For several years I avoided Italy altogether except on a series of rather bland business trips.  Not for the reason that I found it any way lacking in interest, but almost like a child eating his meat and two veg, leaving the tastiest bits till last, one day when I am older and can no longer manage to travel to more challenging destinations.

Also, it has to be said, because Italy can be hideously over-crowded with hordes of tourists who do rather spoil the view and add ever more pressure to the increasingly outrageous hotel and restaurant prices...or so I thought.  Perhaps it was due to my business visits coinciding with major events and being mainly to Milan, because everywhere else in the country it seems really rather reasonable, particularly given the unsurpassed amount of stuff, cultural, culinary and otherwise.  And so,  whilst continuing to focus my attention on the perfectly nutritious cabbage I have finally allowed myself a surreptitious nibble of the roast beef.

However, given the rather large portion of cabbage I have been served, combined with a limited appetite (or budget at least), it may be some time before I get anything approaching a coherent representation of this quite stupendous cultural feast..