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Most recent articles on The Travel Belles
Vintage Shopping in Brussels via Rome
After a week spent away from Rome visiting secondhand and vintage shops in Brussels, Belgium, Amber is again reminded about how chill – and easy to budget – dressing can be.
London’s Borough Market: A Foodie Photo Walk with Zita
A photo walk in London’s Borough market: A foodies’ favorite free thing to do in London I don’t know when I heard or read about London’s Borough Market for the first time but I know it was in connection with Jamie Oliver, something along the lines that he goes there every Saturday morning. It was about then [...]
Recipe for Panna Cotta: Recreating and Remembering
This week for Cooking Around the World, a simple recipe for panna cotta to remember a local ristorante in Vogogna, a favorite Italian village I confess I am often a creature of habit when it comes to food. If I find something I love at a restaurant, I simply have to order it over and over [...]
A Wales Itinerary: Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia and Anglesey
Wondering what to do in Wales first, I decided my first stop were the Brecon Beacons, which include a National Park and are a paradise for those who love hiking and walking. A symphony of greens, blues, reds and browns rolls out before the eye, grassy moss giving way to more mountainous territory.
Modern Chivalry and Romance Found in St. Petersburg
An American girl learns that in Russia ‘modern chivalry’ lives on In November, I attended a lovely Thanksgiving dinner in St. Petersburg, Russia. An American friend-of-a-friend hosted, and invited 20 of his closest Russian friends. His apartment, right off of the central Nevsky Prospect, was beautiful and the turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, fabulous. What [...]
5 Healthy Travel Snacks to Put in Your Purse
Having healthy travel snacks readily available is the key to balancing your hunger, cravings and energy levels while on the road. Here are five to keep in your purse!
Valentine’s Day Wine for Every Kind of Relationship
Send a message with a Valentine’s Day wine chosen to perfectly suit the status of any romantic liaison (or lack thereof) Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is upon us. You may think it’s a Hallmark holiday and eschew the commercialism of it all, but if your spouse, partner, or significant other feels differently, [...]
Bra, Italy: The City of Raw Meat
Bra, Italy, in the raw I’ll try anything once. Then I’ll try it again, and if I don’t like it I’ll try it a third time just to be sure. Taste buds and expectations change, so maybe the food will, too. And when the food in question is a regional specialty, I feel obliged to [...]
A Small Languedoc Wine Area’s Lovely Tamed Chaos
In Southern France’s Languedoc wine area of Fitou, good wine is paired with family traditions I’ve known Sabine for four years now; it’s hard not to know one of the only people in a town of 500 who can sell you rosé they made themselves, especially when you’re as big a fan of rosé as I [...]
How Do You Pick a Hotel?: Across The Cafe Table #9
Welcome to the NINTH Across the Cafe Table. This month’s question: What are the factors you consider when selecting a hotel? Briana: I haven’t been staying in hotels very much these days, as I’m sure some of my fellow twenty-something Belles can relate. When I do get the chance, though, there is one thing I look [...]
Tiki Torches, Sunsets and a Barefoot Dinner for Two
How to plan a romantic dinner on the beach for your next tropical vacation Imagine a sandy stretch of strand arched in a graceful parenthesis. The ocean glows luminous turquoise and one by one the last rays of the day’s sunshine disappear into the horizon. A tanned couple wearing all white stand at the surf’s edge, [...]
Dutch Village Day Trip and a Picnic
A boat, a tiny Dutch village near Amsterdam and a picnic There are few outings in the Netherlands more delightful than puttering along canals on a sunshiny day with dear friends and a full picnic basket. Although I love meandering through the canals of Amsterdam, my favorite thing to do for a day out is [...]
Spanish Churros con Chocolate: Cooking Around The World
Editor’s note: Not that Travel Belles need an excuse to talk chocolate, but January 31 was National Hot Chocolate Day AND it’s been two whole weeks since we talked about this European country’s version. Besides we haven’t talked about any European fried dough products in months! … We’ve got you covered today! A traditional post-party breakfast [...]
Visiting Venice and Venetian Dreams
Visiting Venice: old friends reunite to experience a favorite city’s sights, sounds and flavors side by side My friend Elizabeth flew into Venice from Paris for our reunion. We hadn’t seen each other for several years and wanted to make up for lost time by spending a few days together. Our plans for our visit [...]
Visiting Edinburgh: a City of Two Halves
Grand and stately, fun and hip – Visiting Edinburgh Edinburgh’s a city with more than one side. Scotland’s capital is a key fixture on the itinerary of most UK visitors, and given its mixture of history and vibrancy, it’s easy to see why. Divided in two halves by the green strip of is made up [...]
Peruvian Village of Huaraz and Finding My Andean Home
In a remote Peruvian village set amidst the highest peaks of South America’s the Andes, Katy finds her “Andean home” I jumped out of the cab to a cacophony of beeps and shouts and fought my way across the road, yawning in the early-morning cold of Peru in the Peruvian village of Huaraz. I walked into the [...]
Lake Loch Ness: Plenty to See and No Hunting Required
There’s certainly something intriguing about the sterling depths of Lake Loch Ness. Reflected in its dark, frigid waters are the mysteries of the Scottish Highlands and the ghost stories of Scottish castles. I admit that although binoculars were the top item on my packing list for my holiday to Scotland to to visit the Great Glen, [...]
Visiting the Canary Islands with the Glamour Granny
Full of friendly people and balmy weather, visiting The Canary Islands with Inka means many of us will be adding them to our list of great places to travel for women I always think of the Canary Islands as a box of jewelry; full of precious gems to suit every mood and occasion. There is [...]
Great Hotels Travel Belles (and Beaus) Love, Cupid
Hint!: A gift card to one of our favorite great hotels trumps just about everything as far as a romantic Valentine’s Day gift … And “pshaw” to the idea that celebrating the epic concept of “love” on one random day in the middle of February is an all or nothing deal. As much as we [...]
The Italian Hot Chocolate Difference
A warm, Italian treat perfect for those cool winter days In Italy, the time has come to relinquish the fluorescent, plastic gelato spoon. You may crave the cool sweet 365 days a year, but many gelaterie close in the winter. So in the name of eating seasonally, trade your plastic cup or cone for a mug of [...]
Cool NYC Cocktail Bars for Travel Belles
Cool NYC cocktail bars for the cosmopolitan Travel Belle It really started with Sex and the City. Whatever you think about Carrie and her pals, the show bought a whole new generation to the delights of the mixed drink. Cosmopolitans may be yesterday’s news, but the show’s host city of New York still offers a [...]
Tipping Etiquette around the World
Tipping etiquette and a global gratuity guide for the Travel Belle Traveling to a foreign country is exhilarating. It is an amazing gift to be able to see and experience different places and cultures around the world. But traveling out of one’s own country brings its own set of challenges. There can be language barriers; [...]
Wearing Art in Morocco
The body becomes the canvas for rich, henna art in Morocco “Khadijah wants to henna your hands,“ Aziz translated for me. It was a caught in the headlights moment, as getting my hands hennaed was only slightly above being held captive in the Western Sahara for my last few days in Morocco. Once glance at [...]
Across The Cafe Table: Where do you most want to go in 2012 but haven’t been yet?
Welcome to Across the Cafe Table where every second Wednesday we ask a question and share our answers Question this month: In 2012 where do you most want to go but haven’t yet, & why? Briana: Two thousand twelve is going to be a great year. I can already feel it. And without having traveled [...]
Pottery and Kindness in Tarica, Peru
Learning to make pottery in Peru along with a few things about kindness It was just an ordinary journey in the Peruvian Andes. I was squashed into a corner of the minivan while the hardy-looking matriarch beside me unwrapped a small child, blanket after blanket and ended up on my lap. We bumped and juddered [...]
Falling in Love with Chocolate in San Francisco
Jessica, our favorite chocolate loving Travel Belle, went in search of chocolate in San Francisco. She reports in with the tasty results The San Francisco Bay Area is home to fantastic food and wine, making it a great place to travel for any Belle. There are fabulous restaurants and it is only a short drive [...]
When Getting out of the Country Means Going to Epcot
Channel your inner child with international fun by visiting Disney World’s Countries of Epcot When you can’t get out of the country for real, the next best place to go? Disney World! Specifically, the World Showcase at EPCOT (which stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow). This may seem a little silly, but I’ve never [...]
Italian Lake Orta: Silence, Color and Architecture
Exploring Lake Orta: the quiet Italian lake Except for an occasional rattle of pan and muffled cacophony of voices coming from the kitchen of Orta San Giulio’s fine restaurants, there are few noises at twilight. Cars aren’t allowed in this small town located in Italy’s Piedmont. Perhaps too we just don’t hear much because somehow [...]
Ancient History and Modern Day Fun in Palma
On the Balearic Island of Mallorca, the city of Palma brings together ancient history and modern-day fun Palma, Mallorca is best known for being the capital of the Balearic Islands, one of Spain’s autonomous regions, as well as the birthplace of Rafal Nadal, currently one of the best – and most handsome – tennis players [...]
A Toast to The New Year: Cool Wine (and non-Wine) Traditions From Around the World
Rather than serve up the standard fare and bullet point sparkling wine types for New Year’s, today we’re going to check out some New Year’s traditions around the world. We’re going to focus on customs from several well-known winemaking countries, some wine-related and some not. Perhaps you’ll pick up a few New Year’s celebration ideas [...]
Nightlife in St. Petersburg at Terminal Bar
Nightlife in St. Petersburg at Terminal Bar, a lively, soulful, must-go asset to the nightlife scene where everyone’s a friend I order a Grappa di Prosecco and watch the bearded academic next to me read the newspaper and drink Hennessy on the rocks. He smokes cigarette after cigarette, flipping the pages of the paper in [...]
The coziest little Christmas market in Germany
Given that in a few days time I will be on my way to the tropical climate of Southern Florida, I wanted to experience a bit of White Christmas with all its romance, snow, and glitter. For a Christmas market,some holiday traditions and comfort food, no better place to go, I thought, than the south of [...]
The Greek food experience in the hands of a monk
Greek food in Greece: dinner prepared with 1,000-year-old culinary traditions I wasn’t sure what I had in mind about Greek food before going to Greece. Visions of gyros with tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, yogurt and a few recipes I’d tried preparing at home came to mind. In the coastal city of Thessaloniki, I found that [...]
Merry Christmas from the land of sunshine, beaches and sundresses
A new expat anticipates and prepares for her first Christmas in Australia Sunshine, beaches, and sundresses are not the usual images I associate with the Christmas season, but now that I’m living in Australia I’m getting an education on how the other half of the world experiences the holidays. I confess it’s hard for this [...]
Shrimp and Grits from the King and Prince for Christmas Eve
An elegant version of Shrimp and Grits for Christmas Eve When I first moved with my family to the South Carolina coast, shrimp and grits was the dish that almost without exception was on every menu. In recent years shrimp and grits has moved from a being a mere staple on the southern menu to [...]
Portrait of a Belle: Author Judith Works talks about her road to Rome and everywhere else
In middle age, Travel Belle Judith Works left the suburbs of Portland for life as an expat in Rome and a job with the United Nations. In September, she released Coins in the Fountain, a self-published memoir about her time in Italy’s chaotic capital. Here she tells us about her life as an expat, her [...]
Europe for Christmas? Or Home? Where would you choose to travel for Christmas?
Welcome to Across the Cafe Table where every second Wednesday we ask a question and share our answers If you HAD to spend the holidays away somewhere, where would you go and what would you do? Briana’s answer: Being from Boston, a December holiday spent some place warm and sunny always sounds enticing. I [...]
Seattle and the glow and squint test of Christmas
Seattle in December, yes, really, days of sparkle and shine “Enjoy the weather; perfect for vampires,” a local friend says to me.”You’ll have to come back in the summer, when the weather’s beautiful.” I agree with her that I may just have to return in the summer. But truthfully, I’m just fine with the weather. [...]
Cooking Around The World: King Albert’s Cardoons, A Royal Tradition from Piedmont, Italy
In northern Italy, a stalky vegetable becomes a dish fit for a king Italy’s Piedmont region is a land of rolling vineyards and great northern wines like Barbaresco and Barolo. The area is rich in foods like chestnuts, chocolate and truffles. Since I moved here in May to study at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, I have [...]
Track Your Travel Belle Trips
“So why did you pick Morocco?” my friend Leo asked when I announced I was moving to Casablanca at the end of 2008. I pointed to the Peter’s projection map on the wall behind my desk. “Easy. There are two major blank spaces: North Africa and South America.” He shot me a knowing look as [...]
The 20-Minute Hotel Room Workout
A hotel room workout for women to balance that vacation indulgence with a quick, easy workout I can already hear the uncertainty of some Belles after reading the title of this article: “20-minute workout on vacation? No thank you!” Yes, I know vacation is suppose to be about relaxing and taking a break from it all. Still, [...]
Visit the Villages of Mallorca
There’s more to Mallorca, Spain than sunshine and sandy beaches Mallorca, the tiny island off the coast of Spain is know to many travelers for it’s beautiful beaches, all-inclusive resorts and vibrant nightlife. What many vacationers fail to see, though, is Mallorca’s historic and enchanting villages. Set away from the tourist hotspots, these villages provide [...]
Cooking Around the World: Mákos Guba, traditional Hungarian Christmas Dessert
Traditional Hungarian Christmas dessert with poppy seeds and honey This dessert brings back so many memories from my childhood. In Hungary the Christmas tree is decorated on the Holy Night (December 24) in immediate families. For us, Christmas is a private, family holiday and we don’t go to parties. Most families decorate the tree together, [...]
Traveling with Paper Maps, Scraps and without Apps
Can the myriad travel apps available at our fingertips always compensate for what we might lose? Amber answers, “No,” and gives us all something to think about I stand at a pay phone and drop in a couple coins. I’m calling a hostel on the recommendation of a fellow traveler. I dial the number scribbled [...]
Dining on Bali: Fire and Spice
Discovering Indonesian Food on Bali Indonesia’s 3,000-mile string of islands arcs across the globe like a sword slung from the earth’s equator. Near the bottom of the curve, at the confluence of the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, sits Bali. A Hindu island in a Muslim archipelago, Bali has been washed for centuries [...]
Modern Bath and Proper Tea
Kate Turner pays a visit to Bath in the UK’s Somerset County in its splendor throughout the ages. On a Saturday evening in October, I was lounging in a rooftop pool watching the sun set over Bath Abbey. Yes that’s right: Bath. In the UK – a country not exactly renowned for its warmth. [...]
Cooking Around the World: Cape Malay Bobotie
A tale of South African cuisine and friendship Tessa was a special lady. She had class, talent and a huge heart. We met in blogland, where we discovered we shared the same deep love for South Africa, her homeland and my dream life destination. After exchanging numerous comments and visits on our respective blogs, sending [...]
A Bottle for the Holidays: 4 Tips to Conquer the “Wall of Wine” At Home or Away
Finally, everything you need to know about how to buy wine. Quick! Name one industry that has as many brands with similar looking packages and similar tasting items as the wine industry. I think it’s virtually impossible. I’m not sure how things worked out this way, but unlike shopping for hand soap or cookies, shopping [...]
The Scent of Cloves
A visit to the wholly unfamiliar local of Zanzibar, Tanzania, is anchored in what is known as the most memorable of the senses The rain had stopped. We waited by a five-passenger plane that was to take us to Zanzibar, Tanzania, a 30-minute flight east from Dar es Salaam, the east African country’s largest city. [...]
Editor’s Choice: The Holiday Edition and Giving the Gift of Travel
Last year for Christmas I gave the gift of travel to my two daughters. It started with the plane tickets. This meant I had to make the first two most important decisions when it comes to travel planning: The “when” and “where.” Ever since they were little, I’d always dreamed of taking them to Italy [...]
