Destinations

5 Best European Vacation Destinations for Foodies

Published

1 month ago

September 2, 2024

Adam T

5 Best European Vacation Destinations for Foodies

Did you know that 95% of travelers worldwide are food travelers? Eight of 10 travelers research food and drink before heading to their vacation destinations. And seven of 10 people select vacation destinations based on the food and beverages in these hotspots.

What are your options if you’re a foodie who wants to vacation somewhere in Europe? The good news is that there is no shortage of places where a foodie will feel very welcome.

Continue reading to learn about five of the best European places to visit if you want to try some of the best culinary masterpieces on the continent.

1. Venice, Italy

Italy is a country rich in history and culture. It’s also a great place to visit if you’re looking for culinary dishes that tantalize your tastebuds. One city that should be on your list of considerations if you want to go to Italy is Venice. You’ll find that seafood dominates the menus of many restaurants. And that’s no surprise in an area where the roads are made of water.

If you love seafood, try the polenta e schie. It’s made from seasoned shrimp — fried or boiled — served on a bed of polenta. That’s just one of the mouth-watering options you’ll find in the city.

2. Nice, France

If you touch down in Nice, France, you’ll want to try out the popular salade niçoise. It’s made from anchovies, tuna, tomatoes, eggs, olives, and other ingredients. You’ll also want to try the pissaladière. It’s the pizza that’s not a pizza. To the untrained eye, a pissaladière looks like a pizza. It’s a tart topped with anchovies, onions, and olives.

Also, try the raviolis niçois. If you loved ravioli growing up as a kid, try this elevated concoction. It’s ravioli filled with braised beef, cheese, and chard. Yum!

3. Vienna, Austria

Do you want to visit Vienna, Austria? You must try the Wiener Schnitzel if you ever do. You can’t be a foodie visiting the city and not tuck into this famous dish. While Wiener Schnitzel was traditionally made using veal, you can also get it with turkey, chicken, or pork meat. It’s served with sides like potato salad and redcurrant jelly. Try some goulash made using different kinds of meat. You’ll find this stew on the menus of many restaurants in the city.

4. Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen, Denmark is another city you should consider. If you travel to the city, try the Smørrebrød, a class open-face sandwich. It’s made from a slice of rye bread topped with meat, fish, vegetables, and sauce. You’ll find it in high-end restaurants in the city. You can also find falafel and shawarma on many restaurants’ menus. Flæskesteg, traditionally served during the Christmas season, is another must-try menu item. It’s roasted pork seasoned with spices, cloves, and bay leaves. The locals usually serve the popular dish with potatoes.

5. Bruges, Belgium

Waterzooi is a dish you need to dry if you visit Bruges, Belgium. It’s a creamy stew that will hit the spot. It’s made using eggs, fish, and butter. While that might not sound like an appetizing combination of ingredients, your tastebuds will thank you. Do you like seafood? You’ve got to try some mussels and fries. You’ll have options in terms of the sauce it’s served with. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the chocolate that Belgium is world-famous for.

Lots of Options for Foodies

These are just a few recommendations if you’re a foodie who wants to visit Europe but doesn’t know where to go. You’ll find all sorts of food to make your tastebuds dance for joy.

However, when you come to Europe for the food, you’ll also experience the culture and history. And you’ll also get to see some differences between how things are in the U.S. versus how they are in Europe. Case in point: if you’re staying at a hotel, you’ll find that the bathrooms might look a little different compared to what you’re used to in North America. For instance, you’ll find that bidets are fairly common throughout Europe.

A bidet is either a standalone unit that replaces a toilet or is attached to a toilet. It’s designed to clean you up after you use the bathroom — so there’s no need to use toilet paper. After you do your business in the bathroom, you activate a faucet, and a stream of water will do what you’d usually do with toilet paper.

After spending the day or afternoon out doing what foodies do, you’ll spend lots of quality time in your hotel. You may need to rest after all the eating and sightseeing. You may even find that you really enjoy using the bidet — perhaps enough to get one for your own bathroom.

So, come to Europe for the food. But remember to enjoy all the other experiences, including things you may have never experienced before. That’s what traveling the world is all about.

Destinations

Best Shows in Las Vegas

Vegas has all the gambling, shopping and eating you could handle and that doesn’t even include the countless shows you could see, but which are the best?

Published

20 mins ago

October 7, 2024

Brady Pearson

Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world for a reason, there are more things to do here than anywhere else in the world. Vegas has all the gambling, shopping and eating you could handle and that doesn’t even include the countless shows you could see, but which are the best? While rebranding the city as a family destination, Las Vegas still boils down to what hotel has the best casino, restaurants and shows. I chose my favorite shows for you to see in Vegas and why, so check it out and see some shows next time you are there.

All Shook Up

The King is alive in All Shook Up at Planet Hollywood in this awesome tribute show. Travis Allen is the master impersonator who perfectly embodies Elvis Presley in his voice, demeanor and stage presence. If you can handle the annoying screams of women lusting after Allen, then this show is great.

Blue Man Group

If you haven’t seen this sensory overload of a show then you need to fix that. The Blue Man Group is the ultimate in Vegas shows because it stimulates all the senses. Now at its new home at the Luxor in a specifically designed theater, just for their unique show, the Blue Boys are back and better than ever. Check out their show and scratch it off your list.

The Beatles: Love

The music of the Beatles mixed with the absurdity of a Cirque du Soleil show and you have the formula for an awesome evening. Head on over to The Mirage and checkout “Love” even if you aren’t a Beatles fan. It’s a true Vegas style show with tons of glitz and glamour and all your favorite classics from The Beatles.

Absinthe

Cruise on over to Caesars Palace and check out Absinthe, the seductive variety show is half Cirque-du-Soleil acrobatics and half brash comedy show with a dash of burlesque mixed in for sexuality. The show is meant to induce a form of hallucinations indicative of an Absinthe trip. Seeing this show is like drinking the funky green drink, so be prepared for a crazy time at this adult only show.

Penn & Teller

What’s a trip to Vegas without some magic? A boring trip is what. You have to see Penn & teller because it’s an awesome show and you deserve to laugh after you lost all your money at blackjack. The kings of comedy magic will split your sides and make you wonder, “How the heck did they do that?”

Purple Reign

No trip to Vegas is complete without hitting the outskirt hotels for some real deals and possibly the best cover band in the world. Purple Reign is the Prince tribute show at the Westgate that will make you believe that Prince is still walking the Earth.

See Cirque du Soleil in a gigantic pool with acrobatics and synchronized swimming, yep, check that off your bucket list. The Bellagio is home to the famous fountains and O, the most impressive Cirque show to date. This show is so over-the-top that it could only happen in Vegas and at the Bellagio. If you want to see a Cirque show, this is the one to see first. Romantic and beautiful, it will pull at your heartstrings and stimulate your brain.

Le Reve

Le Reve is the Wynn’s answer to O, and it may even be better. This show strays away from a story and focuses more on the incredible skill of its performers. You won’t believe what you see in this aquatic master class in acrobatics and performance.

Destinations

Endangered Heritage Attractions In the Americas

Let’s explore what heritage sites are in danger and why so we can understand what’s going on in our world.

Published

12 hours ago

October 6, 2024

Loren Thorn

We have reached a tipping point at many of our planet’s most beautiful and special destinations, and you may want to visit them before it’s too late. Whether it is environmental or human related issues affecting these historic and natural locations, they are in danger of being destroyed. The World Heritage Convention and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have picked these four heritage attractions as at-risk and in danger. These sites include the Everglades National Park and Belize’s Barrier Reef. Let’s explore what heritage sites are in danger and why so we can understand what’s going on in our world.

Belize Barrier Reef

Running Belize’s entire coastline, this living wall is protecting the environment from rough seas and is the largest reef system in the Northern Hemisphere. The reef is home to countless fish and coral species and is in danger from overfishing, poor water quality and development without environmental concerns. This is one of the planet’s best snorkeling and scuba diving spots and it may be destroyed by human interference soon. If we don’t enforce some strict environmental laws in the area soon, we may lose this amazing reef like we are already losing the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Chan Chan

In Peru an ancient civilization thrived before the Spanish Conquistadors invaded the area and even predated the mighty Incan civilization. The Chimu people built the largest mud brick city in the entire world at the site called Chan Chan. This incredible archeological dig is ever changing because rain and weather are turning the mud bricks slowly back into mud and the crumbling infrastructure will only increase over time. See this magnificent site before it’s gone forever. The Incas eventually conquered the Chimu people but they left a real mark on Latin America.

Everglades National Park

Located in Southern Florida and encompassing 1.5 million acres of swampland, The Everglades National Park is in danger because rising sea levels are saturating the freshwater table with seawater and many of the animals and plant life are dying off. The Everglades are home to many species of animals and foliage that thrive nowhere else on the planet. Home to alligators, crocodiles, manatees, and countless other rare species, the Everglades are in serious danger and so are all these beautiful animals. The rising sea levels are seriously affecting the region and it is beginning to show signs of deterioration.

Portobelo-San Lorenzo

This Caribbean port city was originally built to protect Spanish gold and other treasures so it was a favorite spot for pirates. Pirates ruled the Caribbean waters in the 17^th and 18^th centuries and no ship was safe from their plundering ways. The fishing town has some incredible ruins of the Old Spanish naval base to the large amount of sunken ships in the harbor. With plenty to explore and tourism increasing, this heritage site is in danger of being built over as there is no regulations in this region of Panama. Take in the Old Spanish architecture and the beautiful ruins before it’s too late.

Destinations

New Travel Alert for Europe During The Summer

The US State Department issued another and more widespread travel alert for much of Europe this summer.

Published

2 days ago

October 5, 2024

Loren Thorn

The US State Department issued another and more widespread travel alert for much of Europe this summer. This comes on the heels of recent travel warnings for Europe, which are a response to increased chatter from terrorist organizations. There have been some major terrorist attacks and activity in Europe and specifically France in the past few years. Summer is the busiest travel season and many European nations count on this yearly boom for their gross national income.

Details

The travel alert is issued on May 1, 2017 and runs until September 1, 2017. The US State Department believes that with all the recent terrorism at busy tourist attractions in Europe and increases chatter show signs of impending danger. The extremists are hell-bent on spreading their fear and terror by attacking the western civilization at the heart of their freedom.

France

Recent attacks in France have made huge headlines and many people have been affected by these incidents. Paris is an international city with millions of tourists each summer, so a travel warning like this could hurt their bottom line. Will this travel alert make people reconsider their summer travel plans, only time will tell?

The Alert mentions Paris as a possible site where terrorism could occur and that should worry people with plans through that city.

Russia

Russia seems to be in continuous turmoil and this summer season is no different. The country has been the target of terrorists in the past and many of those are homegrown threats. If you have plans to visit Russia, I would check with the US embassy just in case.

Great Britain

Great Britain has many strong ties to the United States and that makes them and their territories targets of terrorist organizations. London is one of the most visited cities in Europe and now the State Department is warning US citizens about the threat of a terrorist attack in that city this summer.

Islamic State and al-Qaida

The two main terrorist groups responsible for all these threats and attacks are the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaida. They have plenty of operatives already in place all over Europe and these sleeper cells are waiting for the opportunity to strike. The US State Department doesn’t believe that these attacks are imminent but there are strong possibilities.

What You Should Do

If you already have travel plans for Europe this summer, it may be too late to change your plans. If this is the case, don’t worry, the odds of being in a terrorist attack are very minimal and just being smart will help you out. If you plan on traveling to the alerted areas, contact the local embassy or consulate and see if there are any new developments. Watch media and see if there are any new warnings.

Look for things that are odd or out of the normal but overall just try and enjoy yourself. Life is too short to let the terrorists win, let’s keep living our free lives and we will always win in the face of adversity.