We're heading to Rome soon to work on the 8th edition of Eating & Drinking in Italy. Here are four day trips from Rome. The gateway to the Amalfi coast is Sorrento. Sorrento has a spectacular cliffside setting, an unspoiled old town, and plenty of places to dine. If you’re ambitious, you can visit beautiful Sorrento for lunch. Take the high-speed train to Naples and then catch the hydrofoil or train to Sorrento. Orvieto is located on a monumental square-shaped rock visible for miles. Don’t miss this impressive and well-preserved town (or a taste of its famous wines). The Gothic façade of the Duomo (Cathedral) is one of the great masterpieces of the late Middle Ages. Orvieto is only an hour train ride from Termini, Rome’s main train station Naples (Napoli) is the third-largest city in Italy and for most, the introduction to southern Italy. In the shadow of Vesuvius (the only active volcano on the European continent), Naples is crowded, noisy, and not an easy city for the traveler. Highlights include the huge Castel Nuovo (a medieval castle), and the seaside fortress of Castel del’Ovo. Naples, the birthplace of pizza, is a favorite culinary destination. But there’s so much more to the city than pizza. Fast-speed trains take you to Naples from Rome in an hour. The beach at Ostia Lido has dark sand and can be quite crowded in summer. For less crowded areas of the beach, you can pay for entrance to a private beach where you can rent a chair, umbrella, and towel. Most also have showers and a bar for all your drinking needs. If you’re not into beaches, you can visit the Roman ruins at Ostia Antica. The ruins are much easier to reach than Pompeii (and there will be much smaller crowds). It’s an easy train ride by taking the Metro Line B to the Piramide stop, then take the Ostia-Lido train. |
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The new 8th edition of Eating & Drinking in Paris is now available at bookstores and as an ebook on Kindle, nook, and Apple! Here's the link to amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Eating-Drinking-Paris-Translator-Restaurant/dp/1593602200/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1470447620&sr=8-1 On out recent trip to Paris, we wanted to add a restaurant in the 20th arrondissement near the famous Père-Lachaise cemetery. We were lucky to find Bistrot Blanc Bec. Here's our entry in the new 8th edition of "Eating & Drinking in Paris" which will be released this summer:
Friendly bistro with a beautiful mosaic floor in a former bakery.Highlights include bavette (flank steak) and the rich ganache chocolat (chocolate cake). Good selection of wines by the glass and a decent Côtes du Rhône house wine. Nice choice for lunch while visiting the nearby Père-Lachaise cemetery (the eternal home of Chopin, Proust, and Jim Morrison). Info: 20th/Métro Ménilmontant. 15 rue des Panoyaux (off of blvd. de Ménilmontant). Tel. 01/43.58.45.45. Closed Sun. and Mon. facebook.com/bistrotblancbec. Moderate. We're trying to decide where to go next to update our books. Today we'll look at Barcelona. Barcelona is a city filled with well-preserved medieval buildings, modern architecture and the famous cathedral and other fabulous structures by Gaudí. It’s home to a celebrated Picasso museum, the wonderful Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic), and La Rambla (where all of Barcelona seems to stroll each evening). Here are the top sights in photos. Our Best of the French Riviera and Provence book in now shipping (just in time for the holidays).12/21/2015 Our new edition of Open Road's Best of the French Riviera and Provence is now shipping (just in time for the holidays).
Newsday (one of the 10th largest newspapers in the US) recently reviewed our Italy book. "Eating & Drinking in Italy" by Andy Herbach COST $9.95 paperback; $4.99 Kindle, Nook and Apple editions; available at eatndrink.com, amazon.com, bn.com and iTunes WHAT IT IS This most recent entry in the "Eating & Drinking" series is a handy guide for finding restaurants in Italy and translating menus. If you're all set for a delicious meal in Florence but have no idea what items like daterri di mare (mussels) or figato di vitello (calf's liver) are, Herbach's menu translator will make ordering dinner easier. Like your steak well done? Ask for it ben cotto. If you prefer sitting where there's no smoking, request a table in the non fumatori section. The restaurant guide lists more than 100 eateries, and the Rome section also includes food markets, wine stores, coffeehouses and gelato shops. We travel to Paris every year for Thanksgiving and meet friends from Wales. With the recent terror attacks in the City of Light, many have asked us if we still plan to visit Paris. We understand that many will not go to Paris because they will be in a constant state of fear (and that would be a terrible way to travel). Here are five reasons why we are going to Paris this week.
Paris may never be the same, but we will not be abandoning it. Wining & Dining in Italy ebook (in Kindle, nook, and Apple) is now available! Here's the link to the Kindle version.
For most travelers, Nice is the introduction to the fabulous French Riviera. Here are our top five sights. People-watching and dining on the colorful cours Saleya This has been the main street of Vieux Nice (Old Town) since the Middle Ages. You must come here if you visit Nice. At times it seems that everyone in Nice is here, especially at night when its restaurants and cafés fill with locals and tourists. It’s the home to a wonderful daily flower and food market. On Mondays, it’s an antique market. Walk through the maze of narrow streets in Old Nice past small churches and under drying laundry for photo opportunities at every turn. Strolling on the Promenade des Anglais This wide boulevard runs four miles along the entire length of Nice’s waterfront. The name means “walkway of the English” because it was financed by wealthy English tourists who came here in droves in the 1800s in search of sun and sea. Today it’s a beautiful walk made all the more interesting by sunbathers, walkers, runners and skaters from so many different parts of the world. Oh, and put your eyes back into your head. While nudity is prohibited, topless bathing is not. Avant-garde art at the Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain You can’t miss the contemporary structures (four gray marble towers) that house this museum of avant-garde art from the 1960s to today. Works featured here include those by Lichtenstein and Warhol. Check out the fantastic rooftop terrace. The Largest Collection of Paintings by Henri Matisse at Musée Matisse The Matisse Museum, located in a 17th-century villa, contains the largest collection of paintings by Henri Matisse, who spent the last years of his life in Nice, and some of his personal effects are on display. Matisse is one of the 20th century’s greatest painters. Most of his works here were created while he resided in Nice. Everything from his works as a student to his late-life works – from nudes to religious art – is featured here. The Beaches East of the Port and the Sentier de Mer One of our favorite places in Nice is an area often ignored by travelers. Past the port (to the east) you’ll find boulevard Franck Pilatte. Follow this boulevard along the sea. Look for the signs “Sentier de Mer.” This is a walkway that runs along the sea. There are several small and rocky beaches in this area and restaurants and bars with great views of the city. The path ends at Coco Beach. For more information on Nice’s sights, check out Open Road’s Best of the French Riviera and Provence. It will be available online and in bookstores for the holidays. |
AuthorsAndy Herbach is the author of the Eating & Drinking series of menu translators and restaurant guides, including Eating & Drinking in Italy , Eating & Drinking in Paris , and Eating & Drinking in Spain and Portugal . He is also the co-author of Wining & Dining in Paris and Archives
February 2024
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