WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO BEGIN?
Four ways into Foodie Goes Travel.
The Journal brings together essays, encounters and observations from Umbria and beyond. Some stories begin with food or hospitality; others with architecture, memory, migration or an ordinary detail that changes the way a place is understood.
There is no single route through it. Begin with what interests you.
A landscape shaped by water
A hotel shaped from within
A restaurant where one becomes many
A life between Umbria and Asia
Living Within the Walls
Hakka architecture is often remembered for its extraordinary forms. Travelling from the circular tulou of Fujian to the ancestral houses of Dabu revealed something more interesting: how architecture once organised family, protection, education and life across generations.
The Generosity of Da Niko in Milan
I came to Da Niko at Bulgari Hotel Milano for dinner in a room I already loved looking at. What stayed with me was the welcome: an honest conversation about the pasta, a walk through the garden with Chef Giorgio, and a half portion of pistachio-filled brioche that made an abundant evening complete.
The Source We Were Taught to Remember
In my thirties, I followed my father to the Hakka villages my grandparents left for Malaya—and discovered how remembering one’s source is sustained across generations.
When the Duomo Became a Concert Hall
Every summer, Piazza del Duomo in Spoleto quietly transforms into one of Italy’s most remarkable open-air concert venues. During the closing evening of Festival dei Due Mondi, I discovered that the most memorable performance wasn’t only the orchestra - it was also the changing light, the ancient cathedral and the art of noticing.
The Space Between
Some cities are remembered through their landmarks. Others reveal themselves in quieter ways. During a few days in London, I found myself lingering in neighbourhoods, watching markets wake up, and discovering that the moments between destinations often become the ones we remember most.
My Third Summer in Umbria
Three years after moving to Italy, June feels less like a season and more like a way of life. Long days, ripening fruits, lingering lunches and familiar routines reveal an Umbria that guidebooks rarely describe.
The Shape of Repetition
Years before I moved to Umbria, I bought a face mask called Umbrian Clay. I thought little of it at the time. Years later, that small memory led me to a ceramics studio in Perugia, where a curiosity I had carried for years finally took shape.
Waiting for Tomatoes
Every summer, I find myself photographing tomatoes again - in gardens, markets, restaurants and kitchens across different places and seasons. Somewhere along the way, I realised I was not really documenting tomatoes, but the quiet role they play in daily life, memory and the way we eat.
Seeing Someone Twice
At the Far East Film Festival in Udine, a Singaporean film, an aperitivo at sunset and a conversation with friends became reflections on memory, migration and human connection.
Travel, Pre-Experienced
Increasingly, many travellers arrive at places they already feel they know. From viral cafés and luxury hotels to destinations shaped by films and social media, modern travel is becoming emotionally pre-scripted long before the journey even begins.
The Performance of Living Well
A reflective essay on modern travel, perfectionism and the quiet pressure to constantly optimise experience - and why perhaps the most meaningful moments are often the least performative.
The Places We Carry
Moving between Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Umbria, I began noticing how food, family rituals and atmosphere quietly shape our understanding of home. This is a reflection on memory, migration, slowness and the emotional places we carry within us.