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Classic romanesco fare can be challenging – in the case of some of the tripe dishes and organ meat famous for their savory sweetness and the adventurousness required by outsiders to eat them – or alternatively it can be relaxing – a warm summer’s day with Carciofi alla Romana. If you’re new to Rome, and want to learn how to sample the very best of what Rome has to offer, and embrace the principle of eating locally grown food in local, traditional recipes, then read on for a guide to some of Rome’s most distinctive (and delicious) dishes.
ANTIPASTI
Potato frittata – a savory fried potato dish, is a common appetizer. Or try some freshly-baked bread made with butter and anchovies that balance salty and sweet perfectly. A plate of cheeses and cold meats is also another ideal way to begin your meal, with dried, tangy Roman meat. Fried mixed vegetables is another starter. Two classics are both made with artichokes: the carciofo alla romana, stewed in olive oil and herbs, and the traditionally Jewish carciofo alla giudea, blackened and crispy. Many Roman restaurants have buffets where you can fill your plate with heaping spices and herbs, meats, fishes, and vegetables for your first course.
PRIMI PIATTI (PASTAS, SOUPS, ETC)
The Bucatini Amatriciana is not Roman, technically from the small town of Amatrice, but that’s close enough – it’s from Lazio after all. This sauce, based on dried pork cheek (guanciale) and pecorino cheese and at times tomatoes, is a classic of Roman cuisine. Spaghetti was the traditional pasta, but bucatini has become more popular recently. Roman egg noodles with roulade sauce is another good bet, as is the pasta with cauliflower and fish, pasta with chickpeas, and rice with endive greens. ›Continue reading Five Dishes to Try in Rome
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New York City’s Central Park is a focus point for all of Manhattan, an 843-acre oasis from the traffic, noise, and chaos of the city outside. Once a site of crime and drug abuse, especially at night, Central Park now operates under theauspices of the Central Park Conservancy, which has kept the park beautiful, clean, and safe since at least the mid-1980’s. Here are some of the sites to see as you walk through the park.
SOUTH END: Check out the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain – an iconic Park landmark, used frequently in film and television production, as in the recent Angels in America. Strawberry Fields, at West 72 Street, is named in honor of John Lennon, who was shot a few meters away at his home in the Dakota building. This area is filled with a variety of species of trees and flowers, including the eponymous strawberries, funded by a donation from Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono. The Central Park Zoo – smaller and less impressive than the outer borough varieties – is a wonderful place to visit, especially the adorable penguin and seal areas. Or rent a boat at the lake. ›Continue reading A Stroll Through Central Park
The fees are here. The fees are here. It is now rather hard to avoid paying an extra $30-$50 in luggage fees when you travel by air. So now a big chunk of available brainpower out there is trying to find ways to avoid these fees and cram as much stuff possible into their free space. Here are a few suggestions from my own cramped and well traveled brain. Not all of them are for normal people.
1. Pack less. And then take half of that. There are many tips within this one all by itself. Use space bags or compression bags. You can get them online, travel stores and even stores like Target. They come in different sizes. Get the ones that you press and roll, not a vacuum bag. You don’t want to have to carry a vacuum with you. That would defeat the purpose. I use three or four of the compression bags, mixing up my clothes so I only have to open one of them at a time. I’ve been using them for years now and most people are surprised how much I fit into one carry-on bag with them. I wouldn’t be able to wander for two weeks on one bag without them. I even compress my favorite pillow down to almost nothing and include it.
Look at the material your clothes are made of and the ability to mix and match everything for multiple outfits. I like specialty travel clothing made of material that I can rinse it out and then it dries within hours in the hotel room. Wear layers on the plane. This is easier in colder weather but wear your heaviest pieces of clothing on you while you are traveling. You can take them off, drape them over an arm, cram them in the over head compartment or whatever. But they are not taking up space in your bag. If you are really overflowing your bags past security, fill a empty fast food bag or airport store bag with your socks or hygiene products. No one objects to you looking like you spent money in the airport.
2. Carefully choose which airline is going to mistreat you. Southwest gives you two checked bags and JetBlue gives you one. Everyone else is charging now.
3. Chew the fine print. Some airlines are allowing it’s various club members/frequent fliers to go without the fees. If you are going overseas, you may not be charged fees. But a few airlines may charge you more.
4. See if your hotel or resort will cover it. Some are already offering money off the bill if you have the luggage receipt. This is yet another thing that complicates the search for a hotel. If one hotel is $20 more than another but they give you $30 back on luggage fees while this other hotel gives you a $20 gas card but charges a $15 resort fee….ugh…My head hurts just thinking about the complications ahead in finding the best deal. ›Continue reading How to Avoid Baggage Fees Creatively
New York’s elegant Upper East Side is a place of refined avenues, pre-war buildings, and tranquil brownstones. With a historical pedigree that once included many of New York’s pre-twenty-first-century aristocracy, the Upper East Side still maintains the glamour of that milieu, with inhabitants dressed to the nines in high-fashion gear and upscale bistros and boutiques lining Madison avenue. If you want to explore this area further, though, read on, for an inside glimpse into this sparkling world of galas and fundraisers.
SEE: The Upper East Side’s most prominent landmark is the Metropolitan Museum, standing proudly overlooking Central Park on fifth avenue in the low-to-mid 80’s. See a wealth of treasures here, from the newly-renovated classical wing to the reconstructed Egyptian Temple of Dendur to wonderful furniture exhibitions from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Guggenheim Museum, with its famous round structure, is nearby, as is the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Whitney Museum, devoted to contemporary American art, and the Frick collection – devoted to the massive personal art collection of steel baron Henry Clay Frick. And, if you’ve seen enough of Central Park, head all the way to the East River for a stroll down the idyllic river walk near Carl Schurtz Park. ›Continue reading Upper East Side Tips
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It is silly season again with the Airlines and their fees. I want all airlines to turn a profit like only a couple of them do but instead of just raising ticket prices and lowering the do-nothing-suits million dollar salaries, they are at it again and getting more creative than ever (See this post for more recent schemes). For a while they were only charging heavily packed travelers. Now, you’ll have to pay to check your luggage no matter what. (Southwest gives you two bags free while JetBlue still gives you one freebie.) I’ve outlined the latest baggage fees for the major US airlines below. Like your flight, the fees are subject to change at any time without much notice but I will do my best to keep this up to date. I also provide their official policy sheets here. Bookmark this page for future reference.
If you just do carry-on, you’re okay and it won’t (yet) cost any more cash.
The negative is that it may cost you more and in other ways. Also, more people will be trying to take more stuff onto the airplane to avoid the fees. This means the on board compartments will be even more full and you’ll have to wait longer for people to deal with all their stuff. More items will probably be taken away from you as you board the plane as well if you don’t board early. I’m not sure how they will charge for these gate checks or if they’ll just leave your stuff on the tarmac if you don’t have money on you. Now that you are paying specifically for each bag to come with you on the plane, I think airlines will hear more valid complaints and charge backs when it doesn’t make it. This extra hassle may even eat up some of the profit that they make from it. ›Continue reading Airline Checked Baggage Fees
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If you are looking for the best chocolate in Santa Fe while you are in town, look no further. Today I got a special treat. I got to spend the morning with Santa Fe’s Premier Chocolatier, Rand Levitt, of Señor Murphy. A few month’s ago at the Santa Fe Children’s Museum’s Gala, I won this the “Day with a premier Chocolatier†in their Silent Auction and thought what a fun thing to do. And it was, especially because they give only a few quick tours a year to small school and community groups. An entire morning with them is very special.
I learned a lot about their business that I didn’t know. I knew that their candy was great, but I didn’t realize that it is all hand made and hand packed. They even make their own marshmallows for the Rocky Road. We got to see them making caramel for their hand dipped apples, chocolate coat some orange creams made from real oranges, hand package the piñon nut boxes, and more. The kids even got in the act and helped with packaging.
›Continue reading The Best Chocolate in Santa Fe
Vienna is known for its inventive cuisine, from wienerschnitzel – bread-encrusted veal – to decadent whipped-cream-coverd coffees and cakes, including the apricot-flaked chocolate Sachertorte. Vienna’s restaurants at time can attain the height of elegant, reminiscent of the Hapsburg dynasty and its imperial luxury. But one of Vienna’s greatest pleasures is also its cheapest – the Viennese sausage, available as a fast-food for two to three euro at numerous stands around the city.
Rest assured, these are no ordinary hot dogs. These taste not of plastic or of recycled animal parts but of real, fresh meat – often mixtures of pork and beef – and are thick enough not to get lost in the accompanying bread. By and large, they are sliced horizontally, served on a paper plate, and accompanied with a hunk of sourdough or rye bread and mustard. Order the Kasekrainer for a delectable out-of-the-ordinary treat – a sausage injected with liquid cheese, then sliced so that each mouthful holds a savory cheesy center. Also try the popular Burenwurst sausage, the Bratwurst, or the curry-sausage variety. ›Continue reading Vienna’s Wurstelstands
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Traveling in Africa is a unique, adventurous and wonderful experience. It has a wild beauty about it that somehow weasels its way into your heart and makes you want to return time and again. However, travelling around Africa is also not without its challenges. Here are a few handy hints of what NOT to do so that you can have a more enjoyable vacation:
1. DO NOT be impatient: In Africa things happen in their own time, are frequently delayed and usually take longer than expected. You will have far greater enjoyment on your vacation if you have a laid back approach. By jumping up and down you won’t achieve any greater haste. In fact your tantrum will probably encourage the locals to go even slower.
2. DO NOT be disrespectful: Like on all continents there are local customs and dress codes. Be aware of these and dress and act appropriately. Especially at historic or religious cultural sites. ›Continue reading No No’s For Travels in Africa
I have just completed researching again and verifying the GPS locations and amenities at all National Forest Campgrounds in Oregon. The listings are much more accurate now than when they were before. My highest priority is to continue this effort now that the technology has improved greatly since I first started doing this years ago.
The listings are updated by city, map and the Oregon interactive camping map that includes Wal-marts, rest areas, truck stops and more.
This adds Oregon to the list of recently verified and expanded states here at AllStays to include much of the western United States. I’ll keep on my continous update of the information as more and more campgrounds are being closed in budget cuts.
You missed this year’s tulip festival. Now what? A lot, actually. Summer is Washington’s premier playtime.
For a less-crowded vacation, head to Bellingham, WA. Fly into Seattle, 90 miles to the south, and drive northward along Puget Sound. The San Juan Islands are to the west; a day trip for fishing, whale watching or touring the villages is well-spent. You can join a charter tour from Bellingham.
Located on Bellingham Bay – Mount Baker looms in the distance – Bellingham is about 20 miles from the Canadian border. (Bellingham is the closest U.S. city to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver – book early!) The city is known for its parks and hiking trails: The National Park Service and American Hiking Society named Bellingham “Trail Town U.S.A.” a few years ago. Join the locals walking and jogging the well-maintained paths. Here is the local trail guide. Mountain bikers will enjoy some of the more rugged terrain on Mount Baker. ›Continue reading Visiting Bellingham in Northern Washington
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