Tony tells a porky

the food I enjoy most when travelling is the unexpected (and sometimes out of the way) places that are not necessarily obvious.

Take the porchetta I had in a tiny village half an hour by train from Rome. We had delighted in three weeks of travel gastronomy and the last thing my wife wanted was a pork sandwich for lunch.

I was, however, determined to track down the iconic butcher Il Norcino in the village of Marino. So she stayed in the hotel and I journeyed south. It was a pleasant train trip through the Roman countryside dotted with the ruins of ancient aqueducts.

It was very hot when I arrived and there was not a person to be seen. It took me an hour of walking, mostly up a very steep hill, to locate this famous charcuterie. The shop is unpretentious and not at all touristy. In fact, I was the only English speaking person there and I revelled in the anonymity. It was like I had the place all to myself.

I sampled the salami and some other terrines and pates but saved plenty of room for the prized porchetta.

It was superb. Served simply in a buttered bread roll with salt and pepper, I strolled to the shores of the nearby lake and enjoyed this precious late afternoon snack overlooking the hills of Rome. It reminded me of time spent in France in my early 20s. I would find a nice aspect and devour a baguette with local ham and cheese and a glass of wine for lunch every single day.

At the opposite end of the food spectrum was the degustation menu we had at Chateau de Fere, an hour and a half’s drive from Paris on the way to Reims.

In the heart of the champagne district, the hotel is surrounded by manicured lawns and set in a beautiful forest.

The French aristocracy knew how to live and the castles and palaces they built were some of the most beautiful the world has seen. This particular building was constructed between 1206 and 1260 as a fortified castle by Robert de Dreux, grandson of Louis VI, King of France. Its history is extensive and far too lengthy for this column.

Needless to say, the wealthy royal families who occupied the castle for centuries met a gruesome fate at the wrong end of the guillotine during the French Revolution. Today, the hotel is a haven of luxury to cater for tourists and we did our best to indulge. Here is the menu (along with matched local wines):

• Duck Foie Gras with apple and toasted brioche
• Risotto of langoustine and seasonal vegetables
• Lobster pan-fried in butter
• Pigeon with peas served on a crisp potato rosti
• A selection of cheeses from the most exquisite cheese trolley ever!
• Apricot and almond milk sorbet with apricot compote
• Brownie biscuit with chocolate mint ganache

I write of the two meals as a contrast of style and experience. The former being the most simple food imaginable – pork in bread; and the latter a Michelin starred gastronomic feast for the senses.