Copyright 2009 The New York Sun Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:48:44 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Travel :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/travel istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us PAULA DEITZ http://www.nysun.com/travel/a-visit-to-the-venice-biennale-of-architecture/86449/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST VENICE — Henry James, in "The Wings of the Dove," called Venice's Piazza San Marco "the drawing-room of Europe." But currently, the attention is less at James's "splendid square" than at the mouth of the lagoon. The 11th Venice Biennale of Architecture is currently underway in the Arsenale, a former maritime structure, and the nearby Giardini, a large waterfront park. With its history of international trade and shipbuilding, Venice proves a munificent host to this gathering of architects from... VERONICA McNIFF http://www.nysun.com/travel/venices-little-sister/86450/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Why leave Venice for Padua? Here are three good reasons: Giotto, Menabuoi, and Donatello. Padua, the historic, frescoed, and laid-back city less than half an hour from Venice, is home to the Scrovegni Chapel, the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, and the Duomo and Baptistry of St. John — all of which offer must-see art and architecture. "Giotto came to Padua as the most celebrated painter of his age, from the court of Pope Boniface VIII and Assisi," the director of the Town Museums Systems, Dr... VALERIE GLADSTONE http://www.nysun.com/travel/bacon-and-rothko-in-london/86451/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST LONDON — Art lovers will soon be able to take a picturesque boat ride on the Thames River between two of the most important museum exhibitions of the year. Tate Britain is celebrating the centenary of Francis Bacon, widely regarded as Britain's greatest painter, by bringing together 70 works never before shown in one exhibition and representing every period of his life. Later this month, the museum's provocative young sibling, the Tate Modern, will feature the first major exhibition dedicated... SYLVIE BIGAR http://www.nysun.com/travel/when-in-gruyeres-say-swiss-cheese/86452/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST In Switzerland, the region of Gruyère, situated a mere two hours from Geneva, gives the delicious, ancestral cheese its now world-famous name. While the region and the cheese share a designation, it is also the name (albeit with a slightly different spelling) of the miniature town that dominates the region. And just as the cheese will fortify, the town of Gruyères with its high walls and soaring spires is sure to amaze. Legend has it that the Roman emperor Antonin the Pious died from... REBECCA THOMAS http://www.nysun.com/travel/in-the-glossies-travel-leisures-style-and-culture/86453/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Travel + Leisure magazine's "Style and Culture" edition hit the newsstands this week. The issue covers destinations and events that span the artistic spectrum around the globe. The deputy editor of Travel + Leisure, Laura Begley, flipped through the pages with The New York Sun. Why the focus on arts and culture? Our readers have many passions, and we want to explore those passions. A cultural experience can make a destination memorable and special, whether it's architecture, museums, opera, or... PIA CATTON http://www.nysun.com/travel/only-in-tokyo-limited-edition-retro-louis-vuitton/86454/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST How far will you travel for a Louis Vuitton handbag? Well, if you want one of the limited edition bags designed by Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons, you'll have to hop a flight to Tokyo. Now through December, LVMH has a temporary shop set up within the Comme des Garçons store on Kottodori, Omotesando. And it is only there that shoppers can place an order for one of six designs. No phone or Internet orders are being taken. And there will be no buying in bulk: The shop is selling just... LACEY TISCH-SYDNEY http://www.nysun.com/travel/no-car-required/85966/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Sometimes the best respite from New York City is just one day away. In an ironic twist, the MTA — an organization that contributes mightily to the frustrations of living here — can help. From amusement parks to animal kingdoms, from outlet shopping to museum tours, Metro-North Railroad offers several One-Day Getaway packages that combine discount travel fares and admission. More than 20 cultural destinations just off the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines from Grand Central Terminal or the... LINDA PHILLIPS ASHOUR http://www.nysun.com/travel/finding-idyllic-italian-off-the-highway/85968/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST About 45 minutes north of midtown Manhattan, near the town of Ardsley, we passed a sign for the Great Hunger Memorial, a sculpture marking the potato blight in Ireland. "Shouldn't we try to find something to eat around here?" I asked my husband, whose stomach was growling as his mood matched the darkening skies. "Just keep going," he said. Within minutes, drizzle turned to fierce rain, forcing drivers to the side of the Sawmill River Parkway. Our spirits sank further as we passed a pack of... JAYANTHI DANIEL http://www.nysun.com/travel/leaf-peeping-in-every-direction/85976/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST If the idea of a whole day of leaf-peeping sounds like too much time in the car or train, then skip the rural wonders. There are ways to get a dose of fall's visual bounty without going too far outside the city. The subway can take you to trees galore. And one unconventional way of checking out the foliage is via water: A boat ride up the Hudson River gives you an afternoon of colorful vistas. From these spots, you can get a dose of the country and quickly dive back into the city. FORT TRYON... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/travel/learning-history-in-virginia/79727/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST In the spring of 1775, Patrick Henry spoke the words that would make him one of the most important Americans in history: "Give me liberty or give me death!" Now, some 230 years after that rousing speech to Virginia's congressional delegation, a new group of Virginians is making sure this patriot receives proper attention. A handful of the commonwealth's most prominent historical sites and institutions have come together to present a look at a man who has been called the orator of the American... ERICA ORDEN http://www.nysun.com/travel/montreals-tribute-to-yves-saint-laurent/79757/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST The passing of Yves Saint Laurent, one of the world's most prolific and influential designers, was occasion for articles and photo essays celebrating his life and career. But to truly understand the power and extent of Saint Laurent's oeuvre, one needs to see the clothes. Which is reason enough to visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts's retrospective of Saint Laurent's work, the first in more than 20 years. "We started working with a living legend," the museum's curator of decorative arts and... ERICA ORDEN http://www.nysun.com/travel/more-in-montreal/79767/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Montreal offers an attractive blend of the Old World and the new — and a stay in the city should take full advantage of both. For lodging that's within walking distance of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and near boutique shopping on Rue St. Laurent, try Opus Hotel Montreal (10 Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H2X 4C9, 514-843-6000), where I stayed as a guest of the Opus Hotel Group. Though newly refurnished by New York interior designer Yabu Pushelberg, the original structure, built in... DARRELL HARTMAN http://www.nysun.com/travel/paint-stages/79728/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST The Florence Griswold Museum, in Old Lyme, Conn., is hosting a most appropriate exhibit this summer: "Impressionist Giverny: American Painters in France, 1885-1915" (now through July 27). In the late 19th century, the home of Miss Florence Griswold was a popular refuge for artists, and that legacy is revived with a painting exhibition that emphasizes the artistic allure of the countryside. On loan from the Chicago-based Terra Foundation for American Art, which runs the Musée d'Art Américain in... NELL GLUCKMAN http://www.nysun.com/travel/guided-by-louis-vuitton/79729/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST What European cities should be on your list to visit? The editors of the "Louis Vuitton City Guide 2008" have some suggestions: Bilbao, Luxembourg, Nicosia, Reykjavik, and Turin. These five cities are the latest subjects in the nine-volume boxed set of guides published by the luxury goods retailer. The guides cover 30 European cities — and, in a separate book, New York, the only city outside of Europe; this year's New York edition is updated. In all of the City Guides, the focus is on both... SIMON VAN BOOY http://www.nysun.com/travel/dining-well-at-disney/79731/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Every parent, no matter how cultured or sophisticated, will one day succumb to a child's pleas to visit Walt Disney World Resort. And when that day comes, the parent in question will be delighted to know that the dining options are better and broader than ever before. Much of the food at the restaurants rivals Manhattan bistro fare and the healthy fast-food choices throughout the parks are worthy of any Whole Foods. A stay at Disney's luxury hotels, such as the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa or... CHARLOTTE COWLES http://www.nysun.com/travel/arts-along-the-northeast-corridor/79730/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Boston The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum The artist Luisa Rabbia, a resident artist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, was inspired by photographs that Stewart herself collected while traveling through China in 1883. Ms. Rabbia incorporated the photographs directly into her own artwork, assembling them to create a video of a fantasy landscape in which her own drawings play upon the Chinese pictures, layered with other images and music. The museum hosts a number of events to celebrate the... KATE TAYLOR http://www.nysun.com/travel/hotel-art-grows-up/79739/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Art has arrived — as a marketing tool. In the past, when a hotel or resort company such as Starwood wanted to enhance the brand of one of its chains, it turned to an advertising agency or a branding firm. Today, it hires a curator. A year and a half ago, Starwood Hotels hired Jérôme Sans — the founder of the contemporary art museum Le Palais de Tokyo in Paris and now the artistic director of the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing — to be the cultural curator of its Le Méridien line... http://www.nysun.com/travel/book-the-tickets-pack-the-bag/79768/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST A cultural getaway — whether abroad or on the other side of town — is an opportunity to indulge in a luggage purchase. For every art festival, be it fine arts, dance, or music, there is a bag to match. And the eclectic mix of events during the summer --performances, benefits, and exhibitions — calls for a variety of form and function. Here, The New York Sun pairs eight standout carryalls with travel-worthy cultural destinations -- guaranteed to take you from first class to your front-row seat... Staff Reporters of the Sun http://www.nysun.com/travel/exhibits-worth-a-road-trip/73211/ Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST A short way from New York City, myriad cultural opportunities await. Here are some exhibits and performances that warrant a journey this spring. Boston At the Museum of Fine Arts, the Spanish monarch Philip III is celebrated with the exhibit "El Greco to Velazquez: Art during the Reign of Philip III" (April 20–July 27). From 1598 to 1621, Philip III — known for throwing grand parties and for his art collection — commissioned expressive portraits, as well as artwork that touched on the theme s... PIA CATTON http://www.nysun.com/travel/new-way-on-the-bay/72778/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST SAN FRANCISCO — Ballet companies around the world struggle for a happy balance of past and present. At San Francisco Ballet, however, that balance is beautifully maintained — minus the struggle. Its artistic even keel is especially on offer this season, during which the company is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Since January, SFB has been performing repertory works ranging from "Giselle" to Jerome Robbins's "West Side Story Suite." But starting on April 22, the attention shifts forward. As a... DAVID LOMBINO http://www.nysun.com/travel/city-of-song-and-sizzling-sausage/72791/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is the Big Easy's annual celebration of its best features: music and food. Whether you head down for the first weekend (April 25 to 27), the second (May 1 to 4), or both, you can catch Kermit Ruffins — a one-man combination of song, food, and good times. For 15 years, Mr. Ruffins and his Barbecue Swingers have performed on Thursday nights at Vaughan's Lounge, a low-lit dive with sawdusty floors in the section of town called Bywater. There, Mr. Ruffins... PIA CATTON http://www.nysun.com/travel/music-on-the-go/72733/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST You may not be a DJ, but you can travel like one. The luxury brand Longchamp has partnered with top fashion DJ Michel Gaubert, the man behind the music at runway shows for Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, and Michael Kors. The MG by Longchamp collection is a small group of accessories designed to keep up with the technical and practical needs of a globe-trotting sound designer — or anyone who loves to travel with music. The line includes an iPod case ($100), a CD holder ($230), carry-on bags ($450)... VALERIE GLADSTONE http://www.nysun.com/travel/expanding-evolving/72743/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST MADRID — Before its recent renovation , the Museo Nacional del Prado had an embarrassment of riches. Known for its outstanding collection of works from the 11th through the 19th centuries, the museum could display only 50% of its collection at one time. But all that has changed. In a $206 million expansion, led by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rafael Moneo, the museum has nearly doubled its exhibition space with an elegant cube-shaped building. A subterranean passageway connects the... PIA CATTON http://www.nysun.com/travel/from-beirut-to-beijing-with-louis-vuitton/72744/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST PARIS — When you're out for a sightseeing walk down the Champs-Elysees, Louis Vuitton's glittering palace of luxury goods stands out like a beacon. What's less noticeable, however, is that around the corner from the flagship store is the company's gallery, Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton. Currently on view is "The East Without Borders: From Beirut to Beijing in the Tracks of the Yellow Cruise," an exhibit that combines contemporary art with the history of travel — and a dash of early 20th-century... AMY CHOATE-NIELSEN http://www.nysun.com/travel/snow-time/70307/ Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — For 10 days each year, Utah's snow-covered peaks provide a backdrop for the Sundance Film Festival, which ended yesterday. But all season long, the Beehive State's jagged mountains provide not just ambiance, but some of the best opportunities around for skiing and snowboarding. Throughout Utah, license plates, billboards, and T-shirts boast of the "Greatest Snow on Earth." Throughout the greater Salt Lake City area, snow bunnies will find a wonderland of light, dry... WILLIAM KRONHOLM http://www.nysun.com/travel/winter-in-the-everglades/68147/ Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST EVERGLADES CITY, Fla.— The Everglades are among America's most famous swamps, with a reputation for mosquitoes to match. So we bought repellant for a quick trip to view the swamp and its wildlife there last winter. But on a perfect day spent kayaking through the mangroves of Big Cypress National Preserve, we didn't even bother applying it. Not too hot. Not too cold. And nary a mosquito to be seen. Our trip was organized by the Ivey House Bed & Breakfast, a 1920s boardinghouse in Everglades City... NANCY DAVIDSON http://www.nysun.com/travel/restoration-revival/68153/ Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST With its Victorian mansions and rambling plantations, the historic town of Calvert, Texas — a short stretch of Highway 6 situated midway between Dallas and Houston — is an anomaly in a state where old buildings are frequently torn down to make room for new ones. Many of the buildings that line the street still bear the engraving that marks the dates on which they were erected; most date back to the mid- to late-1800s. The elevated false fronts make the buildings appear taller than they are and... IVAN ORANSKY http://www.nysun.com/travel/in-defense-of-amtrak/66955/ Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST Sometime in spring 2006, I got an e-mail from Amtrak asking if I wanted to play softball at Shea Stadium. Ed Kranepool, the 1970s Mets pitching star, would be my team's manager and coach. The game was rained out, and then, to my chagrin and the disappointment of my cousin's 8-year-old, my intended guest in the stands, rained out again. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity would have been the highlight of my summer. It turned out to be just one of the rail line's generous Guest Rewards. Amtrak... ZOE STRIMPEL http://www.nysun.com/travel/making-tracks/66966/ Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST LONDON — It was the whistle heard 'round the world. Or at least that's what British rail executives — and anyone who has been following the $1.6 billion refurbishment of London's St. Pancras International Train Station — must have made of the moment on November 13, at 11:01 a.m. local time, when the first Eurostar train bound for Paris pulled out of the station. The high-speed train service connects London and Kent in Britain to destinations in France and Belgium. Minutes later, the first... HANA ALBERTS http://www.nysun.com/travel/when-in-florence/64979/ Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST The cobblestoned streets of Florence are often so clogged with tourists that it's difficult for a first-time visitor to hear Italian spoken amid the hum of English, German, and Japanese, let alone find the corners of the city where locals pass the hours. Having worked in Italy's Renaissance jewel for three months, I learned that Florentines, unlike tourists, won't shell out $12 for gelato. Instead of walking through the crowded historic center, residents bicycle along side streets and in parks... REBECCA THOMAS http://www.nysun.com/travel/globetrotter/64980/ Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST If the thought of standing on a noisy sidewalk in Tokyo's trendy Shibuya-ku district with your nose pressed to a 400-page guidebook makes you shudder, a new collection of travel guides is designed to please. Launched in 2006, the Wallpaper* City Guides ($8.95, Phaidon Press) are light enough to toss into a Louis Vuitton waist purse, and slim enough to steal a furtive glance at without drawing attention from the locals. For years, reliable resource books such as Frommer's Travel Guides and the... AMANDA GORDON http://www.nysun.com/travel/berkshire-bounty-a-fall-calendar/63245/ Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Fall is high season in the Berkshires and visitors are advised to book accommodations early. The Summer White House, an original Berkshire Cottage built in 1885 for New Yorker J. Egmont Schermerhorn, has availability in the next several weekends (17 Main St., Lenox, 413-637-4489). There are no vacancies on October weekends at Birchwood Inn, but rooms are still available in November (7 Hubbard St., Lenox, 413-637-2600). The nearby Shakespeare & Company is presenting the American premiere of "The... AMANDA GORDON http://www.nysun.com/travel/falling-leaves/63255/ Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST While children collect red, gold, and orange leaves and press them in the pages of their schoolbooks, adults can find more elaborate ways to enjoy fall foliage. From hiking up mountainsides lit by leaves to visiting museums and historic homes offering scenic interior and exterior vistas, a typical fall weekend in the Berkshires offers intellectual and material pleasures (well, of the organic, farm-fresh variety) with a surfeit of natural beauty. "Color is taking hold in the northernmost part of... CHRISTOPHER FAHERTY http://www.nysun.com/travel/away-from-it-all/62967/ Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST Weather forecasters and almanacs alike are brushing aside the prevailing discourse about the climate, and calling for a brutally cold winter. If those predictions are correct, that leaves New Yorkers with only a few months to take in the fall's cornucopia of lively smells, colors, and traditions before a prolonged hibernation from the outdoors. With a trip to an old-fashioned apple orchard in Connecticut, a boating adventure on the Hudson River, or a tour of one of Long Island's best vineyards... JUDY KOUTSKY http://www.nysun.com/travel/out-of-africa-2007-08-27/61319/ Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST The southern part of Africa has long been a destination for those who seek the exclusivity of deluxe accommodations, but without sacrificing the adventure and exhilaration of safari. A destination package that takes travelers to Botswana and Namibia — two locales enjoying increased tourism among the jet-set — can be had through Wilderness Safaris (wilderness-safaris.com). I began my safari in Namibia, where I stayed for five nights, before continuing on to Botswana, where I stayed on for... NANCY DAVIDSON http://www.nysun.com/travel/where-history-myth-meet/61323/ Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST The island of Djerba, situated off the southeast coast of Tunisia, has many enticements. The Lotus Eaters lured Ulysses there. For tourists, the pristine beaches, 27-hole golf course, state-of-the-art spas, and luxury resorts are some of the main attractions. And then, there's El Ghriba — an ancient synagogue, whose arched interior is adorned with vibrantly colored tiles, and austere metal chandeliers. Several myths and legends shroud the house of worship, including the claim that it is one of... AMANDA GORDON http://www.nysun.com/travel/welcome-retreat-from-summer-excess/58934/ Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EST When summer gets to be too much work — battling traffic in the Hamptons, entertaining or being a houseguest, dealing with gardeners, cooks, and repairmen — it's a good time to book a few days at the Mayflower Spa in quiet Washington Depot, Conn. The destination spa, located on the grounds of the Mayflower Inn, offers the best of summer with none of the hassle. It operates year-round, but when the produce is farm-fresh and the inn's poetry gardens are in full splendor, who can think of snow?... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/travel/boys-guide-to-hunting-fly-fishing/58946/ Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EST Among some of the native fishermen along the Upper Androscoggin River in western Maine, the well-to-do groups of young bankers and lawyers who come to the mountains there to decompress in the great outdoors are known as the "cigar and brandy crowd." Until recently, these city slickers skied western Maine's Sunday River resort and occasionally hit the links on the shoulder seasons. But now, the cigar-and-brandy set comes to fish the pristine waters of the "Upper Andro," as locals refer to it... GELU SULUGIUC http://www.nysun.com/travel/its-not-easy-being-greenland/57235/ Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 EST A startling vista of frozen lakes is just a short drive away from the harsh and unforgiving landscape that greets visitors upon landing in this Arctic region in summer. The lakes are rimmed by hills where woolly musk oxen can be seen grazing. Sixteen miles into the distance is a mighty ice cap. Welcome to Kangerlussuaq, the gateway to Greenland. American soldiers turned this former hunting outpost into an air base during World War II and used it until 1992, when they handed it over to Greenland... LESLIE HENDRICKSON http://www.nysun.com/travel/barbecue-in-memphis/57246/ Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 EST During the annual World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the best barbecue in the world can be had in Memphis, Tenn. The 30-year-old competition, among the offerings presented by the Memphis in May Festival, is affectionately known as the "Superbowl of Swine" and the "Preakness of Pork." Even before the banks of the Mississippi River come into view, visitors to the Bluff City can smell the hickory smoke and roasting pork. Memphis is as famous for pork barbecue as it is for the blues... PAMELA PRICE http://www.nysun.com/travel/spa-in-shangri-la/54882/ Mon, 21 May 2007 00:00:00 EST With its oak tree-studded hills, Ojai is wryly known to travelers as a Wal-Mart-free zone. This slice of California paradise is named for the Chumash Indian word for moon, and when the moon illuminates the Ojai (pronounced "Oh, hi!") sky, it becomes apparent why so many flock to this peaceful locale 75 miles northwest of Los Angeles. An artist's hamlet, the region boasts two renowned spas including the spacious 305-room Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. The heart of this Mediterranean-style resort, spread... ANTHONY GRANT http://www.nysun.com/travel/field-steam/54894/ Mon, 21 May 2007 00:00:00 EST The cover of an issue of the Jetlag Hot Guide, a satirical take on the Condé Nast Traveler-style magazine, recently led with this headline: "Tuscany Loses Hot Status: Defer Non-Essential Travel." But I was not buying it. Sure, the half-slumbering region, which lies roughly between Florence and Rome, has seen much ink spilled in its name, as well as a film reel or two. But it was worth visiting long before it became trendy to impress your neighbors by purchasing an old farmhouse there and waving... NAHMA SANDROW http://www.nysun.com/travel/big-sur-country/53450/ Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST Big Sur is a sparsely settled 90-mile mountainous coastal strip only about three miles wide. It starts some five hours drive north of Los Angeles and ends four hours south of San Francisco, but its gorges and cascades, redwoods and eucalyptus, make it feel much farther from the rest of the world. When my husband and I planned a coastal road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco, I imagined cruising along Highway One in an open convertible, the Mamas and the Papas's "California Dreamin'"... NANCY DAVIDSON http://www.nysun.com/travel/table-for-two/53461/ Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST Until recently, the closest most New Yorkers could get to a reservation at Rao's, the legendary Italian restaurant in East Harlem, was opening a jar of Rao's brand spaghetti sauce from the grocery. Unless you were among the lucky regulars, a celebrity like Woody Allen or President Clinton, or had managed to snag an invitation from a regular patron, breaking bread or taking part in the singing and conviviality that goes on nightly at Rao's was simply not in the cards. To be sure, it's not... SIMON VAN BOOY http://www.nysun.com/travel/taste-of-french-country-living/51171/ Mon, 26 Mar 2007 00:00:00 EST Disappear to a French village in the Dordogne and you might feel like you've slipped into an open-air scene painted by Renoir. Days are spent sipping wine in gardens, cycling along winding lanes past white horses and ancient stone walls bursting with wildflowers, and exploring the region's vineyards and medieval towns with their colorful markets. There's everything to do and there's nothing to do — depending on your mood. The pace of local life appears to have remained unchanged in hundreds of... NANCY DAVIDSON http://www.nysun.com/travel/flavors-of-the-south-from-peaches-to-purloo/51175/ Mon, 26 Mar 2007 00:00:00 EST At the second annual Charleston Food & Wine Festival, on March 1–4, in Charleston, S.C., a tented village was erected in Marion Square. The tent housed cooking demonstrations, a gospel brunch, cooking contests, and a barbecue and blues fest. In spite of drastic changes in the weather — from bright and sunny to a raging storm and a subsequent tornado watch — the party carried on. As rain showers turned the floor into muddy marsh, out-of-town visitors got a taste of the temperamental coastal... ELISA MALA http://www.nysun.com/travel/beauty-on-board/51187/ Mon, 26 Mar 2007 00:00:00 EST The ban on liquids notwithstanding, the preservative-free skin-care line Boscia has created a portable beauty pack worth stowing away on the next plane trip. The "Passport to Beauty" travel kit is packaged in a plain but durable plastic case and covers all of the basic skin-care needs. Those with more problematic skin may require a stronger cleanser, but with a light chamomile scent and a milky texture, the Soothing Cleansing Cream delivers exactly what it promises. And to stave off the... JAMES GARDNER http://www.nysun.com/travel/dont-cry-for-buenos-aires/49259/ Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:00:00 EST There is a rumor going around that Buenos Aires either is, or is about to become, the new Prague. By this its boosters mean a city that is rapidly being discovered by a certain segment of the world's young, and not only those backpacking youth interested in finding love and adventure in a context of faded, old world opulence. Well, nothing is quite like Prague, and similarly nothing is quite like Buenos Aires. But there are points of useful similarity between the two cities. Just as Prague was... ELIN SCHOEN BROCKMAN http://www.nysun.com/travel/in-a-jewish-ghetto-romes-buried-past/49268/ Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:00:00 EST The Via del Portico d'Ottavia, at the heart of the ancient Jewish district in Rome, is mobbed. School children, pensioners, workers, and tourists form queues at the newly opened M Kosher for K Nuggets, at the historic Ghetto Bakery for pizza Ebraica, and at Franco & Cristina's for every other kind of pizza. This was the scene on an ordinary autumn afternoon in the neighborhood known to Roman Jews simply as piazza. (The ruined porch of a library built by the Emperor Augustus for his sister... NINA ROBERTS http://www.nysun.com/travel/language-arts-a-class-for-travelers/49271/ Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:00:00 EST Español Andando is an unusual four-day Spanish language course for which the magnificent city of Buenos Aires doubles as its classroom. It's the ideal program for Argentina-bound travelers who want to learn basic Spanish, brush up, or fine-tune the Argentine accent but are unwilling to sacrifice precious vacation days sitting indoors as the city beckons. "It was part tour, part Spanish class," a 33-year-old American, Daniel Kostas, said of his Español Andando experience. Classifying his...