Search results for

Open daily, even on Sundays, the Condamine market is a combination covered and outdoor market where residents come to stock up their larders with regional specialties, local produce, and fish directly from the sea below. Grab a coffee at one of the old-fashioned cafés, or savour the regional “socca” chick pea pancake as you watch the Monegasque go about their daily business—visiting the newsstand, gossiping with neighbors, letting their kids loose in the play area. Photo : Sylvia Sabes

On our recent trip to France we had the best ice cream we’ve had. Ever. Anywhere. We chanced on Fenocchio while we were driving along the French Riviera. On probing a couple of locals, we found out that it is something of an institution in Nice. We couldn’t shy away from trying it out could we? We found the gelateria easily in Nice’s Old Town. Beware - there are lots of ice cream parlours with similar names in the area. But there is a queue only outside one shop - Fenoccio’s gelateria. We bought a couple of scoops of ice-cream and went back for seconds. Our gluttony did not stop there. For the next four days, we went to Fenoccio’s gelateria every day till it was time to catch the flight back home. That’s how good it is. Fenocchio’s ice creams are creamy and intensely flavoured. They have a number of crazy flavours including cactus and dozens of traditional flavours including chocolate, hazelnut, and strawberry. Our favourite was the orange blossom ice cream, a flavour indigenous to the South of France. Make sure you pop in for a scoop (or ten) if you happen to be in the area.

La Isla de Guilligan (Gilligan’s Island, though not the one from the television show) is a popular hangout for Puerto Rican locals. I myself am only home for several weeks a year and I still go once or twice every year. The island is sometimes isolated and sometimes crowded. It boasts snorkeling (I’ve spotted many anemones, fish, crabs, starfish, and barracudas), calm water perfect for floating and swimming, and several trees from which you can jump into the water. It’s off the coast of Guanica, and there are two ways to get there. Either take a ferry (call 787-821-5706 for more information) or rent a kayak from Mary Lee’s by the Sea. If you choose to do the latter, you might want to take your kayak to Isla Ballena (see my highlight “Kayaking and Snorkeling and Hoping for Whales”). This tends to be a day trip, so I suggest you have some food. You can either pack up your own or, if you take the ferry, place an order before embarking and tell them when you’d like to have it delivered. There are picnic pavilions that you can claim if it’s a calm day or you get there early.

There is a reason why renting a villa in Tuscany is so popular - rustic farmhouses, rolling hills filled with olive and plum trees, golden sunsets, locally-harvested wine, creamy cheeses, and cool evenings spent with friends and family. Renting a villa provides a relaxing base for your sightseeing in the region. Almost all Tuscan towns allow easy day trips to the main sights: - Florence‘s art and Renaissance history (Duomo, Uffizi Gallery, Michelangelo’s David) - Cortona’s steep, narrow streets and medieval walls - Siena’s cultural city center, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site - San Gimignano’s fortified towers set amidst picture-perfect Tuscan hillsides - Montelpulciano’s world-famous wineries and more This offers the best of both worlds - after a dusty day of sightseeing, you can relax at your villa with a jump in the pool and a glass of wine. Watch the sun go down in a purplish haze, unwind with friends, and enjoy the lovely moment. I recommend YourTuscany.com, which is where we found Villa Coloniale (above) in the town of Pergine Valdarno. The infinity pool and covered patio are guaranteed to put you in a relaxed, Italian frame of mind!

While in the Lagos and western Algarve, I searched for lesser known beaches. With so many miles of coastline, I knew there had to be more beaches and less crowded ones at that. So my husband and I set out for several days to find these gems. We stopped at so many great beaches (we were usually the only Americans there) that the British and Germans have long known about. Each beach had a good restaurant with very fresh seafood. There were different activities available such as the usual sunbathing under the warm sun, surfing, parasailing, fishing,and horseback riding.

This beach at Burgau was a clean, beautiful, little town beach. There were several restaurants. This was a rewarding search for a different, lively beach. A natural and undeveloped area. We will return. Possibly we will rent for a week-end and stay in a small condo. If you go to the Algarve, bring a good current Michelin map of Portugal and get a map of the Algarve at your hotel desk. These will be easy to follow to the many western Algarve beaches. If renting a car, set this up with your travel agent in the states when planning your trip. It is cheaper, and the car will be delivered to you wherever you need it. Have a great time with this adventure!

Being in Santorini was like a dream come true. The breathtaking views were like none other I had ever seen. The white buildings against the beautiful blue sea. I spotted these two dogs and thought to myself, “Wow! What a life. What I wouldn’t give to be able to live here and enjoy this view on a daily basis.” They looked so relaxed sitting in the warm sunlight. Every time I look at this picture it takes me back to that moment. I was literally speechless. Just soaking in my beautiful surroundings. We were on a tour, headed to a wine tasting, and we stopped for pictures. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life. This was an unforgettable trip, better than I could have ever imagined.

Located 2 km from Zitacuaro, Michoacan, Rancho San Cayetano is an oasis of calm and an excellent base for seeing the monarch butterflies at Cerro Pelón. Lisette and Pablo Span are your kind and efficient hosts who, in butterfly season (October and November), will set you up with information and trips to see the butterflies. The place is worth a visit any time of the year, however: Lisette runs the kitchen and serves superb, multi-course dinners and heavenly breakfasts. There are comfortable ranch-style cabins, a lovely swimming pool, a patio for reading or day dreaming and all of it is surrounded by a forest of pines and fruit trees.

Easter Island is a strange, remote, and magical place. After a full day of wandering around this tiny island, we were fortunate enough to witness an absolutely breathtaking sunset over the Pacific. The “beach” here is made up of pitch black volcanic stone. I found it to be utterly fascinating.

Since 1862, fresh flowers and plants have arrived by barge from the Dutch countryside to Amsterdam. While this assemblage of flora still shows up daily, it comes by van, not boat, to the Bloemenmarkt, the world’s only floating flower market. Here, you can browse 15 fragrant stalls on houseboats permanently moored on the Singel. Now the best-known flower market in Holland, this colorful attraction is packed with tourists on sunny weekends. Still, it’s a great place to pick up Dutch tulip bulbs in a plethora of shades and varieties, as well as many other types of bulbs, seeds, cut blooms, and houseplants. Ship a bag of bulbs home, or grab a souvenir at one of several shops hawking T-shirts, mugs, clogs, Dutch cheese, and other fun and inexpensive gifts.

Founder’s Note: Travel Like an American

The Phoenix, a little slice of paradise on the edge of San Pedro, features more modern architecture than most buildings in town, as well as modern amenities. Rooms are one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom condominium suites that feature luxurious eat-in kitchens, bathrooms with walk-in showers and Jacuzzi tubs, large living rooms and laundry facilities. Each suite also has a balcony or patio, and almost all suites are just steps away from one of the pools which are the focal point of the resort. The larger main pool cascades into a shallower lower pool and is saline chlorinated, as is the 55-foot-long lap pool. A pool bar is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Red Ginger restaurant is open daily for breakfast lunch and dinner as well as brunch on Sunday afternoons and serves a tapas menu on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. There are also business services, an on-site spa, and fitness and yoga centers. Rates begin at $325 per night during low season for a one-bedroom beach view suite.

Upon arrival try to snag the free daily garden tour! The gardens are divided into different ecosystems/themes such as the Australian Garden, Camellia Garden, Children’s Garden, Chinese Garden, Desert Garden, Herb Garden, Japanese Garden, Jungle Garden, Lily Ponds, Palm Garden, Rose Garden, Shakespeare Garden and the Subtropical Garden. Once you’ve finished the Garden tours, you can go to the Huntington Library, which is one of the largest research libraries in the United States. This is a nice escape from the big city if you have a day to spare while in Southern California. There is also a slew of different local restaurants to choose from including some found in Old Town Pasadena which is worth its own visit!

Hungry hikers (known as hill walkers in Scotland) will find refuge at Monachyle Mhor, a 2,000-acre farm located deep in the middle of Trossachs National Park, just past the grave site of folk hero Rob Roy. The main draw of the 14-room pink farmhouse is the food: Chef-owner Tom Lewis, a rising star on the U.K. culinary scene, prepares meals sourced from the farm. The hotel also offers classes on baking bread and churning butter, and coordinates hunting trips and mushroom-foraging excursions. After a day exploring the land, retire to one of the comfortable rooms, equipped with fireplaces, steam rooms, and views of a loch.

Get swept up to the top of a peak, meditate in a monastery garden, and ride a ferry through a light show all in the space of a single day in Hong Kong. This busy city offers visitors sometimes startling contrasts: a hike along a rugged hilltop trail can transport you to a view of the shimmering, modern skyline that will knock whatever’s left of your breath away. Wander densely populated streets and then find yourself on a quiet length of shoreline. Welcome to the most cosmopolitan and thrilling city you may ever visit.

Cruise the Venice lagoon on one of the few remaining bragozzo boats still working this body of water. The vintage double-masted, flat-bottom fishing boat, once a common type of vessel here, dates back to 1946. The captain and owner, Mauro Stoppo, is also an excellent chef, which comes in very handy. Charter a daytrip (the boat comfortably carries 6–10 people) and sail to a lesser visited portion of the lagoon. The pace is slow; the food and wine decadent. If you want to charter a longer trip, you’ll explore more of the lagoon by day, learning its history and ecology, and then sleeping in private villas at night.