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Barbara Rogers's BlogPosted 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.
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:
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:
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:
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. |
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