Archive for the ‘Guide’ Category

In the ancient Moorish town of Xelb (today called Silves), a handsome and sensitive vizier once lived. During one of his sojourns into northern lands, he fell in love with a beautiful Nordic princess. After they married, he brought her back to the Algarve. Soon the young princess began to pine for the snow-covered hills and valleys of her native land. The vizier decreed ... Full story

By Plane Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is not only the airport of Amsterdam, but also the primary international airport of the Netherlands. The main airline operating into Schiphol is KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (a subsidiary of Air France), which has an alliance with U.S. carrier Northwest Airlines. From the U.S. and Canada -- Carriers with frequent flights to Amsterdam from such cities as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, ... Full story

# Pop a Herring: Amsterdam folk like their herring fresh and raw from a neighborhood fish stall. The best in the business is Van Altena, Stadhouderskade at Jan Luijkenstraat (tel. 020/676-9139). Eat your fish in the approved Dutch manner -- whole, holding the fish by its tail, with your face to that wide Holland sky. Amsterdammers prefer theirs chopped, with onion. # Eat on the Water: I ... Full story

# Amstel InterContinental Amsterdam, Professor Tulpplein 1 (tel. 020/622-6060): The last word in opulence offers much more, including one of the city's best restaurants and a superb location beside the Amstel River. This is the first choice of visiting celebrities, so don't be surprised if you see famous faces. # Amsterdam American, Leidsekade 97 (tel. 020/556-3000): This hotel boasts the best location in town -- it's on Leidseplein, ... Full story

Experiencing Feijoada, the National Dish: It's impossible to single out one restaurant in all of Brazil for its feijoada. Just try it and try it right. Start with a caipirinha (that potent, delicious lime and sugar-cane drink) and some caldo (soup), followed by steaming hot black beans with all the various meats. Side dishes include farofa, cabbage, orange slices, and white rice. Dab some malagueta ... Full story

# Hotel Sofitel (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 0800/241-232 or 021/2525-1232): Considered Rio's best hotel, the Sofitel combines old-world elegance and style with one of the city's best locations, across from the Copacabana Fort and steps from Ipanema. # Fasano (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 021/3202-4000; www.fasano.com.br) The first-ever complete hotel -- top to bottom, inside and out -- designed by the famous enfant terrible of the design ... Full story

A short list of the hotels in Ibiza: Atzaro Hotel Spa Ctra, Sant Joan KM 15 www.atzaro.com Tel: 971 33 88 38 The luxury agro-tourism to end them all... Atzaro is one of the most beautiful and exclusive resorts on the island. Mega-brands like Vogue and Bacardi host exclusive parties here but the real draw is the opulent, refined relaxation of its guest suites and spa, and the stunning setting. ... Full story

Getting There Again, as with Palma, if you come in July and August, be sure you have a return ticket and a reservation. Stories of passengers who were stranded for days in Ibiza in midsummer are legendary. Iberia (tel. 90-240-05-00) flies into Es Codolar International Airport (tel. 97-180-90-00), 5.5km (3 1/2 miles) from Ciudad de Ibiza. Seven daily flights connect Ibiza with Palma de Majorca, and three ... Full story

Getting There At certain times of the year, the trip by boat or plane can be pleasant, but in August these routes to Palma must surely qualify as the major bottleneck in Europe. Don't travel without advance reservations, and be sure you have a return plane ticket if you come in August -- otherwise you may not get off the island until September! Iberia (tel. 90-240-05-00) flies ... Full story

Cuisine by Niloufer Venkatraman -- Anthropologist, writer, and dedicated foodie Indian cooking is one of the great cuisines of the world. Like the country itself, however, it varies greatly from region to region, and you'll discover a great deal more to savor than the ubiquitous kormas and tikka masalas (known to the naive simply as "curry") with which most Westerners are familiar. Not only does each Indian ... Full story