European Travel
There may be no place on earth like Europe where you can travel such small distances to get such great diversity of food, culture, and geography.
With the advent of the European Union and a universal European money system, travel between European countries has never been easier. You sail through country borders without a hitch. You can buy Russian vareniki (dumplings), Italian gelato (ice cream), and Swedish kryddkaka (spice cake), all with the same euros. Yet, you’ll find so many foods, histories, cultures, and scenic wonders that are so different, it will take you years to explore them all. In this section, we try to give you just a sampling.
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A Taste of Santorini
Our RFT correspondent was worried that the popular Greek isle of Santorini would offer little mystery or surprise. She was happily wrong.
Cruising Norway: Wonderfully Surprising
The guide stands with an ax in his hands. He takes a swing at a log on the chopping block. Only it’s not a log. It’s dried fish, the basis of Norway’s food chain.
Foods from Spain You’ll Love
Spain is known for its seafood. This tapa, white fish in garlic sauce served with potatoes, is a typical dish you can find in tapas bars.
Chocolate Museum, Barcelona, Spain
In Barcelona, a city jam packed with museums filled with history, art, erotica, and even shoes, it is not surprising to find one devoted to chocolate, Museu de la Xocolata.
Horchata: Summer Gold in a Glass
Horchata (Orxata in Valencian and Catalan) is made from water, sugar and — the magic, vital ingredient — “chufas,” or “tiger nuts,” introduced into Valencian Spain around the 3rd Century by the Arabs who occupied all of southern Spain at the time.
German Quiche: Deliciously Different
On a recent Rick Steves’ Tour, RFT contributor Alice Ericksen and her cousin, Mary Ellen Voelz, enjoyed lunch at Restaurant Haus Lipmann in Beilstein, Germany, along the Mosel River.
A Whirlwind Tour of Europe: Food First
Viv Chapelo and Jill Hoelting, who produce the excellent women’s adventure website, WAVEJourney.com, spent six weeks in Europe tasting some of the delights. Here are some of their favorites.
Chef Juame Brichs, Barcelona, Spain
Jaume Brichs, chef, pastry chef, food and beverage consultant, and cooking class instructor, is a man passionate about his Catalan food and culture.
