The knowledge of a personal guide and a well-planned, four-hour tour of Madrid’s historic sites will transport you back in time to explore the city’s colourful past. At the end of this fascinating day, you’ll enjoy a traditional Spanish tapas dinner for two in a local restaurant. Reserve your adventure.
ancient archaeological sites architecture madrid package restaurant tour
With so many different types, blends, and bodies of coffee, how does one know the difference? You don’t need to be a barista to find out. When in Costa Rica, stop by these plantations and roasteries to get the full scoop and have a little fun.
Britt Coffee Tour
This tour will take you all the way through the production of your everyday coffee, from tree to cup. It actually incorporates a humorous stage show and a delicious, fresh lunch at the end.
Espiritu Santo Coffee Tour
Espiritu Santo’s tour is a veritable crash course in coffee appreciation. Not only will you learn about the process of making coffee, but you’ll also get a bit of Costa Rican coffee history and can catch a class on the right way to drink coffee.
Cafe Monteverde Coffee Tour
Monteverde’s tour will give you the opportunity to do a bit of the work— harvesting the coffee! In addition, the views from this plantation are breathtaking.
Doka Estate Coffee Tour
Doka Estate Coffee is just one stop on your journey on this tour. You’ll also catch a glimpse of an active volcano, take a turn into the Costa Rican Cloud Forest, and end your day at Sarchi for a bit of shopping.
If you’re visiting Venezuela, it’s helpful to have a working knowledge of the types of foods you’ll encounter, and their names. Here are the most popular dishes:
Pabellon Criollo
Thought of by many as the Venezuelan national food, Pabellon Criollo is a wonderful mixture of shredded beef and rich black beans and rice. Pabellon also has a bit of humour to it: if you order Pabellon con Barandas, you’re essentially ordering the dish “with guard rails.” The “guard rails” are actually sweet fried plantains, deriving their nickname for their ability to keep the food on the plate.
Mandocas
A multi-purpose side dish or breakfast these circular corn fritters can be served with cheese, sugar, or salsa.
Arepas
Arepas are a soft, round bread stuffed with a myriad of different fillings. The most simple is cheese, but they can be filled with spicy chicken, plantains, beans, or even the Pabellon described above.
If you’re visiting Cologne, but don’t have much time, don’t worry. You can still take in many of the sights and tastes of this beautiful German city.
The German-Roman Musem
See striking examples of ancient Roman life right in the Rhineland. The German- Roman museum was actually built around its key exhibit— the Dionysus mosaic. It currently lays exactly where it was found.
Cologne Cathedral
Visit the cathedral that took nearly 600 years to build, and is the largest example of Gothic architecture in Northern Europe.
Chocolate Musem
Get an in-depth understanding of the wonderful world of Chocolate, from its growth to processing, to the arts of molding the sweet stuff and its wrappers.
Cafe Waschsalon
On your Friday or Saturday evening, step out in style at the Cafe Waschsalon. Once a “laundrette,” the washing machines are now used for decoration. The drinks are fairly inexpensive, the atmosphere hip, and vibe is relaxed.
Dallas, Texas has always been known for it’s big flavored barbecue, with specialties in various types of smokey meats, beans, cole slaw, and warm breads. Here are a few of our favourites:
Baker’s Ribs
Located right in downtown Dallas, Baker’s features a full Southern menu, including the famous American sandwich, the Sloppy Joe.
Peggy Sue BBQ
This eatery has changed hands a few times in the past half-century, but the sentiment is the same: hearty fare at a very decent price. We recommend the sweet-glazed baby back ribs piled high with a side of Hoppin’ John.
Sammy’s BBQ
On business in Dallas? Join the throng of local business people for lunch at Sammy’s BBQ. They don’t serve dinner, but you can order your lunch online for faster pick up. Try the chopped beef barbecue sandwich, and an order of their enormous onion rings.
Boston is quickly becoming a destination for Modern and Contemporary art. Stop by these spots to see the work of the greats, from Sol LeWitt to Anselm Keifer, and Miro to Basquiat.
Alpha Gallery
Mass MoCa
Barbara Krakow
DTR Modern
ICA
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Join the bustling, noisy crowds at one of Delhi’s many street markets for a glimpse into everyday local life. You’ll find fragrant spices, exotic fabrics, and a myriad of interesting knick-knacks. Here are two of the biggest markets:
Chadni Chowk
Chadni Chowk, which means Moonlit Market, has been a thriving hub since 1650. This area of North (Old) Delhi features row upon row of food stands and confectioners.
Dilli Haat
A bit more upscale than Chadni Chowk, Dilli brings together approximately 200 vendors from all over India, rather than locals only. Enjoy the selection of sandalwood, handmade brassware, and ornaments of all kinds.
Most people think of Rio de Janeiro as the center of samba and sun. But explore a little further off the boardwalks and see if this city’s sites don’t still set your heart racing.
Sugarloaf Mountain
Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese, Pão de Açúcar) is perhaps the city’s most iconic natural feature. If you enjoy your views more when you’ve feel like you’ve earned them, you can take an intense hike instead of take the cable car. Start your trek in a sea kayak, and end scaling the granite top of the mountain.
Tijuca National PArk
When Rio boasts of having the largest urban jungle in the world, it isn’t a metaphor. Tijuca National Park is a landscape begging to be explored. A jeep tour will ensure you hit all the sites and still get a chance to get your boots dirty.
Zip Line Tour
Satisfy your inner adrenaline junkie, challenge your fear of heights, and take in the spectacular view from the tops of the trees with a zip-line canopy tour.
Hang Gliding
Try the ultimate combination of pure exhilaration and breathtaking panoramas: http://www.rioturismoradical.com.br/hanggliding.htm. Once you’ve touched down on the beach and caught your breath, you’ll agree that this city has truly earned its reputation as A Cidade Maravilhosa, or “The Marvelous City” .
Few cities have as much natural beauty at their fingertips as Monterey, California. From dramatic coastlines to elegant wineries, a visit to Monterey is ready made for romance.
Some of the most outstanding and, yes, romantic views of the Big Sur coastline can be seen from the area’s lighthouses. Point Sur Lighthouse offers small guided tours of this turn of the century light station, with the seasonal availability of moonlight tours.
For a glimpse beneath the waves, transport yourself to the world of the renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, where you can watch otters play beneath the water and learn how seahorse courting dances last for days. If you prefer your nautical exploration above the waterline, climb aboard a cruise into the sunset.
Feeling indulgent? A tour through the famed wineries of Carmel Valley ought to please the palate. To truly relax and pamper yourselves, enjoy the day from the back of a limousine with a picnic lunch along the way.
Whether this is your first trip as a couple or your 50th, make such the fire never dies with a surprise beach bonfire for your sweetie. Cuddle up and watch the sun dance into the horizon— a perfect end to what is bound to be another memorable day in Monterey.
Explore Prague’s narrow side streets, gorgeous flowering gardens, courtyards and avenues. Here are a few of places that shouldn’t be missed:
Stroll the Vltava
Talk a long walk along the banks of the stately Vltava River, which runs through the centre of the city. The promenade offers breathtaking views, and interesting monuments and memorials.
Prague’s Eiffel Tower
Keeping watch over Prague from the top of Petrin Hill, Lookout Tower is the city’s own smaller version of Paris’ Eiffel Tower. It’s also a fantastic way to see much of the city. On a clear day, you’ll see all the way to Snezka, the highest mountain peak in the Czech Republic, 150 kilometers away.
Vyšehrad
Once upon a time, it was a forbidding 10th century fortress. Today it’s a popular place for romantic picnics and strolls. You’ll see the city’s oldest Romanesque rotunda, St. Martin, and the Church of St. Peter and Paul.
Vrtba Garden
Head over to Vrtba Garden to not only take in the lovely sights and fragrances of the plants and flowers, but to also gain a nice understanding of Baroque-style gardening and aesthetics.
