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.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

With summer promising few bargain airfares to Italy, Spain and Portugal and tighter limits on redeeming frequent flyer miles, travelers need to look even harder for ways to stretch their shrinking travel dollar. Here are a few tips on planning budget travel in Europe.

Pay in Dollars – Look for tours, cruises and lodging packages that guarantee the rates in American dollars. This protects you from its further fall and locks in the price.

Look for Packages – The more you can package into one deal, the better a price you can expect. This doesn’t mean you must go on a tour – look for independent travel deals that package air, hotels and car rental, for example, or even just hotels and car. For example, TourCrafters is offering budget-priced packages to Puglia, in southern Italy, that include quality hotels and rental car, beginning at about $1100 a couple.

Read, Read, Read – The more you learn about a destination, the more money you can save there. Find out where the locals eat, learn about public transport, search out low-cost activities. You’ll also have a richer experience, meeting locals instead of other tourists.

Get Out of Town – Lodging and dining is nearly always cheaper in small towns or suburban neighborhoods than in city centers. Public transport is excellent in Europe, so join the commuters heading into town on the morning trains (or go a bit later to miss the rush) and save big on lodging.

For cool places to go, click here.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

This year's pre-Christmas trip to Spain was not my usual shopping trip – although my family was happy to find a few goodies – candied whole figs, Andalusian olive oil, almond-studded nougats and Castile soaps – under the tree.

This time we chose to explore Andalusia, a region so large and so rich in culture that we could only skim the surface. This region of Spain, covering the western Mediterranean coast to the Portuguese border and reaching up into the mountains to the north, was ruled for centuries by an Islamic caliphate that endowed the region with art treasures beyond belief, and left a love of beautiful things that pervades the very soul of Andalusia to this day.

Already posted on this page are articles covering exotic Seville, the cruise port of Cadiz, and the wine town of Jerez de la Frontera, as well as Seville’s Flamenco scene, and the comforts of flat-bed seats on Iberia Airline’s new Business Plus class.

In coming weeks, look for more – descriptions of the Alhambra and its gardens (and a wonderful restaurant inside Granada’s bullring), the new Picasso Museum and other sites related to the artist in his hometown of Malaga, Marbella’s charming old streets, Cordoba’s astonishing Great Mosque and old medina, and other places that are not as well known.

These include hilltop Carmona and a wonderful town I had never heard of: Priego de Cordoba, which we found by following the Route of the Caliphate. This and several other well-designed new tourist routes are beautifully detailed in a series of books produced by the ever-ahead-of-the-curve Spanish Tourist Office.

To read more about our Spanish travels click here.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Guidebooks, even in the internet era, are still important tools in planning and getting the most out of a trip. But finding the one that’s just right for you can be puzzling.

Each of the major series has its own personality and its own following, from the 20-something on a weekend getaway to the family on a driving tour or the retired couple on a cruise. Here are my favorites – those I carry myself:

• Lonely Planet – Country guides and smaller city/region books are aimed for the younger independent traveler, but their exhaustive and reliable detail makes them useful for anyone, especially those traveling by train or bus.
• Cadogan – Among the best and most detailed books, these guides really shine in Spain and Italy, written in an engaging narrative style, but easy to use while traveling. Especially good for those who enjoy discovering places most tourists don’t find, and who like some historical and cultural background.
• Thomas Cook Drive Around Guides – Excellent for those touring by car, with driving itineraries and details on sights, lodging and dining en route, and color photography throughout. Of course we would be partial to these, since we write the guides to Northern Italy and Portugal in this series.
• Time Out – Exhaustive city guides written for a hip young market, but good for any traveler who wants cultural, artistic and historical detail on each sight. Nightlife and shopping are important elements, but serious sightseeing is paramount. They include a little information on places around each city, as well.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

The joys of digital cameras begin with the packing – no more bulky rolls of film to carry. No more wondering how many you’ll need, or trying to find the right kind in a remote town.

Each day it means tucking a spare card into a pocket, instead of lumpy film. Changing cards is faster and needed less often than changing film. And they can be used over and over, unlike film, so I’m not spending money with every click of the shutter.

But to me the most important advantage of digital is that I can check immediately to see if the picture is good. Did that man who stepped in front of me get in the way? A few fast clicks and I can see that he did, delete the shot and take it again without the back of his head in it.

I can also fix minor mistakes later – under-exposed? I can lighten it so all the details I saw show in the picture.

But best of all, I can make prints immediately and I can email my family shots taken that day, so they can “travel” with me. I can store them safely, make CDs of them, print them in any size and layout – even label them and make them into scrapbook pages.

Without having to worry about all the technical details of using a conventional camera, we can all concentrate on having fun and recording that fun in pictures.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Instead of just touring the usual sights, it’s fun to have a quest that gives a theme to your trip. Some of my favorite travels have been in search of some person or group who trod the same streets centuries ago -- or a completely fictional one who walked only in the imagination of an author.

Here are a few quests to get you started:

• Michelangelo’s Rome – Begin at the Vatican with his Pieta and the Sistine Chapel, then visit the churches where his works are visible.
• Gaudi’s Barcelona – The astonishing church of Sagrada Familia, unfinished when the architect died, is the place to start, but the trail leads to many other places in the city.
• Ullysses’ Aegean – as you cruise in the eastern Mediterranean, you’ll “meet” this Greek hero everywhere.
• Cesar Manrique’s Lanzarote – In addition to his most famous works, you’ll discover a hotel, two restaurants and other reminders of how the artist saved his native island.
• Picasso’s Malaga – The city on Spain’s Costa del Sol has recently put up signs identifying places connected with this hometown boy.
• Knights Templars’ Portugal – You’ll be surprised at the places you’ll discover that are associated with this famous order.
• Da Vinci’s Milan – His most famous work, The Last Supper, is only one of the works by this artist. look for his inventions in the Museum of Science and Technology.
• St. Mark’s Veneto – Follow the saint from his first church in Aquilea to Venice’s great basilica (and find the fresco that relates how his lost bones were discovered).
• Juliet’s Verona – Although she was entirely a work of fiction, you can find the castles near Verona that inspired the story, and follow a trail of “sights” that include her famous balcony (built in the 1930s).

Posted by Barbara Rogers

How can you tell if you need a shore excursion when you land in Ancona or Bari? Which ports are best for independent travel and which are best seen with tours? A little reading before you go can answer that question.

Before you leave, ask the cruise line or agent where the ship docks. If it docks in the city, chances are good that he sights are a short cab ride away, and there is usually a line of taxis waiting when a ship arrives.

A guidebook or internet research can identify the best sights and their locations, so you can tell a taxi driver where you want to go. Ask the fare first, and make sure the meter is running. In most cities, the main sights are close together, so you can savor the city as you walk between them, stopping in a café – pleasures you can’t indulge in if you’re on a guided tour.

But in some ports, the reason for stopping is some distance away. In some, you can take local transportation easily – Livorno is connected to Pisa by a direct train, for example. But Ancona, on Italy’s Adriatic coast, is the closest port to Urbino, and the only good access is on a shore excursion. Likewise, Manfredonia is the closest port to the hard-to-reach pilgrimage town of Monte Sant’Angelo, a shore excursion that's well worthwhile.

In Spain, you need the shore excursion to get from Vigo to Santiago de Compostella, but in Cadiz it’s easy to catch a train to Seville, since the station is opposite the cruise port and trains are frequent.

Doing your homework is the only way to learn these secrets, since few cruise directors will tell you alternative ways to travel ashore.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

In late February, everybody in the world of high fashion heads to Milan for Milano Moda Donna, Women’s Fashion Week. The cream of the international fashion houses send their top models onto the catwalks swathed in the designs that fashionistas can’t wait to see. Even in Paris, eyes turn to Milan.

The main scene is at the big Fiera di Milano, Milan’s trade fair center west of Parco Sempione, but even it can’t hold all the events – or people -- associated with these fashion shows. The major houses have their own show venues, some in custom-restyled and renovated warehouses.

Casual visitors without serious connections to the fashion industry can’t get into the shows, but they can bask in the buzz that charges everything in Milan that week. Top designers may be at a round of private parties, but the excitement spills over, filling Milan with a new electricity.

To be allowed into the bars, restaurants and clubs where the models and fashion crowd hang out after hours, you’ll need to dress the part, so head to Milan’s Quadrilatero della Moda (Fashion Quarter) for their latest, or make your plastic go farther at one of the many discount designer consignment shops. Once you’re dressed for success (which means getting past the bouncer, who doubles as fashion police), head for the trendiest clubs and bars, where the models and designers go after they’ve rolled up the runways for the night.

During the day, while everyone’s busy at Fiera, absorb a little culture on a walking tour of Milan, see Da Vinci’s The Last Supper or the Duomo and nearby churches. Or explore the museums at Castello Sforzesco to see works by Michelangelo and the French Impressionists.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Begin planning your trip to southern Europe by realizing that you probably won't see all your must-see sights. You simply can't go everywhere, even within a single country. At some point, you'll have to make decisions.

But first, make a list of the things you most want to see in each country, forgetting about practical matters of time and distance. Circle the most important ones. If most of your top choices are in one country, that tells you where to go.

Think about what kind of itinerary makes sense for you. The temptation is to flit about and cover as much ground as possible. It costs so much to get there, you might as well make the most of it. True, but how much can you see if you spend all your time racing between cities?

Some of the best trips are those where you go only one place and see it well, get to know it, and begin to feel at home. Staying longer in one place avoids the constant culture shock of the traveler who moves around too much. You really can begin to forget where you are.

But if you've never been to southern Europe, how do you know what you'll like? A quick look around will give you a taste so you can plan future trips. Just remember that the taste you get in a quick stopover may not be an accurate one, and a place you brush off quickly may later turn out to be your favorite city.

The bottom line is that as long as you don't try to cram in too much, you will probably have a good time whatever course you choose. A rule of thumb is a week in one culture, but we break it as often as we keep it.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

If you're planning a ski trip to Italy's Dolomites, Val d'Aosta or the 2006 Olympic mountains near Torino, you may wonder if you can take your own equipment. I just did, and didn't need to pay for extra or oversized baggage.

Airline policies vary, but most allow you to bring skis in a ski bag, boots in a bootbag, and a piece of luggage. My first question,of course, was "What else can I pack in the bags with the skis and boots?" The attendants I spoke with were not entirely clear, so I took a chance and packed a few other things with them.

Because I didn't want my skis chattering around in the bag and banging the bindings against the poles, I first wrapped the skis and poles together in plastic bubblewrap. Then I wrapped my ski pants around them and secured them with big elastics. This not only padded the skis and bindings to protect them, but it saved space in my suitcase. I also wrapped a bulky sweater around them before zipping the ski bag.

Along with packing my gloves and sox inside my skiboots, before putting them in the boot bag (a handy one with back-pack straps that made it easy to carry), I added my ski helmet with my goggles inside it. To pad these, I added scarves, wool hat and a few other accessories before zipping it.

When I checked in, no one questioned what was in the boot and ski bags.

Why carry my own equipment when I could have rented it? First, ski boots need to fit just right, which rental ones rarely do. Second, if you plan to ski in different places, the process of renting each day takes a lot of time that you could be spending on the mountain.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

I’ve been browsing the discussions on this page to see what places in southern Europe you are most interested in hearing about, and notice that readers of this page have often mentioned some of their favorite places. Suite101 Feature Writer Mike Gerrard suggests the view from the Parthenon, and the Easter processions in Malaga as among Europe’s great travel sights. He also cites Santiago de Compostella as a must excursion from the cruise port of Vigo, in western Spain.

Another reader suggests the Blue Grotto on the island of Capri, All these ideas in the discussions make me realize what a wealth of information and experience is out there in our circle of readers.

Let’s share that, by telling what our all-time favorite Southern European places and experiences are. These can be your personal favorites based on many visits or the choices you would suggest to first-time visitors to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and the islands of the Mediterranean and Adriatic.

The regions covered by this page reach from Athens to the Azores, so you have a lot of territory!

I’ll begin the list with a few of my own “best places in Southern Europe” based on living and traveling there. Here are some of my must-see sights:

• The Great Mosque of Cordoba, in Spain; it will take your breath away.
• An opera performance (preferably Aida) in the Arena of Verona, Italy (or the arena itself if you’re not there in summer)
• The sunset from the castle ramparts atop Moncao, on the eastern border of Portugal.
• The ruins of the ancient Greek city of Delphi, where you can almost hear the stones speak.
• Sailing into the Venetian lagoon and past St Mark’s Square, in the pink mists of sunrise.

What are yours? Click here and click on "Post" to share them.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Some interesting new cruise routes in southern Europe have been announced recently. Avanti Destinations has added a new 7-day Aegean Discovery package with three nights in Athens and a cruise that visits Mykonos, Santorini, Heraklion and Patmos, as well as Ephesus, in Turkey. The price is low - $about 1300 per person - but the shore stops are quite short – 7 am to noon at Ephesus, and evening stops in Mykonos, Patmos and Santorini. In summer, however, remember that these ports are coolest in the evening. An 8-day itinerary ($1660) adds another night cruising and a full day in Rhodes.

Elegant Cruises, a small line specializing in cultural travel in Europe, offers an enticing Mediterranean itinerary on board the 105-passenger Andrea. It begins in Spain’s Canary Islands with a morning in Lanzarote and continues with two full day Moroccan stops, Cadiz, Motril (for a Granada excursion), Menorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands, Cagliari (on the Italian island of Sardinia), Porto Empedocle (for Agrigento, Sicily) and Valletta in Malta. The $4600 fare includes air from the US. Elegant Cruises is also offering an 8-day cruise in the Azores and a 15-day itinerary from Malta to the Azores, similar to the Lanzarote-Malta itinerary, but with stops in Madeira and several ports in the Azores, instead of the Canaries and Morocco.

Until my recent trip to Andalucia, I wouldn’t have thought of Cadiz as more than a hopping-off-point for a shore excursion to nearby Seville, but I have discovered that Cadiz itself is an interesting city with excellent restaurants and good shopping. Passengers who have already been to Seville might want to consider exploring the historic port of Cadiz instead of taking the all-day shore excursion. Of course, Seville is a city that it’s hard to get too much of.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

The last section of the Córdoba-Málaga AVE line began service on December 23, cutting the previous four-hour trip from Madrid to Málaga to just 2 ½ hours.

Málaga, in southern Andalusia, is in the heart of Spain’s fabled Costa del Sol, and area I had a chance to explore myself in December. I actually took an even shorter route there from Madrid, flying directly from Madrid’s Barajas Airport after my inbound flight from New York.

Next time I’ll take this super train, stopping for a few days in Córdoba, a city I also learned to love (it was a learning curve of about 30 seconds!) on this trip. I added the Great Mosque of Córdoba to my short list of the most impressive places I have ever been. Its splendor is perhaps best indicated by the fact that both Muslims and Christians considered it a wonder of the medieval world. Considering that they didn’t agree on much, that’s a serious stamp of approval.

Málaga is now far more, I learned, than just a gateway to the Mediterranean beaches. I’d been there some years ago, and I barely recognized the city. The once traffic-snarled main shopping street is a broad pedestrian avenue paved in striking stone, with fountains and benches – and lined right now with an amazing collection of works by Rodin on loan from Paris. Málaga has its own art credentials, with a stunning new Picasso Museum.

This new high-speed link from Madrid to Málaga via Córdoba is only a small part of the grand plan Spain has been steadily putting into reality, which will by 2010 include 4350 miles of high-speed track connecting all the provincial capitals to Madrid by journeys of no more than four hours.

Learn more about train travel through Spain, and about money-saving passes, from Rail Europe.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

I’m just back from Spain, and without jetlag in either direction. Much of it was because of the comfortable Business Plus Class seats that Iberia Airlines is now using. After dinner (a very good one) and a glass of red wine from Malaga, I pushed the recline button and snuggled into my flat bed for the night.

I slept so well that I missed breakfast, waking up just in time for the descent into Madrid. That was OK, because I had a bit of layover before my flight to Malaga. I headed for my favorite café in the Barajas airport, a spacious place with wifi and good coffee and croissants.

Madrid’s new airport is beautiful, with striking architecture, wide promenades, good shops and handy little carts that are just the right size for carry-on luggage. The only complaint I have is that they don’t announce the departure gates until about 40 minutes before flight time. The distances are long, so if you are not right in front of the board when they post the gate, you may have to hurry to make the flight.

The Business Class lounge is even farther from the gates I normally fly out of, so unless I have a very long layover, I use the café instead. For long layovers, the lounge is a good choice, though, with plenty of room, ample internet stations, snacks, sandwiches and an open bar with a good selection of Spanish sherries.

The combination of Barajas and Iberia make the traveling an enjoyable part of a trip to Spain. To read more about traveling in Spain, click here.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Many travelers are discouraged from keeping a written record of their trip because they think it must be a literary work. After a day’s touring they are just too tired to be their creative best, so they put off writing about what happened that day.

The important thing is to write down the things you do remember – you can fill in the blanks later, or leave them out. Where you went each day is not nearly so important as your impressions. Once you have been in a place even two or three days, it’s hard to remember what struck you about it when you first arrived.

Write down vignettes, incidents, surprises, delights and disappointments. Don’t worry if you can’t spell the name of the little church or the little Portuguese town it was in – who cares? It’s the sweet lady arranging the altar flowers who invited you to see the usually locked sacristy that you’ll want to remember.

And don’t wait until you drop into bed – make a few notes over a midmorning cappuccino (you’ll some day want to conjure up the image of those Italian men engaged in the animated discussion at the bar), while waiting for your lunch to arrive, or as you’re remembering the day with a traveling companion over an aperitif.

Don’t even worry about sentences – a few hasty notes or even a word or two will be enough to jog your memory later.

Viewing it as an exhaustive trip record or as a literary work-in-the-making defeats its very purpose – unless, of course, you love to write and do it easily, in which case by all means be your literate best.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Spain’s Canary Islands, 60 miles off the coast of North Africa, have long been the secret of Northern European travelers, who migrate south in the winter to enjoy the islands’ beaches, watersports and sunny climate.

Best known of the seven major islands is Tenerife, whose central volcano, Mount Tiede, is Spain’s highest peak. In 2007 it was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Gran Canaria, like Tenerife, has a major international airport. Most visitors arrive via one of these two, although many charter flights go directly to the smaller islands.

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are the next most popular, both with dessert-like terrain. Fuerteventura is best known for its long white beaches and powerful Atlantic surf, and is one of the world’s best surfing and wind-surfing destinations.

Lanzarote’s volcanoes are still active, providing a rare chance for visitors to witness thermal power in action. At Timanfaya National Park, meals are cooked over a volcanic pit, and dramatic demonstrations show how hot the earth is just beneath the surface. The volcanoes have created many of the island’s best attractions, including one collapsed caldeira where visitors can find real peridots.

Art lovers come to Lanzarote for the stunning structures created by the Spanish artist, Cesar Manrique. His brilliant adaptations of local landscapes and building materials often use the long volcanic tubes and bubbles as building sites.

The other three major islands – La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma – have a wide variety of different landscapes, including lush vegetation, dramatic coastal cliffs, volcanic wildlands, steep ravines and even rain-forest ecosystems.

Hotels and resorts are plentiful on the four major islands, and easily found on the smaller ones, as well, although these tend to be more modest and intimate than some of the big resort areas of the others.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Halloween isn’t exactly celebrated in Italy – at least officially. But it’s creeping in.

November 1 is a public holiday, All Saints Day, and November 2 is widely celebrated as All Souls Day. Especially in Sicily, it is observed by baking cakes called ossa dei morti, bones of the dead, and visiting graves of family members. Elsewhere masses are said for departed relatives, and graves are decorated with flowers. These customs seem to have evolved from Feralia, an ancient Roman holiday of remembrance.

In the 9th century, the pope declared November 1 as the Feast of All Saints, in hopes of replacing the pagan holiday with something more devout and churchy. He succeeded only to a degree, because although November 1 was duly observed, the night before became All Hallows Eve (Halloween).

Today the Catholic church in Italy still takes a dim view of Halloween, calling in an “American holiday” and fearing that it will take the focus off All Saints Day. But that doesn’t stop Italians from dressing up and throwing Halloween costume parties. They’re not just for children, but a trendy thing for adults, too.

Sales of costumes, masks and Halloween decorations increase by about 20% a year, and some predict that it will overtake the traditional carnival as the most popular time for costume parties.

Church authorities worry about school and public Halloween parties, and in Italy, the church still wields considerable power -- enough to block a Halloween party for children that Vicenza’s city government had planned.

But it appears to be a losing battle. Gardaland, Italy’s biggest amusement park, near Verona, is filled with haunted houses and other spooky attractions for the entire month of October, when it’s open on weekends, and zombies, witches and vampires inhabit the park.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

The Italian-owned MSC Cruises calls it La Dolce Vita. Norwegian Cruise Line calls them Garden and Courtyard Villas, and refers to the top two private decks reserved only for the villa passengers as a "ship within a ship."

Whatever they call it, it’s the same – a return to the out-dated class system of the days when trans-Atlantic travelers were divided by class. The rules are the same: pay more for first class and have access to the whole ship. Pay less and be barred from deluxe “exclusive” decks and their upscale facilities.

Will passengers pay for the higher-priced decks? Almost certainly yes, because some people love the feeling of having access to things that the lesser folk can’t get. But the revolt may come from those who don’t wish to sail on a ship where they are excluded from entire decks. Those passengers still have plenty of other choices on other cruise lines.

And I’ll be with them. It’s not the same as paying extra for increased legroom and a better chance at a night’s sleep on an overnight flight. And it’s not the same as paying extra for the hotel club level’s business services, meeting space and in-room internet access.

A cruise is a vacation, not a business trip, and it’s a social activity as much as travel. And in that context there is no place for the old class system. There are plenty of high-priced luxury lines available to those who want to pay their way out of encountering passengers who don’t chose to pay for exclusivity. Let them sail those – or let them sail in their “ship within a ship” while the rest of the cabins on other decks go empty.

And then see how long this class system survives.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

This nation of lakes and mountains doesn’t have any salt-water coast, but the south-facing shore of Lake Geneva is so covered with vineyards, tile-roofed villas, palm-lined waterside promenades and tiny stone villages with steep streets that you could easily believe you were in Italy.

And although this is in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, I even found that I could sometimes be better understood speaking Italian than I was in my poor schoolgirl French. I was there to help celebrate the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation recently awarded this Swiss region, the Lavaux, and the few days I spent there were an eye-opener.

I found a lot to love – and a lot to remind me just how close this part of Switzerland is to Italy: beautiful vineyard-clad hillsides backed by lakes and mountains, Chinon Castle (previously owned by Turin’s Savoy dynasty), fine wines, and sunny warm fall weather. Even the dazzling interiors of the grand Belle Epoch hotels -- the Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne and the Montreaux Palace in Montreaux -- were almost all the work of Italian craftsmen and artists.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all came while I was interviewing Philippe Rochat, the chef/owner of the three-Michelin-star restaurant Hotel de Ville just outside of Lausanne, and successor to the legendary chef Frédy Girardet.

I asked him his favorite dish and he told me it was spaghetti with white truffles (from Alba, of course). I was surprised to hear this from the foremost French/Swiss chef. Then he told me that he had learned to cook from his mother, who was from Bergamo, in the heart of the Italian Lombardy.

Italy, it seems, is never very far over the horizon from the Swiss Lavaux!

Posted by Barbara Rogers

In the article Northern Italy’s Top 10 Sights, I talk a bit about the importance of seeing the great icons of travel, even though they may have long lines of other tourists and be suggested by every guidebook. Usually this popularity is because these places really are worth seeing. They are the great artistic, architectural, cultural or religious treasures of our world.

While seasoned travelers may brag that they avoid the places everyone else goes, it’s usually because they have already been there. Travelers who have not, probably should, if for no other reason than to compare the great and well-known sights to the smaller secret ones they will discover on their own.

But it’s important to distinguish between sights and experiences, because a perfect trip balances these two elements. The best experiences in Northern Italy are quite different than the best sights, even though they may involve the same places.

For example, seen on a tour, St. Mark’s is a sight; attending mass there on Sunday morning is an experience. The Arena of Verona is a sight, while seeing an opera performed there on a summer evening is an experience. Blending these onto a trip that includes magical experiences for our senses along with the great sights that well-traveled people have seen over the past centuries requires a bit of planning and a lot of just being ready to seize the moment – to sit on the stone steps around piazza San Marco and listen to the orchestras play, to feed the pigeons, to waltz in the parlor of Bellagio's Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, to sip a bicerin in a Turin café. Those experiences – especially those you share with local people -- will help put all the great sights into perspective, framing them in your mental scrapbook.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

It’s always nice to see some destination or sight that’s not on the top of everyone’s must-see list named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That list recognizes places for their unique contribution to the patrimony of the world, for reasons that vary from cultural and historic to natural significance and scenic beauty.

I was especially pleased to see three new places in Southern Europe added in June, 2007.

Three Venetian forts and neo-classical homes earned Corfu’s Old Town, on the Greek Island of Corfu, a place in world cultural and historic patrimony as a fortified Mediterranean port town, an “urban and port ensemble…notable for its high level of integrity.”

The Mehmed Paša Sokolovic Bridge in Višegrad (Bosnia and Herzegovina) was added for its outstanding monumental architecture and construction, representing the highest point of the Ottoman Empire’s 16th-century civil engineering. The 589-foot long bridge is supported by 11 stone arches, and was designed by Mimar Koca Sinan, whose work was done at the same time as the Italian Renaissance

Teide National Park, one of the highlights of the Canary Islands and the tallest peak in all of Spain, was cited for its natural beauty and its part in documenting the formation of volcanic islands.

While Spain already had 39 other sites and Greece’s total was brought to 17, the little former Yugoslav state of Bosnia and Herzegovina doubled its number with this year’s listing.

Spain’s other sites include world travel icons such as the Alhambra and Santiago de Compostella, while Greece’s list includes the Acropolis, Delphi and Rhodes. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the bridge in Višegrad joins the Mostar Bridge as a UNESCO site.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

As ecotourism increases in popularity, destinations are seeking ways to encourage responsible travel that promotes their natural areas and preserves local ways of life.

The International Ecotourism Society defines this sustainable travel as "tourism that meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future."

Spain, Portugal and Italy are ahead of the curve in offering agritourism experiences, where visitors stay in rural homes, farms, wine estates and ranches, dining on locally grown foods, horseback riding in the countryside, walking and hiking – and in some even learning to cook with local products or lending a hand in harvesting.

Whether a tourist is taking part in the work of a farm or simply staying there as a base for touring local sights, by choosing the agritourism option they are supporting a way of life and a local community. And best of all, by doing the right thing, they are also enriching their own travel experience. Farm vacations are especially rewarding for families traveling with children, offering outdoor activities, interaction with animals and often contact with local children.

Wildlife and nature experiences are no longer limited to big game safaris, either. Natural areas in Europe are becoming more popular as tourists discover the joys of hiking in the Dolomites, Pyrennes or Portugal’s Serra da’Estrela. Visitors find that the sight of a wild chamois while hiking on the slopes of Italy’s Gran Paradisio is every bit as exciting as the thrill of a lion seen from a jeep in the savannah.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

In my last blog, I asked for your questions and suggestions, and -- wow – did I get them! Everything from tips on places to visit – the Blue Grotto and the view of modern Athens from the Acropolis – to questions on everything from cheap lodging and dining in Rome to Portuguese folklore.

Look for articles and blogs based on these suggestions in coming weeks, but for now, I’ll address the question of affordable travel in Italy. This has become even more important with the continued drop in the value of the American dollar. When a Euro costs $1.50, it’s time to think seriously about money-saving strategies, especially in Italy.

Here are a few of our tricks and tips for low-cost dining:

• When looking for restaurants, avoid the heavily touristed streets and look in the neighborhoods where locals live and work. The farther you are from a popular attraction, the more likely you are to find authentic local food at local prices.
• Don’t be afraid of eating places without English menus. You will be welcomed and if necessary, the waiter will use pantomime or show you foods so you can make a selection. Restaurants in Italy post a menu with prices, so you can get an idea of the range before you enter, even if you can’t read the dishes.
• For lunch, look for the “tavola calda” places. They serve hearty cafeteria-style meals where you can see each dish before asking for a serving. Prices are designed for locals. Make this your main meal.
• In the evening, do as the locals do and eat a lighter meal, ordering just a pasta course or an appetizer. These are usually ample, especially if you had a larger meal at midday.
• Order vino de tavola – table wine – instead of a bottle.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

In recent weeks Southern Europe at Suite101 has covered Italy’s Lake Garda, Seville nightlife, places to visit in autumn, Verona, the Canary Island of Lanzarote and several sights in Portugal. Where would you like this page to visit next?

Do you wonder where to go on your next trip? Are you thinking of a destination where you could use some travel advice? Do you have advice to share with other readers?

This is a wide-open invitation to join in and tell me what you’d like to read here. More about Italy? Maybe some of the less well-known cities -- Padua, Vicenza, Bologna or Genoa? More seldom-visited cities of Portugal, such as Coimbra, Porto, Ponte de Lima or Evora? More about Spain’s exciting cities? Italy's wine country? Or rural vacation spots in Southern Europe?

Tell me what kind of vacations you like best. Are you a fan of agritourism, preferring to stay in country homes and farms, eating locally and savoring the fruits of the local landscape?

Are big dazzling cities your style: Venice, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan or Lisbon? Are you dreaming of a warm spot for winter travels?

Do you have tips to share with other readers? Tell us about the most wonderful place you have been in Southern Europe. You don’t have to be a literary genius – just list the best experiences you had somewhere, or the places you most liked visiting.

The discussion forum is yours, so just click here, and scroll to the bottom of the page to click on "Start a new discussion" to tell everyone what you liked or what you’d like to see on this page. I’ll be lurking eagerly to read your messages!

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Tour Italy’s largest lake by car, take the kids to theme parks or shun them entirely to explore castles, villas and the natural wonders of this sub-alpine region. These articles can help you plan your dream trip.

• Garda – Italy’s Family Lake

Kids Enjoy Lively Lake Garda’s Water Sports and Attractions

Beyond Gardaland, one of Europe's biggest theme parks, Lake Garda keeps kids happy with swimming beaches, boat rides, castles to explore, and a mountain top ride.

• Lake Garda’s Best Theme Parks

Northern Italy’s Best Amusement Parks Attract Kids and Adults

Gardaland may be Italy's biggest, best-known theme park and one of Europe's best, but Lake Garda offers three other top family amusement parks for children and parents.

• Driving Tour of Italy’s Lake Garda

A Print-and-Take-Along Guide to the East Shore of Lake Garda

Colorful villages clinging to the shore, mountains reflected in the lake, medieval castles, Roman ruins and olive orchards and vineyards lead eastern Garda's must-see sights.

• Driving Tour of Western Lake Garda

A Print-and-Take-Along Guide to the West Shore of Italy’s Lake Garda

The western side of Italy's largest lake drops sharply from the mountains that frame it; its must-see sights include the lake's most elegant towns and splendid villas.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Think how simple it would be if you could just buy a ticket from point A to point B and fly there. But no, you have to buy a ticket back again, even though you are getting on a ship that sails back to your point of origin. If you don’t buy the round-trip ticket, you have to pay more than its cost for a one-way ticket. You actually pay more not to return. So you say “OK, I’ll buy the round-trip ticket and just throw away the second half.” Just be sure you don’t say it to the ticket agent, or they won’t sell it to you. As though it were their business what you do with it after you pay for it.

And, after you’ve bought a round-trip ticket if you discover that your friends are driving, can you ride with them and fly back on the ticket you just bought? No. If you don’t use the first – or any segment – of the ticket, the rest of it is automatically canceled. Even though you paid for it.

If you buy a ticket to the Caribbean and can’t use it, can you give it to a relative? No. It can only be used by the person named on the ticket. And worse yet, if the ticket agent spells your name wrong, can you use the ticket? Not without paying a substantial fee.

Why do airlines have these rules? To make more money. Are they fair? Of course not. Do they make sense? No. Does the grocery store tell you that if you buy mayonnaise you can only use it on sandwiches? Or that if you buy mayo you need to buy a loaf of bread, too? Or that if you drop the first spoonful on the floor the rest of the jar will disappear?

Maybe it’s time for consumers to object – and to tell airlines that they’d rather fly a carrier that doesn’t have such silly rules. Southwest and JetBlue, for example, are happy to sell you a one-way ticket, or any combination of tickets for the routing of your choice. Perhaps it’s time for consumers to let airlines know that they don’t accept these senseless rules designed to cheat flyers and make bigger profits for the airlines.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

As summer’s heat begins to moderate and Italians return from their traditional August vacations, perhaps the loveliest season for visiting Italy begins.

While Italy may not have the autumn foliage that turns the northeastern US to red and gold in the fall, it has hillsides of vineyards turning brilliant colors. Morning vistas in Lombardy, the Veneto and Piemonte may be backed by snow-covered mountains as the first layer of white descends on the Alps and Dolomites. Farther south, beaches that were elbow-to-elbow in the summer are serene, and the sun still warm.

Italians take full advantage of the beautiful fall weather to celebrate the harvest of everything from grapes to fungus, and saints Gennaro and Michael have further obliged by having their feast days at just the right time to use as an excuse for harvest festivals. But food is not the only thing that’s celebrated – music, historic events and the arts provide further incentive to come to Italy in the fall.

Here are a few highlights:

• Regatta Storica, Venice – perhaps the most colorful of all events in this city on water, the boat race on the first Sunday in September envelops the entire city in festivities.
• San Gennaro Day, Naples—Beginning on September 19, the city observes an entire week of religious processions, markets and festivities.
• San Michele day, everywhere -- September 29 is celebrated throughout Italy, and the timing makes it a natural to combine with a harvest fair or festival.
• Salon del Gusto, Turin – The Slow Food movement’s annual show and conferencein Late October draws food-lovers from all over the world to taste, discuss and revel in fine foods.
• Eurochocolate, Perugia – Everything chocolate is celebrated and sampled in mid-October.
• White Truffle Festival, Alba – The charming small city near Turin is the center of white truffle hunting, and the trifolao (truffle hunters) bring the best of their finds to sell to the world’s top chefs, the last week in October.
• Rome Film Festival, Rome – Movie previews and film-related events fill the Eternal City for a week in mid-October.
• Musica dei Popoli, Florence – Mid-October through mid-November is given over to the popular music of all parts of the world.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

We’ve survived Verona’s steamy summers, and traveled throughout the region enough to have learned some strategies that can help travelers survive, and even enjoy traveling in hot weather. When planning a trip, remember that steamy hot weather can extend from May through September in much of southern Europe.

These are some of our favorite ways to beat the heat when we can’t escape to the mountains or the sea to cool off:

• Wear loose clothing, so air can circulate and help keep you cool.
• Wear light colors, especially in the sun; dark colors absorb heat, light colors reflect it.
• Wear natural fibers that breath. Cotton may wrinkle more, but it will keep you cooler.
• Drink a lot of water, lemonade or other non-alcoholic beverage.
• Wear suntan lotion – sunburn will make you all the hotter tomorrow
• Take frequent cool baths and showers
• Soak a hand towel or a cotton handkerchief or scarf in water, wring it out and put it around your neck. The evaporation is cooling, and you’ll have the ends to wipe your face with occasionally.
• Move more slowly and rest often. If you must climb a steep incline, do it more slowly than usual.
• Stay in the shade when you can.
• Take a hint from the locals, who relax quietly in the mezzogiorno or take a siesta during the hottest part of the day
• Wear a hat in the sun to shade your eyes and to protect you from sunstroke.
• Run cool water over the inside of your wrists occasionally to cool off.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

I’m a great fan of the writings of Lawrence Durrell, especially when he is writing about Greece and Italy. His Bitter Lemons, about his experiences living in Cyprus, is among his best, although his account of a bus tour in Sicilian Carousel is good reading as well.

Bitter Lemons is especially interesting because of its timing. Durrell was there in the early 1950s, when Cyprus was still under British rule and before it was declared an independent state. Acutely aware of the problems that would eventually be Cyprus’s undoing – the Turkish presence there – Durrell weaves the politics, history and culture with his accounts of everyday life for himself and the islanders. But it is the book’s human insight, humor, pathos and the brilliance of its language that make it such a joy to read.

Durrell is best known for his fiction – The Alexandria Quartet set the literary world on its heels in the 1960s with a group of four books, each recounting the same series of events, but from the perspective of a different character. And it is Durrell’s ability to see inside his characters, whether he is creating them as he does in the Alexandria Quartet or meeting and living beside them as in Bitter Lemons, that bring his fiction and non-fiction so vividly to life.

Bitter Lemons is peopled by the characters he encounters in Cyprus, his friends and neighbors, Greeks, Turks and Brits, and they are the flesh and blood of the stories. Through them the reader sees the British rule of Cyprus slowly deteriorate, a sense of foreboding that is only heightened by our own knowledge of what was to lie in the island’s future.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Lisbon: Portugal’s City on Hills -- A Walking Tour of the old Alfama

Mournful notes of fado, blue tiled walls, cable car bells, pungent smoke from chestnut roasters, sun-warmed stones of Castelo Sao Jorge. Lisbon is a city for the senses

Portugal’s Ten Best Sights -- Roman villas, Moorish cities, vineyards and Knights Templar castles

Portugal is filled with exciting travel experiences, don't miss sites, hilltop castles, gardens and beautiful scenery, so it's hard to pick only 10 best places to visit

Portugal Solares More than Hotels -- Intimate Lodgings Bring Travelers into Portuguese Culture

Portugal's unique lodgings in manor houses, wine estates and other private country homes give travelers a chance to meet local people and take part in local life.

Fado, The Musical Soul of Portugal -- Lisbon’s Urban Folk Songs

Virtually unknown outside Portugal until the fadista Mariza won the BBC Radio 3 award in 2003, fado, the earthy street music of Lisbon, has hit the world music scene

Portugal’s Knights Templar Trail -- Castles Built by the Mystical Order of Crusaders

When the Knights Templar were disbanded by the Pope, Portugal's king formed the new Order of Christ, and invited them to join. Several castles and sites tell their story

New Museum of Carnival Masks -- Spanish and Portuguese masks and costumes are displayed in Braganca

Northern Portugal and the region of Zamora in Spain share a tradition of colorful carnival celebrations that are shown in a bright new museum

Faro’s Secret Spooky Bone Chapel -- Portugal’s friendly Algarve capital has some surprises for tourists

Human bones line a chapel, storks nest in the church towers, Roman mosaics decorate a former convent and blue tiles form murals inside gold-washed churches.

Internet Access in Rural Portugal -- Finding Internet cafes, WiFi or public access is not always easy

A working knowledge of Portuguese, a laptop with WiFi, a little spare time and a lot of persistence may be the keys to finding internet access in Portugal's remote towns

Posted by Barbara Rogers

The time to begin thinking about the awful moment when your suitcase doesn’t appear on the carousel is long before take-off. In fact, it begins when you plan your trip. And you can be prepared, so your travels can continue even without the things you so carefully planned to bring.

Here are some tips for pre-travel preparedness:

• If possible, allow a day or two at your embarcation city before heading out on a cruise. Take it from my experience: two weeks on a Russian river boat in the same clothes is not fun. While an airline will usually try to deliver your luggage to you as you travel, this is not always possible on the high seas or in a remote location. Be aware that some airlines (Alitalia, for one) may require you to come to the airport to claim lost luggage, instead of delivering it to your hotel. A spare day will also allow you time to replace essential items at lower prices than you’ll find at the shipboard boutique.
• Always carry anything you cannot live without in your carry-on bag. Yes, new rules are making this harder, but it’s a basic fact of flying. Medications, business papers, essential electronic equipment and at least a change of underwear (and preferably a spare shirt) should be with you. If you wear a hard-to-find shoe size, add whichever essential shoes you are not wearing.
• Divide clothing between two suitcases, so all your shirts or socks are not in the same bag. Trade at least a full change of clothes with a traveling companion. That way, if one loses luggage, they will at least have a spare outfit.
• Don’t travel with things you can’t lose. The bracelet your husband gave you when your first child was born? Leave it in the safe deposit box or wear it on board. Ditto irreplaceable items of clothing. Maybe – just maybe -- the suitcase will never turn up.

Most likely it will, but you can make the first day or so without it a lot more enjoyable and minimize the inconvenience if you think ahead.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

It’s bound to happen eventually: you’ll be one of those few lost souls still standing there when the conveyor belt stops and everyone else has rolled off through the customs inspection and disappeared.

What do you do? You go to the nearby (you hope) baggage room and fill out the forms so your bag can be identified, located and reunited with you. And the good news is that it probably will be.

But what you should do really began before you ever checked in for your flight or flights. Here are some ahead-of-time tips to prevent and retrieve lost luggage:

• As you pack, lay everything on the bed or floor and take digital pictures of it. Photograph the bag from two sides, next to a yardstick. Print the pictures if possible, on full sized paper so everything shows, or take them with you digitally (in your carry-on). This is your proof of its contents, as well as a way for the airline to identify a tagless bag or its scattered contents.
• Put luggage tags inside, as well as outside each piece of luggage. Also inside, and in a conspicuous place right on top, put a complete copy of your itinerary with phone numbers, so an airline can find you when they find the bag. Carry a spare copy with you, too, since you’ll want to attach it to the lost baggage forms.
• Put something on your bag that distinguishes it from others, not just so you’ll see it, but so someone else won’t take it by mistake. This should not be something floppy that can get torn off or catch on equipment. A bright colored web belt works well.
• Even of you are changing airlines en route, try to check your luggage straight through to your destination. That way if it is lost on the first flight, it will be the airline’s responsibility to bring it to your final destination.

None of these will guarantee that you and your bags will have the same journeys, but these simple precautions can help you retrieve them.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

You arrive at the airport more than two hours early, all your liquids are in less-than-three-ounce sizes and in a clear zip-top bag. You’re wearing slip-on shoes, no belt and no jewelry. You have one small check-in suitcase and one carry-on bag. Getting onto your plane should be a piece of cake, right? Maybe not.

In the next few blogs, we’ll examine some pitfalls that air travelers can expect, suggest possible strategies, and tell about my recent flights from Boston to Lisbon, Portugal. For all the frustration, that experience renewed my faith in people – or at least the people at TAP, the Portuguese national airline.

And I learned a bit along the way. The first lesson was to remember to get my seat assignment and boarding pass online before leaving home, which I had forgotten in the last-minute trip planning.

Although my departure day dawned clear, a storm the previous day had canceled flights, and Logan airport was still overflowing with stranded people. They got preference over those with confirmed reservations. Fair enough. But I had to make an evening flight from Newark to Lisbon.

I did not have a boarding pass, although I was checked in and my luggage was already on the plane, and I was next in line for the remaining seat on the Boston-Newark shuttle. But a man with a reservation for the next flight appeared, and he got my seat. Why? He had a first class ticket (on a shuttle?), so even though it wasn’t for this flight, he had preference over ticketed passengers.

The fact that I had an onward international flight had put me into the preferred category, but not quite preferred enough to get me a seat. I was not considered a “connecting flight” because I was changing airlines and had separate tickets.

I missed the flight, and in the process learned two valuable lessons: Get the whole trip on one ticket and don’t leave home without a boarding pass.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

We’ve all seen the scenario: an accident waiting to happen as a driver, phone in one hand and more intent on their conversation than on the road, whizzes past us. While few states ban using hand-held mobile phones while driving, many other countries do – and more are joining the ranks.

In Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, it is against the law to drive while talking on the phone unless you have a hands-free phone. Period. And they enforce the law. In Italy, for example, each offense can bring a fine of 100 Euros (about $130).

In addition, if you are involved in an accident in any of these countries and were on the phone at the time, it is considered as contributory negligence, no matter who was responsible for the accident. That means that if you are driving while talking on your phone and someone runs into you, you are considered partly to blame.

So when renting or buying a cell phone to use in Europe (remember that US and Canadian phones work on a different system and will not work there), be sure to get a headset that fits it. Or make sure that only the passenger uses it while the car is in motion (or, in some places, when the engine is running).

As a practical matter, using a cell phone while driving in a foreign country – where you may not be as familiar with road signs and driving habits – is even more dangerous than it is at home. So you probably wouldn’t want to so it even if it were not against the law.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Who else, people reason, would walk around a town with a guidebook in their hands making notes in its margins? Certainly only someone without a clue, about Portugal, who must rely on a guidebook to find interesting things to see, and then check them off the list before moving on.

This mistaken identity does give us an interesting perspective on how local people regard tourists. Instead of snickering at this couple they see as neophyte visitors, they approach us and ask if we need directions. They smile and say “Bom Dia” or they try out their English on us.

They escort us personally to places where the route is too difficult to describe. They draw us little maps and they politely correct our pronunciation of a place name if they think it will confuse the next person we ask.

In short, the Portuguese are perfect hosts. They behave as I would want to behave in my own hometown if I encountered someone from afar. They are endlessly patient with the terrible way we butcher their language and they will try several others until they find one we can communicate in.

And when they do find out that we are the authors of Drive Around Portugal, they do not ask the obvious question: why would someone who doesn’t live here have the nerve to write a guidebook to Portugal?

It’s a good question, and one we often ponder ourselves. The answer is that as foreigners we find interesting and noteworthy those things that other travelers would see. While a native might know more little details, they would also find commonplace those very things travelers seek. They would hasten to point out – as hosts often do – the new and the up-to-date that they think foreigners seek and will be comfortable with.

They often fail to realize that the fun parks, the modern resorts and the shiny new attractions are much the same everywhere, and that travelers planning a trip seek that which is different and unique to that place.

But the Portuguese are too polite to ask, and they are delighted to help us. They sense our love for Portugal and its charming Old-Worldy-ness, and they even show us places they would probably prefer tourists did not invade – just because it’s the hospitable thing to do.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

The www in web addresses stands for worldwide web, right? So I should be able to get internet access from anywhere, right? Not quite. Or at least not without a few adventures along the way.

I’ve just returned from three weeks in Portugal, most of it in rural areas, some of it in very rural areas indeed. I had expected that my lodgings in properties under the Solares de Portugal program might not have access for guests. These are, after all, private homes, however grand they may be. But surely internet cafes…

Things began well, in Lisbon, where my hotel, the NH Hotel Parque, offered 15 minutes of free access and then charged 5 Euros for each subsequent 15 minutes. Expensive, yes, but available. The next two nights were in one of Portugal’s Pousadas, in the small town of Belmonte. They would have internet access for guests in two weeks, but the systems were not hooked up yet. The manager was sweet, though and offered me the use of her office to check my email.

In the Algarve there were internet cafes in one of the towns I stayed in, but they were packed. In Tavira, I discovered WiFi in the public market, along with plenty of tables to sit at. Success!

Then I went to the Alentejo, staying a night in another pousada. They, too, would have internet for guests in two weeks, and there was an internet point in the next town, but that meant driving there at night. I moved on to a lovely inn way out in the country, where I expected no connection, and was delighted to find it available at 5 Euros an hour. But when I tried to use it, nothing happened. As puzzled as I, the innkeepers reported that they had no service either.

The town of Estremoz was close by, so I went to the public library. Their access was not in service that morning, so I went to a public internet point across the big plaza. On the door was a sign saying that Internet service would not be available that day or the next. Our host at the lovely inn in Borba explained that that the entire system for that area – one carrier – was closed down for a change-over. By the next afternoon it was working and we went to Borba’s large public access point where we caught up – free.

The next night we were in a remote mountain village, where the manor house had dreamy rooms, ultra-modern bathrooms and a lovely breakfast, but no internet. Then we went to Amarante for the day -- and to our delight found city-wide wifi. But it required a password. The only places a visitor could get the password were at the Town Hall, Tourist Office (both closed on Saturday) or their hotel. We were not staying there, so forget that.

The next day was Sunday, when everything was closed. On Monday were had a long day of driving through remote mountain towns without even a café where we could have lunch, let alone internet.

Tuesday was May 1, a holiday, when everything was closed. And so it went, for three weeks. Everyone was very nice and very helpful, and I do realize that had my language skills in Portuguese been greater I would have had better luck. When the same problems occurred in rural Spain or Italy, I am more resourceful because I speak the languages better.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

A room for one -- Una camera singola (OON--a CAM-er-ah Seen-go-lah)

for two -- per due (pair DOO-ay)

With (without) bath -- Con (sensa) bagno (BAHN-yo)

With double bed – Con matrimoniale (cone ma-tree-moh-nee-AHL-ay)

A dormitory bed -- Un letto in dormitorio (oon LET-toh een dor-mee-TOR-eeo)

Hotel – Albergo (al-BEAR-goh) (or often it’s “hotel”)

Guest house/B&B -- Pensione (pen-see-OWN-ay)

Hostel -- Ostello (os-TELL-oh)

No vacancies/full – Completo (com-PLAY-oh)

With breakfast -- Con prima colazione (cone PREEM-ah cohl-at-zee-OH-nay)

Passport – Passaporta (pass-ah-PORT-ah)

Once you have determined if they have the room you want, the check-in process is much the same everywhere. You may be asked to fill out a card, but more often they will simply take the information from your passport, which they will always ask to see. Most often they will keep it while you go to your room, but they will return it to you as soon as they have finished copying the information from it. It is a good idea to make a note to remind yourself it’s not with you, and return to the desk later to claim it.

Most reception clerks in larger hotels will speak enough English to make the check-in and check-out pretty easy. But if they don’t, with this list you’ll be prepared.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Book before June 30, and you can save 25% of the cost of a 12-day cruise on board the intimate 34-passenger yacht Callisto, as it explores the Dalmatian Coast. The early-bird discount represents a significant saving of $2,000 per person on regular summer cruise fares

The Dalmatian Coast is on the eastern shore of the Adriatic, and was once part of the former Yugoslavia. At the height of Venice’s power, these ports were all part of the Venetian Empire. Now they are in the independent countries of Montenegro and Croatia, and adjoin a region that is noted as one of Europe’s richest in wildlife. The one-time cruise explores these natural areas, in addition to featuring the historic and architectural features of the ports.

Only 34 guests – the yacht’s capacity -- will spend seven nights on board the Callisto, an intimate ship with outstanding personal service. Following the cruise they will transfer to hotels for three nights in Zagreb and the Plitvice Lakes National Park, all included in the cost of the cruise.

The trip is offered by International Expeditions, which specializes in small group and independent travel. They are especially known for environmentally responsible travel, their committment to preserving natural habitats.

Per person prices for the cruise departing August 11 begin at $6,000, with the savings of $2,000 per person if the cruise is booked by June 30. Cruise rates include hotels for the land portion, most meals, transfers, local transportation and guides, but not international airfare. For more details visit International Expeditions.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Although English is not spoken as commonly in Italy as in many other countries, people in larger hotels and tourist sights often speak good English. You'll also find it more in northern cities. Elsewhere, you can communicate fairly well with a few words amplified by gestures and facial expression.

Italian is one of the easiest languages to learn: it has fewer words, and depends a great deal on body language. Knowing another Latin-based language, especially Spanish, is helpful.

Italian is very easy to pronounce, which makes up for a lot of other annoyances in Italy. Their language works when nothing else does. The only confusion might be over the c and ch sounds: c is pronounced ch when it's before an i or an e, like k otherwise. Ch is always pronounced k.

Learn a few expressions and look friendly and someone will figure out what you mean. Pantomime is an art here, as is hospitality. Italians are naturally gregarious and helpful, as well as inventive with ways to make themselves -- and you -- understood.

"Hello" is Buon Giorno (bwohn JOR-noh) or, very informally, caio (chaio), which is also an informal goodbye. To say “goodbye” more properly use Arrivederci (a-ree-vah-DER-chi). "Thank you" is Grazie (GRATZ-yay), "Excuse me" is Mi scusi (mee SKOO-zee). "It's OK" and "You're welcome" are Prego (PRAY goh), which can also mean "Go ahead" and other vague niceties. "Please" when you are asking a favor is Per piacere (pair pee-ah-CHAIR-ee).

By learning a basic pattern for a phrase, you can fill in other words as needed. To ask what time the train leaves, say A che hora parte il treno? (ah kay ora PAR-tay eel TRAY-noh). For arrival time, substitute arriva (ah REE va) for parte and to ask about other transport, replace treno with l'autobus (LOW-toh-boos) for bus, la barca (lah BAR ka) for boat.

You'll be speaking like a native in no time!

For language tips and phrases to use at a hotel, click here

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Almost as much fun as traveling is planning a trip. I’m just now putting together our itinerary for spending April in Portugal (wasn’t that a song title?) and the excitement is growing by the minute.

I began by buying the new Michelin map, since the infusion of EU funds has helped little Portugal improve its long-distance highway system since our last trip. I also bought a new set of highlighters to identify destinations (in pink) and mark out routes (in yellow) between them.

That’s the easy part. Deciding where to go is the hard part, because I want to go everywhere. Lisbon is a certainty – we will arrive at the airport there and pick up our car after a couple of days exploring the city. First to the Alfama and castle, then along the renewed riverbank and up to the Bario Alta, where the Fado houses and little restaurants are.

Belem will take a day, revisiting the monastery and museums of folk arts, archaeology and maritime history. Then the decisions get harder, as we claim our rental car and have to decide which direction to head.

Will it be south to the beautiful city of Evora and the border towns of Marvao and Elvas with their hilltop castles, then on to the Algarve resort towns? Or north along the coast through the posh seaside retreats of Cascais and Estoril and on to walled white Obidos and the monasteries of Alcobaca and Batalhia?

Or should we rush past these close-to-Lisbon attractions and head for the northern mountains and the Minho valley? The mountainsides of the Geres will be yellow with wildflowers in April, and there will still be snow in the higher Serra d’Estrella mountains.

Portugal is such a tempting blend of old-fashioned hospitality and warmth, rural folkways and stunning modern architecture and design that it offers something for every mood. In a day we can time-travel from prehistoric dolmen and Celtic hillforts through Medieval castles and villages and baroque pilgrimage churches to stunning postmodern buildings.

Maybe we’ll just extend the trip and follow all those yellow lines we’ve drawn to all those towns circled in pink!

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Spain offers travelers so much variety that it’s hard to know where to begin. Southern Europe Travel offers suggestions for planning a perfect trip to the Spanish mainland and its islands.

Spain’s Top Ten Sights

Must-see Spanish attractions, from Gaudi’s Art Nouveau architecture in Barcelona to Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim museum in Bilbao and lava tubes in the Canary Islands, by way of the Alhambra and Santiago de Compostella.

Madrid and Spain’s Historic Heart

Day trips to Toledo, El Escorial, Avila and Segovia provide out-of-town excursions after you’ve seen the Prado and Thyssen Museums, strolled through Retriro park and Plaza Mayor and visited Palacio Real.

Easter Processions in Spain

Elaborate parades through the streets of towns and cities mark Spain’s traditional Easter season, as pasos, hand-carved and painted statues that retell the story of the Passion of Christ, are carried from the churches on Good Friday.

Hotels in Spain’s Canary Islands

Choose the vacation resort that’s right for you, and at a price that fits your budget, on Spain’s family-friendly islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Tenerife or Gran Canaria. Spend the week basking in the sun or use these modern resorts as a base for touring an island.

Lanzarote Artist, Cesar Manrique

Art and architecture add to the heady mix of beaches and exotic volcanic landscapes on Spain’s Canary Islands. See the works of the multi-talented surrealist Cesar Manrique, that make Lanzarote a major art destination for sculpture and exciting modern architecture.

Vigo: Spain’s Atlantic Cruise Port

Take a shore excursion to the pilgrim city of Santiago de Compostella, explore an Iberian Celtic hill fort, bask on a beach or feast on a paella of Spanish shellfish during a day ashore in the Gallician cruise port of Vigo, just north of the Portuguese border.

Seville, Spain’s Exotic City

Take a walking tour of the must-see World Heritage Sites in this sensuous, exotic Andalucian city, which wears its Moorish and Renaissance past in the Alcazar, Cathedral, Archivo de Indias and La Giralda tower, all nearby for easy sightseeing.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

These travel articles will help you explore the many sights Greece has to offer:

Athens: Gateway to Greece -- Enjoy the capital before exploring the Greek Islands, from the Sound and Light show at the Acropolis to bouzouki players in the Plaka's tavernas.

Best Scenic Drives in Greece – Mainland Greece offers some spectacular scenery for driving tours. Drive the winding road from the lakeside town of Ioannina, capital of Epirus, through mountain scenery to the monasteries of Meteora. Or leave from another lake town, Kastoria, and drive to the remote Prespa Lakes, on Greece's northern border.

Great Drives in Greece -- The Peloponnese, part of mainland Greece, ends at the Mani, a remote and rugged peninsula at its southern tip. The scenery is spectacular, with tall fortified tower houses and the Diros caves, which you can explore by boat.

Yannis Galatis: An Impromptu Fashion Show on Mykonos – A shopping trip brings an American expat more than she expected, when she slips into a prize-winning silk dress in the shops of the most famous Greek fashion designer.

Greece's Only Nudist Hotel – Bare it all at the Vritomartis Hotel on Crete, the only nudist hotel in Greece. You'll have to don clothes to take a walking trip through the Samaria or Imbros Gorge, or to a visit to nearby Gavdos Island, the southern-most point in Europe.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Northern Italy's Best Experiences -- Verona's arena by candlelight, St Mark's at night, standing under Brunelleschi's dome in Florence, hiking the Cinque Terre, dancing in Bellagio's Villa Serbelloni on Lake Como, and celebrating chocolate at Turin’s CioccolaTò.

Venice: Italy's City on Water -- Visit St. Mark's, but be sure to watch gondolas on the Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge, take the Secret Itineraries Tour of the Doges Palace, tour Europe’s first ghetto and a take cheap gondola ride.

Markets on Italy’s Lake Maggiore -- Glimpse into local life, through everything from farm-made cheeses to antiques and crafts.

Discount Shopping in Italy -- Bargains on Italian style, craftsmanship and design fill factory outlets between Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta. Brands include Alessi, Lagostina and Rosignol, all at huge savings

Lake Orta, Northern Italy’s Secret – The star of the Italian lakes may be tiny Lake Orta, with its medieval island, luxurious lodging, fine food and pilgrimage sites.

Italy’s Best Ports of Call -- Choose a Mediterranean cruise for the best ports: Genoa, Portofino, romantic Sorrento and Capri, La Spezia (for the Cinque Terre), Palermo, Venice and Livorno (for Pisa and Lucca). When to take a shore excursion.

Italy’s Best Opera Experiences -- Visit opera houses and festivals: Verona's Roman arena, world-famous La Scala, Genoa’s Teatro Carlo Felice, Venice’s La Fenice and Terme di Caracalla in Rome.

Alba: Italy’s Truffle Capital – Southern Piedmont lures foodies with a white truffle fair, while the Langhe Hills are alive with cheeses, Madernassa pears, Barolo and Barbaresco wines, hazelnuts and dark chocolate

Four Rome Museums Reopen – Forget stodgy portrait galleries; these museums are state-of-the art for art, although exhibits range from the Phoenicians to Andy Warhol.

Tomb of St. Paul Now Visible -- Uncovered in excavations under St. Paul's Outside the Walls in Rome, at least a part of the tomb of St. Paul is now visible.

Speaking Italian - or Not -- Tips on how to get by if you don't speak the language, plus a few phrases to get you started.

Speaking Italian at a Hotel -- A few simple words and phrases you’ll need to find a room and check in.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

There’s no question that a cruise is among the best ways to see the highlights of the Southern Europe, but before you choose a ship or an itinerary, read these articles to learn the basics of Mediterranean cruising.

• Best Buys on Mediterranean Cruises -- Tips for Cutting Costs on Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal Cruises. Discusses how to find deals and compare the real costs of different cruise vacation options.
• Italy’s Best Ports of Call -- Planning A Mediterranean Cruise. From Venice to Genoa, Italy’s coast offers everything from too-cute Portofino to the rugged hiking trails of the Cinque Terre, an almost endless variety of experiences with and without shore excursions.
• Cruising Basics: Tipping on a Ship -- Whom to Tip and How Much to Tip on a Mediterranean Cruise. Unraveling the tangled world of tipping, with dollars and sense amounts for each crew member that makes your Mediterranean cruise a vacation to remember.
• Choosing a Mediterranean Cruise -- Tips for finding the right ship to Southern Europe’s most exciting ports. No two cruise lines – or even ships in the same line – are exactly alike, and somewhere in the blue Mediterranean is the right one for you.
• Mediterranean Cruise Bargains -- Free airfare and shore excursions mean big savings. Cruise lines often sweeten the deal on sailing dates that are not as popular as others, and you don’t always need to wait until the last minute to score bonuses like free shore excursions or airfare.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Because it was not possible for most people to journey to the great pilgrimage sites, nor to visit the scenes of the life of Christ or of the saints, these miniature sacred ways were built to provide them with close-to-home pilgrimage routes. Although each is somewhat different, those I have visited share many common features.

First, as the name suggests, they are built on mountains or steep hillsides. Nearly all are in parklands – or the area around them has since been named a park or nature reserve. A walking route leads uphill from chapel to chapel, each one representing either a station of the cross or a point in the life of the saint to which the shrine is dedicated.

In the case of the Sacro Monte di Varese in Varese’s Campo dei Fiori park, the chapel at the top was already there, built in the 1400s to replace one that tradition holds to have been built by St Ambrose. Each of the 18th-century chapels that mark the route to it contains a bigger-than-life-sized terra cotta scene illustrating a mystery of the rosary, such as the Annunciation and the Nativity. You can walk one way and ride the funicular the other.

The Sacro Monte di Orta San Giulio, overlooking Lake Orta, west of Lake Maggiore, can be reached either by car or a by steep path from town. The 20 chapels and statues throughout the hillside forest represent scenes from the life of St Francis of Assisi. Here the figures are painted realistically, and frescoes in the chapels help tell the story.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

So regularly, in fact, that it’s part of the itinerary of cruise ships leaving Sicily. They time departures for evening so they can sit off Stromboli to watch the fireworks against the night sky.

It’s quite a sight – and viewing it on a balmy Mediterranean night from the deck chair of a cruise ship is one of Italy’s most romantic experiences. But it’s become a bit more exciting in the past few days, with eruptions more frequent and violent than usual.

That’s what makes it especially exciting – it is after all a live and very active volcano – Italy’s most active -- and you never know what an uncorked hole in the earth may do. In 2002, Stromboli blew off one whole hillside of the island and sent it careening into the sea. With Stromboli behaving like this, there’s no way of predicting whether this could happen again, although scientists say it’s beginning to calm down a little.

Nearby Mount Etna, in Sicily is also an active volcano, but not nearly as volatile as the constantly rumbling Stromboli.

Whatever the island volcano is doing, it’s a highlight of a Mediterranean cruise – and it’s one show you don’t have to pay extra for a shore excursion to see!

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Italy tops the list, with different cuisines in each region and towns famed for their special ingredient or dish. Say Alba and white truffles come to mind. Say Parma and it’s the outstanding hams. Gorgonzola, Taleggio and other towns have given their names to cheeses made there, and wines usually take on the names of the locality: Valpolicella, Soave, Chianti.

Food festivals are everywhere, such as the Alba’s White Truffle Fair, Turin’s Salon de Gusto in October, Perugia’s EuroChocolate fair, the rice festival in Mantova, and perhaps the most unusual, Camogli’s Sagra del Pesce, when thousands of sardines are fried in giant pans more than eight feet in diameter. Visitors plan their vacations around the dates of these gustatory celebrations.

Still others spend a week or weekend learning to cook at culinary schools and programs, such as those in a number of Tuscan villas, or studying wines at Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo.

But Italy doesn’t have a monopoly on culinary tourism and foody travel. The annual saffron harvest brings crowds to Consuegra, near Toledo in Spain, and A Taste of Spain offers tours that combine this festival with the harvest of paprika peppers in the Extremadura.

In Cyprus travelers can live in a small agricultural village, in smartly-restored apartments, as they learn the secrets of making the local Halloumi cheese, how to cure olives and other local specialties. In Portugal, the town of Santarem in the heart of the agricultural region, hosts a giant annual food festival that tourists rarely hear about.

In fact, it’s hard to visit southern Europe without stumbling onto a food festival or event, so if you love food, pack your appetite and know that Culinary Tourism is the hippest travel trend

Posted by Barbara Rogers

And literary trails don’t end with visiting all the sites mentioned in the book. The Da Vinci Code trail led on to the Knights Templar trail, and travelers are now tracking down long-forgotten castles and chapels associated with these enigmatic knights.

Almost as wide-ranging geographically as the Knights Templar is the itinerary of Homer’s hero, Ulysses, in The Odyssey Entire Mediterranean cruises base their itineraries on the route Homer describes, right down to his last stop in Corfu, on his way home.

Travelers also delight in following in the footsteps of a favorite author, such as Ernest Hemingway, visiting the scenes and cities they immortalized, the hotels where they stayed, even the cafes they frequented.

Literary travel doesn’t have to follow a trail: it can be centered in one destination where a story unfolds, turning a city into a virtual theme park of fictional sites. Nowhere is this more true than in Verona, Italy, scene of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Wiley locals have obliged eager tourists by inventing a whole list of sites: Juliet’s House and balcony (constructed in the 1930s), her tomb (where visitors get a dose of culture as they proceed through a good museum of frescoes on their way to the apocryphal stone sarcophagus) and several works of art around the city that purport to mark locations of scenes from the play (unlikely, since Shakespeare never set foot here).

Other destinations are so filled with settings for fiction that they have literary trails of their own. Venice has been the setting for hundreds of works, not to mention the home of dozens of famous authors and poets. Entire city tours center on where they lived and where their characters walked or rode their gondolas. Most famous is perhaps Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice, but even several modern whodunits have been set in its twisting passageways. Who could resist staging a chase scene there?

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Architourism – both the term and its existence – is a 21st-century phenomenon. When the Columbia University Conference on Architecture as a Destination for Tourism convened in 2002, the tourism community was still reeling – and puzzling – over what it called “The Bilbao Effect.”

When Frank Gehry’s bold and brilliant new Guggenheim Museum appeared along the riverbank of a previously ignored and down-at-the-heels provincial city in northern Spain, it took the world by surprise. Instead of a curiosity, it became an overnight tourist attraction, and it made Bilbao a destination.

People traveled to this remote coast of northern Spain just to see it, cruise ships added it to their itineraries and modern architecture was suddenly on the map. Before that the only structures that were considered attractions in their own right were those built before the 20th century, and tended to be important for their age (as the Parthenon and Coliseum), their interior decoration (The Alhambra or Sistine Chapel) or for historic events, not for their architecture. With only a few exceptions (Gaudi’s Art Nouveau works in Barcelona being the rare one), architecture, especially contemporary, was considered just the box that held the treasures.

But now entire tours are based on 20th-21st-century architecture, and travelers are rushing to see works by Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano, Gio Ponti, Guiseppe Terragni and Aldo Rossi, along with the Art Nouveau works of Antoni Gaudi and others.

Look for these in Southern Europe:

• Guggenheim Museum – Bilbao, Spain, by Frank Gehry, 1997
• Marques de Riscal Winery -- Elciego, Spain (Rioja region), by Frank Gehry, in progress
• Carlo Felice Theater -- Genoa, Italy, rebuilt by Aldo Rossi, 1990
• Oriente Station -- Lisbon, Portugal, by Santiago Calatrava, 1998
• City of Arts and Sciences Museum and Planetarium Complex -- Valencia, Spain, by Santiago Calatrava, 2007
• Casa Mila -- Barcelona, Spain, by Antoni Gaudi, 1910
• Sagrada Familia -- Barcelona, Spain, by Antoni Gaudi, 1926
• Casa del Fascio – Como, Italy, by Guiseppe Terragni, 1932
• Novocomum Apartments -- Como, Italy, by Guiseppe Terragni, 1928
• Lingotto Building –Turin, Italy, renovated by Renzo Piano, 1994
• Taro de Tahiche, Lanzarote (Canary islands), Caesar Manrique, 1968

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Antipasto: Literally, before the meal (pasto in Italian), these are appetizers, and may be a plate of cured meats and marinated vegetables (the classic antipasto on American menus) or a small savory dish, usually served cold.

Primi Piatti or Primi: The first course (literally translated to first plates), which may be soup, risotto (rice), or a pasta dish. Pasta appears in such a bewildering variety that it’s impossible to know the local names for each type. Best advice: either ask the waiter and be prepared for an unintelligible reply, or take your chances, based on the sauce that accompanies it. Tip: Bolognese is a tomato sauce with meat.

Secundi Piatti or Secundi: The second course is the main dish, and the menu may be divided here into Pesce (fish) and Carne (meat). Many of the fish you will find on a menu in Italy are local varieties and can’t be translated. Methods of preparation include griglia (grilled), al forno (baked or roasted), bollito (boiled) and fritto (fried). The most common meats are pollo (chicken), vitello (veal), agnello (lamb), lombo (pork loin) and bistecca (steak, usually beef or veal, but may be pork).

Contorni: Vegetables are not usually served on the plate with the main dish, except as a garnish. They are ordered separately, and given the chef’s full attention. Sometimes they will have sauces, but more often will be roasted or sauteed and combined and seasoned in an interesting way.

Dolci: Sweets may be on the menu or brought around on a tray at the end of the meal.

Do you need to order from each of these sections? Certainly not – unless they have settled in for a long Sunday dinner, Italians often don’t order one from each section either. So no one will think it odd if you choose fewer courses.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Living in Italy has made Italian my default ‘foreign’ language, so I tend to lapse into Italian at the drop of a verb wherever I am, and realize it only when people look at me uncomprehendingly. I noticed this last week when we went to the Canary Islands, which are part of Spain.

My college Spanish is not so good that I’m readily understood, especially when I first arrive. I tend to speak, at best, a tutti frutti of the two languages, and to understand only a small portion of what’s said to me in Spanish.

So imagine my surprise on my second day on Fuerteventura to have a woman walk up to me in a little village and tell me that the owner of the café next to the church had told her that in half an hour there would be a small procession going around the church. Delighted that I had understood every word so easily, I thanked her for the information. As she walked across the little plaza, I realized that I had answered her in Italian. But she seemed to have understood.

Then I realized why. She has spoken to me in Italian. About then I noticed that my husband, across the square, was engaged in an animated conversation with her husband. It turned out that they were from Rome.

We all had a good laugh over our little comedy of errors and they gave us their e-mail address, along with an invitation to visit them when we were next in The Eternal City. We were neighbors meeting in a foreign land, even though Rome and Verona are a day’s travel apart. Small world, isn’t it – especially when you speak the same language.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

After nearly 20 years of restoration, Turin’s Palazzo Madama is again open to the public. The former residence of Maria Cristina of France and Maria Giovanna Battista di Savoia-Nemours is considered one of the finest examples of European Baroque architecture, and its collections reflect the development of that style throughout Europe.

Several collections that have been housed elsewhere during the restorations are on display, including those of the Civic Museum of Ancient Art. Exhibits will showcase the restoration of the architectural and decorative details, as well as new art acquisitions. The restoration of Palazzo Madama brings its interior back to its original colors and architectural detail; the highlight of the interior is the grand staircase designed by Turin’s most famous Baroque architect, Filippo Juvarra. Also outstanding are the richly ornate Sala del Senato and the Gabinetto Cinese (Chinese room).

More than 70,000 works – paintings, sculptures, gold, silver, porcelain, fabrics, implements, glasswork and enamels – are shown in the context of their times, from the Middle Ages to the Baroque era. New to the collections are the casket of Guala Bicchieri, paintings of Guidobono and Bassante, and rare illuminated codes. The collection of ceramics is among Italy’s best, not only in size, but also in rarity and beauty. The most outstanding pieces from each era are shown in the Torre Tesori (Treasure Tower).

To learn more about the newly opened palace and its contents, visit www.palazzomadamatorino.it.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

One of the many joys of the Canary Islands is that they have been the holiday haunt of the British for so long that you can depend on 95% of the islands’ menus being in English, as well as Spanish. My menu Spanish is pretty good, so I use these second pages as dictionaries to decipher the words or ingredients that I don’t recognize.

Sometimes. Other times they are thoroughly un-useful, translating dishes such as Pollo Romano as “chicken Roman style” – not very helpful. But we like them best when they contain the sort of mistranslation that comes of using a dictionary to look up individual words.

This creates some amusing descriptions. A boned filet of fish, for example hit the English menu as “spineless fish.” No gumption whatever, that fish. Less appetizing was the translation of beef en brochette as “beef with spit.” Occasionally the errors are simple ones of spelling, such as the heart-rending notion of “filet of soul.”

Other translations are just simply honest. My favorite in that category defined Café Americano as “weak coffee.” How true.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Before the fall of the last Nasrid ruler in 1492 – signaling the end of Islamic power in Spain – artists had perfected a form of luster-ware ceramics that represented the height of their 800-year culture. More than 100 amphora-shaped vessels decorated in intricate geometric and scroll patterns have been gathered for an exhibition in the Alhambra.

Not nearly as well known and widely recognized as the ceramic tile work that decorates the Alhambra and other palaces, the luster finish was the result of multiple firings and painstaking care in the cooling and heating process. Only a few artists today have perfected this technique, which was largely lost in Spain when the Islamic era ended.

The exhibition, called “The Vessels of the Alhambra” includes an astonishing variety of whole vases and fragments showing a wide variety of designs. It’s a rare chance to see these together in one place – many of them have never before left the museums that own them, coming from locations as far away as The Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The piece from the Hermitage, known as the Fortuny Vase, was a gift from the Granada Caliphate to the Russian Tsar. Many others come from private collections and are not normally on public view.

The exhibition, which will remain there through March of 2007, is located in the Alhambra's museum, in the Charles V Palace,. The Alhambra is open daily, year-round.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

One of the things I love about covering Southern Europe for Suite101 is "meeting" so many other enthusiastic travelers. My fellow writers for this Travel & Culture section are, like me, always on the road. Most of us, it seems, live between two continents, so we are constantly traveling in each other's territory. And when we do, we write articles for each other.

While I'm writing about an exciting "new" Mayan city near Tikal, in Guatemala for Portia Lino's Latin America and Caribbean Travel page and about skiing in New England for Fran Folsom's Northeast US Travel page, Amanda Kendle, who covers Eastern Europe & Russia Travel has written a great article for this page. She writes about the famous and symbolic bridge over the Neretva River in Mostar, a city not far from Dubrovnik, in the relatively new state of Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Those whose fourth grade geography book was written before the fall of the Iron Curtain, will remember these as part of Yugoslavia. That former country is now a series of independent states which include Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

This doesn’t mean that food traditions are so revered that they can never change. Quite the opposite, it’s the infinite flexibility that makes Italian cooking so well loved by chefs and cooks everywhere.

But when dining in Italy, you’ll blend in better and feel more at home at the table if you know a few basic customs (and forget a few myths).

• Pronounce bruschetta, the pre-dinner or apertif snack of tasty toppings spread on toasted bread, broos-KEH-tah. In Italian, ch is pronounced as the English k.
• Don’t ask for butter for your dinner bread. Butter is served only at breakfast.
• Don’t expect – or ask for -- dipping oil for your bread. That’s a foreign invention that most Italians find bizarre.
• Eat your spaghetti with a fork, not with a spoon and fork. Pull a few strands aside and twirl them gracefully around your fork before propelling them to your mouth.
• Don’t ask for grated cheese, especially for a dish containing seafood. If the chef intends cheese to be part of a dish, it will be offered. Italians have a built-in horror of combining cheese and seafood. If it’s done, let the chef be the one to create the dish.
• Eat fruit, if offered whole, with silverware (except for grapes). Taking a bite out of a whole apple is considered barbaric.
• Order Cappuccino in the morning only, never after a meal. If you don’t want espresso after dinner, ask for “café Americano” but expect watered-down espresso, not Maxwell House.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Even before December 1 the stalls have begun to appear in Plaza Mayor, Madrid’s “living room,” signaling the annual extravaganza of Christmas decorations and gifts. Lights twinkle overhead and throughout the streets, and beautiful Belenes, nativity scenes, appear in churches and museums. Among the most spectacular are the 18th Neopolitan figures in the Royal Palace and the baroque nativity at the church of San Genes. But Madrid isn’t the only place where travelers can take part in the pre-Christmas events. Here are some of Spain’s best holiday experiences.

• Seville – At the feast of the Immaculate Conception, on December 8, los Seises is an elaborate dance performed by costumed boys, in front of the cathedral.
• Barcelona – Beginning on December 13, the Santa Lucia Market fills the plaza in front of the Cathedral with more nativity sets and figures, along with piñatas shaped like Yule Logs with faces.
• Granada – Hogueras (bonfires) light the night sky on the longest night of the year, December 21, in a celebration that predates Christmas.
• Mallorca (Balearic Islands) and Tenerife (Canary Islands) – The three kings arrive by boat on January 5, the night before Epiphany, and form a procession from the harbor through the streets, throwing candy to children. Elsewhere in Spain, the Wise Men arrive more conventionally, by land.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Spain has just completed converting 930 miles of unused railway routes into signposted trails for walkers and cyclists. These vias verdes take travelers into Spain’s back country, past farms and over rolling hills, from the foothills of the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean.

Some border rivers and canals, some strike off across fields and through forests, and all of them are guaranteed to show a side of Spain that tourists hopping between the major sites of Madrid, Barcelona, Granada and Seville rarely see.

Because they were once rail lines, the grades are gentle and the paths wide enough for companionable biking or walking, without the dangers of road travel. Along the Sierra Via Verde in Andalusia, the former rail stations have been converted into lodgings, with restaurants serving local foods.

The website has a lot of useful information in English, but the guidebooks to the trails are all in Spanish. Fortunately, the maps are easy to read, and with only a few words of Spanish you can learn about the lodging and dining along the trails, as well as information on local fiestas and public transportation to and from the vias verdes.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

October is the month of food fairs in Italy’s Piemonte (Piedmont) region, and I’ll be there to tell you all about it. Turin hosts the Salon de Gusto – the world expo of the Slow Food movement, Perugia has its Eurochocolate, but I’ll be especially focusing my attention on Alba, where the entire month of October is dedicated to the local cash crop, the precious -- and reputedly aphrodisiac -- white truffle.

I’ll be “broadcasting live” from the tents where the scent of fresh-dug truffles fills the air. Elsewhere in the city, entire squares are devoted to other specialty foods – salamis, cheeses, wines, breads, olive oil, pasta and herbs, and I’ll be there to sample them.

So get your “orders” in early and let me know what you’d like to learn more about. Interested in how truffles are found? About how local chefs use them? About the best chocolatier in Alba or the best coffee in nearby Turin? Are you planning a food tour? Send me your travel, food and truffle questions and I’ll track down on-the-spot answers with as much enthusiasm as the trifolau’s dog noses out the secret hiding places of the priceless Tuber Magnatum Pico.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

OK, you’ve asked for Greece and here it is. After watching the poll votes mount up, I called in my guru of things Greek, Phyllis W. Zeno. After I whined a little and told her how little I knew about her beloved Greece, she agreed to cover that Aegean paradise for this page.

Phyllis is no stranger to travel writing. She started her travel career escorting AAA tour groups all over the world. This led to her starting the AAA travel magazine, Going Places, which she headed for 20 years. She became enamored with Greece, and after yearly trips there secured an unfurnished house in an olive grove on the island of Paros. Over the years she had furniture built to her taste – all in pine, stained cobalt blue, and she managed to spend a month every year there. On retiring from AAA, she became editor of Marco Polo Travel Magazine and held that position until very recently. Now she is spending more time in Greece and writing travel articles rather than editing other people’s.

I’ll let her speak for herself:

If you’re female, 18 to 80 (and a few years past that) and haven’t yet seen the movie Shirley Valentine, you haven’t begun to live. I saw it, hopped a plane to Greece, boarded a ship to Mykonos, rented an apartment there, and take it from me, I had the most romantic week of my life. And if you’re male, you could probably pick up a tip or two as well.

I’m not going to bore you with all the intimate details. I will tell you there is nothing more sensuous than sitting in a waterfront taverna at sunset, watching the giant red globe of a sun dipping into the blue Aegean while Ravel’s Bolero is reaching its climax in the background. (Not Greek music, by any means, but the throbbing passion that expresses Greece and is universally played in tavernas throughout the islands.

There’s so much more I could tell you, but not today. Come back again, and I’ll tell you why the natives on Mykonos are singing "I see London, I see France…”

After you have read a few of Phyllis’s tales I know you’ll join me in welcoming her to Southern Europe at Suite101.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Good news for air travelers: The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that as of September 26, passengers can carry on board travel-sized containers (3 ounces or less) of toiletries.

"After the initial, total ban, we have learned enough from the UK investigation to say with confidence that small, travel size liquids are safe to bring through security checkpoints in limited numbers," said Assistant Secretary for TSA Kip Hawley.

This is especially welcome news for contact lens wearers who have had to pack their lenses in check-through baggage or wear them for the entire flight (and without drops to sooth eyes dehydrated in the dry cabin air). Because they need to be carried in saline solution, lenses have not been permitted in carry-on baggage.

The new regulations allow as many 3-ounce containers of liquids, gels, creams, lotions and pastes as can fit into a quart-sized zip-top plastic bag. That's a little bigger than a sandwich bag.

Wearing lenses through an all-night flight between Boston and Milan would be impossible for me, but I wouldn't have slept anyway, worrying about my luggage being lost with my lenses in it.

For travelers who don't wear contact lenses, the best news about this TSA amendment is being able to carry toothpaste for the morning after an all-night flight!

Posted by Barbara Rogers

It's always nice to help a worthy cause and at the same time find an easier way to do something. And that's exactly what happens when you make airline reservations through NAMI. It works much like the major reservations sites such as Orbitz, but I think it's more user-friendly. And the commission goes to support the fine work of the

National Alliance on Mental Illness, a nonprofit support and advocacy organization of families and friends of people with severe mental illness.

Using the NAMI site couldn't be easier. I just used it to reserve seats for our return to Italy, and was very impressed. First, it shows the real prices, with taxes and fees, and shows them right away. Unlike some of the big reservation sites, at NAMI you don't have to choose the routing before it tells you the tax and fees. Second, it shows how many seats are left at this price. That's very handy if you're wondering whether you can wait a day or so to firm up plans. And it is filled with handy insider tips about the airline or changes at the airport terminal you'll be using.

I'll be clicking on the NAMI site for the best prices on my flights from now on. And I'll know that my money is doing double duty to help families with bi-polar children and others who suffer from mental illnesses.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

First, always keep your passport secure. How, while juggling luggage, reading a map and searching for the hotel phone number? Wear a concealed body wallet - and remember why you wear it.

A good body wallet is not visible, but is easy to reach. I like the kind that fastens to my belt or belt loop, but is worn inside my clothes. I can reach it without undressing and tuck it out of sight easily and discreetly.

My passport and I are never parted -- except when I must surrender it checking into a hotel. I request that the information be recorded right then, and the passport returned to me on the spot. If necessary I ask for the manager. If that won't work, I tell them not to put in the mailbox to my room, where anyone passing by can ask for it, and I ask when it will be ready. In my room I immediately put a big "Passport!" note at the door.

In case I do lose a passport, I carry copies of the face page in each suitcase (good ID for lost bags), and one with my traveling companion. I leave one at home to be faxed in case of loss. If I need to apply at my consulate for a replacement, this copy makes it much faster and easier.

Nothing is foolproof, but by being prepared, you can minimize the time, aggravation and money a lost passport costs.

Posted by Barbara Rogers

Have you dreamed of greeting your morning from a villa on Lake Como? Of following Juliet in Verona? Of sipping cappuccino in St Mark's Square after your gondola ride? Are you looking for the ideal honeymoon location or for tips on traveling in Europe with children? Trip planning raises a lot of questions, and this is the place to ask them.

Maybe your trip planning includes a Mediterranean cruise and you're not sure what kind of ship to choose. Your dream trip may be to hike the Cinque Terre or find spiritual repose walking the Pilgrim Route of St. James. Were you captivated by views of Turin and the Italian Alps ski resorts during the 2006 Olympics? Planning that dream trip starts here.

Whatever your interest in Southern Europe, you've come to the right place. But Southern Europe stretches from Athens to the Azores - a very big area, so it's hard for me to know where to begin. You can make this your site by chiming in with questions, suggestions and ideas for places you'd like to know more about.

What would you like to see? Whether you're looking for budget hotels in Venice or a Michelin-starred restaurant in Madrid, you'll find practical information here.

But maybe first you're looking for ideas of where to spend your dream vacation in Southern Europe. Please let me know where to begin, by sending me an e-mail or start a discussion about your favorite place.