Nothing conjures up the delights of a Mediterranean holiday better than a snapshot of a simple wooden table laden with food. There's a rack of grilled sardines, a plate of tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and a bottle of robust warm red wine. Lazing on a sun dappled porch, every British tourist has harbored dreams of living like this back home. But as winter sets in, and the memories of the sun recede, so too does the lifestyle of Italy, Greece, southern France and Spain and the lithe, toned body we had begun to attain on holiday.