Compiled by Nicoline Greer
HAVE APRON WILL TRAVEL
You'll bring home more than a suntan after a short break at one of the cookery schools run by Flavours of Italy in Puglia, Emilia-Romagna and northern Lazio. In addition to helping you gain a couple of extra kilos, the classes given by experienced local cooks will also equip you to cut a bella figura in the kitchen on your return. Prices run from £649 for a three-day break at Palazzo Minelli in Bologna to £1,399 for a week at Casino Pisanelli in Puglia, including in both cases accommodation, cookery lessons, food and wine, and visits to local producers, but not flights. In a similar vein, American food writer Susan Herrmann Loomis (author of On Rue Tatin and Tarte Tatin) runs week-long cookery courses at her home in Louviers, Normandy, some of which are dedicated mother/daughter occasions, and include garden visits, flower-arranging tuition, and table-setting. Check out also Tasting Places, which runs cooking holidays in Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Thailand, and Cuisine International, which covers all of the aforementioned in addition to Portugal, Morocco and Brazil. www.flavoursholidays.com, www.onruetatin.com, tastingplaces.com, www.cuisineinternational.com. Marie-Claire Digby
GREEN GOODIES
"People are very busy these days, they want to eat healthily, but they also want to have time for themselves," former small farmer Orla Hyland said the other day as she made her weekly appearance on my doorstep delivering a large bag of fresh, organic goodies. Potatoes, carrots and onions are staples, but the produce changes weekly, depending on what's available from Denis Healy, the man who set up the Temple Bar Food Market. Anything from artichokes and avocados, broccoli and baby spinach could be in your weekly bag. This entrepreneur also sources Paddyjack cheese from her cousin Pat Hyland in Co Laois and organic eggs from Co Tipperary. Deliveries are made in the Dublin city-centre area only. Orla Hyland (087-2109842). Róisín Ingle
HOMEWARE REFIT
It seems Brown Thomas has thought long and hard about what you want from its new homewares department. And the result is clearly designed to turn a profit equal to the enormous space created on the third floor. The thinking goes that no one really went to BTs for sofas, kitchen appliances or beds. So they have almost all been jettisoned. Instead, the new ethos seems to be about accessories. But take the word broadly: it includes everything from lighting (best are Jasper Conran's black shades and Louise Kennedy's chandeliers) to tableware and everything in between. Judging from the queues on the opening day, the approach is working. Stock has been loosely divided into three categories - classic, glamour and modern - and is displayed according to the room, which in turn means this is an easy place to shop. Eoin Lyons
ON YER BIKE
The idea of cycling 30 miles a day in the heat of a French summer isn't going to appeal to everyone, but the prospect of visiting some of France's top vineyards along the way may sweeten the pill for some. Chain Gang Cycle Tours organises week-long trips through Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Loire, Provence and Dordogne, with bikes provided, luggage transported between overnight stops, accommodation and meals. The Bordeaux itinerary is particularly appealing, taking in the famous appellations of St Emilion and Haut Médoc as well as the dessert wine-producing region of Monbazillac. Tours run throughout the summer, and the Bordeaux trip is £740. If you've caught the bug, see also Cycling For Softies - more of the same, but with added emphasis on gastronomy. www.thechaingang.co.uk, www.cycling-for-softies.co.uk. Marie-Claire Digby
GO TO POT
The scenic Blackwater Valley has much to recommend it, and along with the hillwalking, riding and fishing, you can also brush up on your pottery skills at Glencairn Pottery, three miles from Lismore. Internationally renowned potter Marcus O'Mahony, (an example of whose work is pictured above) offers weekend courses (next one May 28-30th, places available), as well as longer summer courses, at his home and studio. The weekend courses are suitable for first-timers, who will be brought through the full ceramic cycle of making, decorating and firing. More advanced students can tackle wood-fire and salt-glaze courses, in addition to a new course "Multi-fire creative firings", during which they will learn how to build their own kiln. Weekends at Glencairn Pottery cost €225, including accommodation and some meals. The summer courses are from €540 for five days with accommodation and some meals to €1,250 for 10 days with all meals, accommodation and tuition. Glencairn Pottery, Lismore, Co Waterford (058-56694), www.marcusomahony.com. Marie-Claire Digby