Columbus discovered Cuba in 1492, the largest of the Caribbean Islands, situated 90 miles south of Florida’s Key West.   It is where Ernest Hemingway wrote “The Old Man And The Sea”, “For Whom The Bell Tolls” and “A Moveable Feast.”  Travelers can now explore Hemingway’s home, now a small museum, called Finca la Vigia.

In addition to this literary component is another of Cuba’s unique offerings: the natural/ecological dimension. Explore Viñales, a fertile valley where tobacco, taro and bananas are grown. Also, there are plants, trees, birds endemic to this area. The Viñales Valley has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since November 1999 as a cultural landscape enriched by traditional farm and village architecture. Old-fashioned farming methods are still used in Viñales, notably to grow tobacco.

Editors, CityRoom, via JustLuxe.com

Plage de Kabira, île d'Ishigaki, archipel de Yaeyama, Okinawa

Okinawa may have been made famous to the western world as the home of the Karate Kid’s mentor, Mister Miyagi, but the islands that make up this southern prefecture have been a popular relaxation retreat for native Japanese for centuries.  Crystalline waters and abundant coral reefs, densely populated ancient forests, incredibly healthy food, one-of-a-kind architecture and a general peace-of-mind… you’ll soon understand why the diet and lifestyle of the region, earn locals the title of “the healthiest people on earth.”

- Editors, DailyTravelDestination.com

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The Canals in Ghent, Belgium

Not as big as Antwerp and less trammeled than such popular travel destinations of Brussels and Bruges, Ghent lies somewhere between a cosmopolitan frontier and a quaint, well-traversed city.  Situated on the Flemish (northern) side of Belgium on the road from grand old Paris to lively Amsterdam, Ghent happily invites travelers to stop in and stay awhile.  Stella Artois pours as freely as Bud Light does in America, Belgium frites call from street vendors with tiny sporks and Samurai sauce glistening in the European sun, and the bridge Sint-Michielsbrug offers views of the river and the three towers of Ghent. The city centre, enfolded by the largest car-free area of Belgium, is home to expertly preserved Medieval architecture from the Middle ages… a time when Ghent was one of the most powerful cities in Europe.  With Ghent University comes an influx of young minds and great cultural modernization. Civic innovation is apparent in such city observances as “meat-free Thursdays” (known as Donderdag Veggiedag.)   This new tradition is supported in conjunction with the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization to help reduce global greenhouse emissions.  The commitment to maintaining excellent walking and biking routes within the city – along with other new eco-efforts – makes Ghent one of Europe’s great, green cities.

Courtesy of DailyTravelDestination.com

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Seasonal rotation of herding to higher or lower pastures in Appenzell

- Steve Mirsky

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Camanito in La Boca (Credit: Stefanie Payne)

Just to the south of Center City in of the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires is the grand little barrio (neighborhood) of La Boca.  Best known for their beloved futbol/soccer stars – the Boca Juniors – it is also a neighborhood ripe with a mixture of European and South American culture.  And with the collision of two very unique cultures, you are certain to find a mixture of old and new.

A working class neighborhood and art colony, La Boca was settled upon long ago by Italian immigrants.  Today, walking the Camanito, you are sure to find one of the best places in BA to be entertained by impromptu Tango performances while sitting on the collective patios of Italian influenced bars and restaurants.  The small walking streets are governed by colorful houses, civic pride bursting from the windows like a cat trying to escape – a dream for the artist and photographer.  Set off for the Museo de Bellas Artes Quinquela Martin – or the “Fine Arts Museum of La Boca” – to view original works by early 20th century Argentine Artists.  La Boca, truly the heart of the city’s most authentic barrios, can be explored in as little as one full day. Words to the wise, though, map out your trip before you go. Cab Drivers in Buenos Aires are notorious for taking you far off of the direct path from point A to point B to pad their fare.

- Cultural Tours Worldwide

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- Editors, CityRoom Stories / Travel

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The central corridors of the market are lined with stands that set up daily deals, often advertised with sharpies on handwritten signs.  You can buy a colorful plethora of fresh fruits and veggies by the basket, at bargain prices.  There are plates of sliced samples to try before you buy.  There is no checkout line and no cash registers.  If you want a receipt they might have to write one up for you on a piece of notebook paper and it might say: “1 panier concombres, $2, Ferme Raoul et fils, le 20 de avril, Raoul.”  There are also two Florists with fresh cut flowers and potted plants, and you have 3 different vendors selling eggs.  Double yoked eggs and duck eggs cost a bit extra but you can’t find them at the supermarket down the street. Around the perimeter of the market there are permanent buildings with more specialty stores that offer a variety of goods all year round.

Jean Talon Market, Montreal

You will find Fromageries where a real cheese addict could drop over a thousand dollars to get their fix (author witnessed this), Boulangeries that cover the neighborhood with the smell of baked baguettes and croissants, and Boucheries that sell Horse meat, Bison filets, and Wild Boar sausages.  Then there are 4 Poissoneries with fresh seafood on ice, health food stores, restaurants, cafes, spice shops, an SAQ (liquor store), and a Maison du Chocolat, to name a few.

Premiere Moisson is the champion of all baked goods in Montreal and they occupy the largest building in the market, where they put their artisanal cakes, pies, and quiches on display behind glass like a fine arts museum exhibit.  There is a service called Talon Courier that takes orders online for anything from the market, and delivers by bike within a 4 km radius.The Jean-Talon Market has come a long way in the last few decades to cater to more of a city shopper crowd.  Not long ago you could buy live chickens and/or live goats for a few dollars, and now it’s a bit more like a suburban mall.  Nevertheless, it remains and grows as a healthy alternative to the corporate factory food ‘Supermarket’ model. Knowing where to go, for what, and when, is key.

In a non-global economy shoppers understand that produce is seasonal. Sure, you can find strawberries in February if you want, but they are from South America and they arrived on a plane, get it?  Local food doesn’t pay airfare. After all, what do you buy on a daily basis that is more important than FOOD?  And what is more important than your HEALTH?  You can’t put your trust in a huge corporation to give you nutrition, sustainability, or even taste.  But you can trust them to pump your foods full of hormones and chemicals to maximize their profits.  And you can trust them to grow their resources wherever it is the cheapest, then fly the foods halfway around the world, all year long.  So it is not surprising that people are going back to the basics of food.  Local farmers and small farms.  It’s not the stuff that has a shelf life longer than you.  It’s the fresh gifts from Mother Nature.  It’s the pictures of the things on the food pyramid, folks.  And the joy of cooking and eating.  Humans’ oldest, favorite pastime.

- Laef Anderson, Owner Talon Courier, via Culinary Tours Worldwide

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- Heritage Hotels and Resorts

Book Cover: The Whisky of Scotland in Fact and Story

A favorite whisky book from my library is a first edition by Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart, KCMG*, published in London in 1951. Scotch – The Whisky of Scotland in Fact and Story bears the bookplate of a Mr. Frank Hardy, who owned it in 1952. It smells like an old book. In this 175 page narrative, Sir Robert sprinkles short verses and humor among the book’s three chapters about The Water of Life, The Whisky Barons, and War, Prohibition and Dollars:

On how to drink Scotch whisky:

“To-day pure malt whisky is rare. To those who can still obtain it, a little water is permissible with the whisky, but preferable after it. Soda water is an abomination and degrades both the spirit and the soul. By and large, the connoisseur still abides by the old Highland saying: ‘There are two things a Highlander likes naked, and one is malt whisky.’”

On the Glenlivet Distillery:

“Glenlivet it has castles three, Drumin, Blairfindy and Deskie, And also one distillery, More famous than the castles three.”

… and about Glenfiddich, founded by the Grant family:

“Lord grant guid luck tae a’ the Grants, Likewise eternal bliss, For they should sit among the sa’nts That make a dram like this.”

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