Sodium chloride has been a world-shaping mineral, prized since antiquity and beyond, and over the centuries contributing to the growth of trade and civilization. And though much has come from the ocean and open-air salt ponds, a good deal of salt has
Among various other things, Spain is one enormous banquet table, laden with distinctive and delicious treats from every corner of the land and surrounding seas. But I daresay there’s nothing more distinctive in the country – or in Europe, for that ma
I had to pick my time carefully to visit the ancient English city of Bath. I wanted to go before the bulk of the tourists, but after the rush of Christmas crowds. But, that’s the way it’s always been, for visitors have been coming to Bath since befor
How do I love thee, Quartier Latin? Let me count the ways: Students. Chilled rosé at a sidewalk café. Students. Reveling in the Bohemian joie de vivre. Students. Chantilly-cream crêpes from a street stand. Students. Browsing fascinating museums like
If, as the old saw goes, everyone’s a little Irish on Lá Fhéile Pádraig, as they say in Gaelic (even yours truly just found some Emerald Isle heritage thanks to DNA testing!), what better occasion to visit the the gateway to the Emerald Isle which be
To experience the essence of this ancient region of east central France – site of great, dreamy scenery, and famous for its cuisine and especially its eponymous wine – you want to venture beyond capital Dijon to the historic smaller towns and cities
What lovelier (and tastier) way to learn the nuances of a foreign culture than rubbing shoulders with the locals, tasting the flavors of their land? Well yes, there is literature and art and music, but we certainly can’t appreciate those on an empty
Continental Europe's northernmost point (and Norway's largest yet least populated county), Finnmark is a land of stark beauty. Home of the Sami (aka Lapps), it's an outpost of one ofScandinavia's distinctive cultural subroupings, as well as a primo p
Nearly 6,000 feet up, in the gorgeous Rofan Mountains section of the Alps in Austria’s Tyrol region, part of the country’s southwest "panhandle," you don’t have to be a diehard Alpinist to enjoy the experience. There are valleys like theInntal which
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Italy, like the rest of Europe, is a patchwork of languages, and Sardinia is a good example. Sardinians grow up speaking Italian just like their countrymen on the mainland. But before Mediterranean’s second largest island became part of Italy in 1861
by Travelling Erik There really is something special about Denmark, the Danes, and their capital city, notable for its mix of traditional and modern architecture, cutting-edge design, fashion and a special joy of life, (sometimes channeled through c
You haven’t truly eaten cake until you’ve taken in some of the beautiful Hungarian capital’s more than 200 bakeries, or café-cum-bakeries. Patisserie in Budapest is sheer perfection and a stop in at least one of its famous bakeries is a must during
People go to Majorca in the summer in search of beautiful beaches and great weather, but if you are also looking for fiestas and local culture, summer is the perfect time to visit as there are all kinds of fiestas and events taking place on this bea
Living in Zurich, for ages I'd heard about the legendary Bernese – my partner had told me that a study had shown that they, among all Swiss, walk the slowest (how this study was conducted I cannot imagine). I had also personally met quite a few speci
This month's observance of the 70th anniversary of D-Day focused the world's attention again on the beaches of Normandy. Today those beaches are blessedly peaceful, and just one of the many attractions that bring visitors to this scenic, historic cor
One of Europe's most singular countries, Malta is a Mediterranean archipelago south of Sicily, with a fabled history stretching back into the Neolithic; a language that’s an Italianized dialect of Arabic written in the Latin alphabet (though now Engl
Way east in the constellation of Greek islands - in fact, off the coast of Turkey, this small isle, just 25 by 5 miles in size, was in classical antiquity both a resort and a seat of learning which gave the world figures like Hippocrates. In the 21st
Oy vey, olé! Everyone knows that most Jews in Spain were given the royal boot back in 1492, the same year Chris Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue, right? Well, yes and no. Some managed to hang on, and the story of how they did so in secret constitutes a
Some ten miles (16 km) up in the hills above Cannes, the small town of Grasse accounts for 2/3 of France’s production of perfume essence and food flavorings, and those hills are alive with the flowers, in particular jasmine and roses, which form the
If you've never visited the Greek island of Crete, you’re in for a lot of surprises. Travelers are so often astounded by the scenery, the diversity, and utter uniqueness of this Island. However surprising the geography may be however, the simplicity
