Barbara Rogers's Blog

Posted by Barbara Rogers

In fact, all the Greek islands have gotten more attention from tourists, who were enchanted by the scenery, villages and sparkling blue Aegean waters that formed the beautiful backdrop for Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and the rest of the Mamma Mia! cast. Beach and jetty scenes were filmed at Kastani beach (the jetty was built for the filming) and the main cast members -- Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth – and their families stayed in the Skopelos Village Hotel, Skiathos Princess Hotel and Aegean Suites Hotel during the filming. The hotels, of course, have been filled ever since the movie opened and word got out. All the Greek islands are basking in the glory, so it’s a good time to look for good deals as they look for ways to share the spotlight. For example, the boutique hotel Astra on Santorini is offering a fourth night free – a savings of 25% on a four-night stay, through October. Santorini does have a legitimate claim to Mamma Mia! fame, since some of the scan shots in the film show its unmistakable scenery. To find out how to get to Skopelos and Skiathos, click here.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

In Venice I head for the fish market just past the Rialto bridge, shaded by a roof that stands supported by stone columns, their tops carved with watery creatures. Under this roof are all sorts of things I hope to meet on my plate – although many are so ugly that I would not want to meet them while swimming! Elsewhere in the piazza beside the Grand Canal are rows of fruit and vegetable sellers, with farm women sitting patiently carving up fresh-picked artichokes and dropping the hearts into pails of cold water and lemon juice.

In the Piedmont, although there is a wonderful food market right in central Turin and it’s hard to tear myself away from all those chocolate shops, I head for the Langhe Hills and the region around Alba. Farms and vineyards are everywhere, but my favorite stop of all is at Cascina del Cornale, a farmers co-operative between Asti and Alba.

Their shop is filled with the best local wines, farmhouse jams, tangy vinegars, baked goods, burlap bags of the region’s famous hazelnuts, dried porcini mushrooms and fresh fruit, including the rare Madernassa Pear. But most of all, I go for the cheeses, which include many rare ones unobtainable outside the region. This is the best place to learn about these and sample them before visiting the farms where they are made. And I can sample the local products at lunch or dinner in the co-op’s restaurant.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Summer is lake season, and Europe’s favorite lake, Garda, is a short drive from our Verona apartment. Because of air inversions, in summer the city becomes more like a bowl of hot soup, so we head for the breezy lake at the slightest excuse (or none at all). We’re not alone, of course, since everyone in Germany and Austria seems to join us there, plus every traveling family in Europe.

Somehow the crowds are just part of the fun, creating a lively buzz along the lakeside promenades wherever we go. But we are careful to avoid the area around the southeastern shore near closing time of Gardaland and the other theme parks, especially on weekends.

You’ll find a lot of articles about Lake Garda in Southern Europe Travel, from driving tours of both the eastern and western shores to suggestions of romantic places for couples. One article explores the spas that take advantage of the southern shore’s natural spring waters, known and soaked in since Roman times, and another will lead you along a trail of Bardolino vineyards to sample the local wines.

So whether you’re planning a getaway for two or taking the kids, if you’re thinking about joining us in the crowds that head for Northern Italy’s favorite summer playground, browse here for the best sights and experiences.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Travel is broadening – but sometimes in the wrong way. All that pasta and paella, eating in restaurants, a la dolce vita lifestyle with long meal hours, sweets we never eat at home, café stops to rest tired feet ... it’s easy to come home with more of you than left. But you don’t have to. Here are a few tips to help fight the traveler’s battle of the bulge.

• Don’t order every course. Just because a menu has a pasta course and a meat course doesn’t mean you have to eat both. Order one or the other.
• In Italy, order contorni (vegetables) with the main course. They are delicious, healthy and help fill you up so you won’t be temped by desserts.
• You don’t need to order a full meal at lunch. Have lunch in a café or bakery, where they offer sandwiches, instead of a restaurant where the only choice is a dinner entree.
• In Spain, order an ensalada mixta (mixed salad) for lunch; In Italy ask for a Caprece, a salad of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. Either makes a satisfying lunch.
• Be careful of little snacks. In Spain, choose your tapas carefully, opting for shrimp, olives, nuts and lean cured meats (which are delicious) and avoiding croquettes, fatty meats and deep fried options.
• Order grilled local fish; it will be fresh and delicious, lower in calories and served without calorie-laden sauces. If the name is not familiar, ask the waiter to describe it (they are good at doing this in sign-language) or better yet show it to you.
• Don’t begin with bread; if you are ravenous, ask for a salad before the entrée arrives.
• Savor the abundant fresh fruits Southern Europe offers. Restaurants everywhere offer seasonal berries and fruits as a dessert, and you can buy fresh fruits in markets.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

My family looks forward to my trips to Spain, not because they want to get rid of me, but because they know that I will bring back goodies. In fact, they have begun to provide me with handy lists.

As I head for Madrid and Tenerife next week, I find my mailbox filled with cryptic little messages: “I’m out of sweet paprika” and “I loved those almond-stuffed olives” and “If you find any more candied figs…” They’re not all about food. One reminded me that she was running low on Magno soap.

All easy requests to fill at one stop: the grocery store. The easiest stop for nearly everything is the Corte Ingles department store found in any city. I head straight down the escalator to the grocery store that’s always on the lower level. There I find boxes of Spanish paprika in both hot (picante) and sweet (dulce), far tastier than the bland stuff at home, and in exotic red tin boxes.

Almond-stuffed olives are packed in little tin cans, indestructible in luggage. The same bright-colored candied whole fruits that confectioners sell at twice the price are packaged less elegantly, but travel better sealed in plastic. Green whole figs are almost transparent, and bright orange apricots seldom make it to the person I buy them for. Delectable Spanish almonds are inexpensive here, and unobtainable at home.

The soap aisle finishes my expedition, with bars of Magno – dark-colored soap that is almost unknown outside of Spain – and fragrant Heno de Pravia in its bright yellow wrapper. I don't tell anyone that I pack this amid my dirty laundry to keep my luggage smelling fresh!

The best part is that my whole basket full costs only a few Euros, especially welcome now that the American dollar is worth so little.