LONDON – It shouldn’t work, but it does. Twenty-five Americans, most from the South, gather around a breakfast table in Dublin.
It should feel like herding cats, yet somehow, it doesn’t. My wife and I don’t even like group tours. After leading nearly 70 trips with more than 1,500 guests over nine years, I finally understand why: it’s never really about the itinerary.
It started with a Facebook post in 2017. People who had seen photos, read my column, or followed my social media asked if I’d lead a group through Italy – the small villages, family-run trattorias, and off-the-beaten-path spots I’d discovered. I expected a dozen participants; by the end of the day, both villas I’d reserved were full, with a waiting list. Those first trips grew into two more full ones.
Tuscany became the heart of it all. Its food, views, history, and pace of life are hard to beat – but the bigger surprise was the people. Strangers shared meals like old friends by the third day. That sense of connection – the same I’ve worked toward in restaurants back home – was showing up around long Italian tables.
Those early trips set the rhythm. Guests would ask, “Where are we going next?” So we went: Venice, Bologna, Milan, and later Spain. Then COVID shut travel down in 2020. When we returned in 2022, people were still hungry for connection in a travel experience that didn’t feel like a tour. Trips to Spain, Tuscany, Sicily, the Netherlands, Belgium, England, and Scotland followed. Scotland made me realize how deeply a place can get under your skin – just like Tuscany did.
Sharing meals is central. Unlike most tours, which include one or two group dinners, Yonderlust Tours shares every meal together. Two or three times a day, we sit down – sometimes in fine dining rooms, sometimes in locals-only pubs. Plates of eggs, toast, and tea stretch into conversations about home, family, and the day ahead. In short order, strangers become friends.
Couples who met on trips now travel together repeatedly. Widows and divorcees gain new friends and a new sense of purpose. Some groups reunite at home, others support each other through illness, loss, and celebration. There’s something about a long table in another country, sharing a meal with people invested in your sense of wonder.
Sicily, for example, surprised me. I had thought a return visit unnecessary, but sharing the island with people who appreciate it made all the difference. Northern Italy followed, with Milan, Verona, a castle in the Prosecco hills, and a private island in Venice. Every hotel was excellent, but what made the trip memorable was the people around the table. Last week’s Ireland trip reinforced it: five hotels, five corners of the country, and every breakfast became a conversation stretching into the day.
Places like Tuscany, Scotland, and Ireland share a rhythm: dinner lasts two hours, family and meals matter. Guests feel at home because the culture matches their pace. That’s why strangers become friends so quickly. People connect over food. You learn more in one shared meal than in a week of cocktail-party small talk. The meals have become the heartbeat of Yonderlust Tours.
I’ve built a life around food and hospitality; these trips are a natural extension. Travel becomes personal – not about checking boxes, but about shared experience. It’s about watching people discover new places, connect with locals, and form friendships that last beyond the trip.
We have tours planned in Greece, Puglia, Northern and Southern France, England, and six Tuscany trips a year. The question always comes: “Where are we going next?” It’s the best question, a sign that curiosity and trust are alive.
In the end, it’s not about the travel. It’s about who gathers around the table. Twenty-five Americans doesn’t feel like group travel – it feels like friends and family sharing stories, laughter, and a little piece of the world. That’s a trip worth taking again.
Onward.
GRILLED RADICCHIO
Yields: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
2 heads Radicchio, cut into 4 wedges each
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for brushing
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbl Orange Juice
1 tsp Creole Mustard
1 tsp Shallot, minced
1 tsp Fresh Thyme, chopped
Directions:
■ Place a toothpick through the center of each radicchio wedge to prevent the leaves from falling off. Brush radicchio with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepare the grill Cook radicchio directly over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, turning once.
■ Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, mustard, shallot and fresh thyme.
■ Remove the radicchio from the grill and drizzle the olive oil mixture over the radicchio. Serve immediately.
Robert St. John is a restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, and world-class eater from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He has spent four decades in the restaurant industry, written 13 books, and written a syndicated newspaper column for more than 24 years. Read more about Robert at robertstjohn.com.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
