IT was good to see the other side of cycling in Ireland. Two weeks after the Velo-city cycling conference, I was in need of a different news-cycle.

Summer's bounty of green leaves, tomatoes and herbs makes for the easiest meals to eat whatever the weather.

It has never been easier to plan a walk of The Camino where you can travel through breathtaking sites and sleep in luxury, writes Ciara McDonnell

As the majority of the Irish squad for next month’s Euro 2020 qualifiers begin work at their training camp in Portugal today, Mick McCarthy says he has no fears that the 17-day-long run-up to the game against Denmark on June 7 will see any of his players fall victim to cabin fever.

Italy has been neglected on this page of late but I promise to make up for this in the next few weeks as I have two trips planned — one to Tuscany and one to the Veneto.

The Cork couple from the renowned Carducci Quartet are looking forward to playing with Julian Bliss on their Irish tour this week, writes Cathy Desmond.

I was asked recently what wine region I would most like to live in full-time and after a few moments thought I surprised myself by choosing not Burgundy or Provence but Piedmont in Northern Italy.

Audrey's been sorting out Cork people for ages...

L’Ecrivain, 109a Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, 01 6611919, www.lecrivain.com

A last-gasp Alberto Paloschi header saw Serie A strugglers SPAL force a 1-1 draw with Inter.

Gennaro Gattuso's 10-man Milan, already languishing down in seventh, were thrashed 3-0 at lowly Hellas Verona.

Arlene Harris, who goes on holidays with her teen boys, asks experts about how to balance respecting older children’s need for independence with responsible parenting

There is a tendency among wine enthusiasts to constantly refer to the beauty of vineyards and wine regions, but some of this I think comes from the fact that we feel so at home in these magical places that produce our favourite sustenance.

There’s something for everyone to check out this week. 

This week I am returning to Italy with a scattered selection of suggestions that range from north to south.

The Italian captain of the Costa Concordia cruise liner that crashed into a reef in 2012, killing 32 people, is set for prison after losing his final appeals bid.

There’s a home fragrance industry developing in Ireland to meet the tastes of an increasingly discerning Irish audience, writes Carol O’Callaghan.

This week I’m taking a snapshot of the Languedoc-Roussillon, easily the most unwieldy wine region in France and arguably the world.

Italy U20 26 Ireland U20 27: The Ireland U20s withstood a powerful challenge from Italy in Prato last night, before securing their second consecutive one-point victory in this year’s Six Nations Championship.

There is still an air of mystery around Christmas Day. Particularly in Ireland, where nobody seems sure of the time you can have your first drink without someone saying you’re an alcoholic, says our columnist Ask Audrey

The dreaded ‘C’ word is fast approaching so if you can be disciplined (or can lock the wine away somewhere) it is good to begin picking up some wines or at least thinking about what you will need.

Emirates has introduced a wide range of business and economy class Autumn fare specials, one of them particularly suited for rugby fans keen to experience the Dubai Rugby Sevens that runs between December 1 and 3.

A top tourist town in West Cork has been named as one of the world’s top 100 sustainable destinations.

While on a recent visit to Tuscany, John Duggan found locals discussing Brexit over the pizza oven.

 

Claudio Ranieri has always been a modest man, as well as a family man.

Italian police have arrested a nurse on suspicion of killing 13 patients, mostly in their 80s, who underwent surgery in a state-run hospital in Tuscany.

Italian police have arrested a nurse on suspicion of killing 13 patients, mostly in their 80s, who underwent surgery in a state-run hospital in Tuscany.

Now that we are properly into 2016, I have had some further thoughts on wine experiences I enjoyed last year.

The Dog Days are over to quote Florence and the Machine (who will be at Electric Picnic this year, as will I - of which more next week).

You’ll be delighted to know (finally, perhaps) that there is method in whatever passes for madness these days.

In recent weeks, I have been praising Spain as a source of good value but this week I want to focus on Italy.

Ergo — it’s Ercol. Kya de Lonchamps on the steadfast British brand    

We’ve got the low-down to what’s inside - and we can tell you they won't be disappointed.

Italy gave us the Roman empire and the Renaissance two of the most influential forces in European history. Has this legacy coloured Italians’ perception of themselves and their place in the world, wonders Marjorie Brennan.

The failure of Costa Concordia’s captain to promptly order an evacuation of the cruise ship was the sole reason 32 people died, prosecutors said in their final arguments in court.

Prosecutors have asked a court to convict the captain of the Costa Concordia and sentence him to 26 years in prison for the 2012 shipwreck off Tuscany that killed 32 people, saying the term is hardly excessive given the death toll.

‘Waterloo’ meticulously recalls the events of four days in June 200 years ago when 200,000 men were engaged in a struggle which laid the foundations of contemporary Europe, writes Allan Prosser.