, similar to the Pavoni espresso machine we brought back from Lucca 30 years...