The Italian and French Rivieras

Pesto or tapenade? That is going to be the main question for me over the next week while I visit the Italian and French Riviera looking for charming views and tasty bites

In a couple of hours' time, your faithful foodie reporter will be sitting at the weel heading for a few days in Sanremo, a bustling seaside resort on the Italian Riviera.

Mind you, don't expect to be seeing much of the beach there (or elseware for that matter).

Best known for its yearly music festival, Sanremo lies hardly half an hour's drive from the French border, and my plan is to hop on both sides of the line exploring seaside towns and quaint villages perchés, looking for picturesque views and foodie troves.

Meanwhile, if anyone's curious about this lovely stretch of land between sea and mountain, I strongly recommend they should read Annie Hawes' Extra Virgin (and sequels), possibly the best travelogue by a foreigner (a Londoner in this case) about relocating to the Italian countryside.

Forget Frances Mayes' overhyped Under the Tuscan Sun: Ms Hawes has a way with words you'll hardly find elsewhere, and I cannot seem to get tired of her prose.

Watch these pages for some tasty updates!