Italy – Eat and Drink Like A European

Cooking in Italy

August 28, 2018/in Eat and Drink Like a Northern Italian, Europe Tour, Italian Food, Italy, Uncategorized, Wine Tour/by Craig Bresett

I love to bring back special mementos from my travels. Not the plastic mass-produced kind! One of the most interesting memories you can bring back from a trip abroad is a new skill. When visiting Italy, try a cooking class with a local chef. We recently cooked with a chef near Verona, Italy, at the best place possible – a winery! Between the cooking with Luisa and the wine tour (and ample tasting) with Sylvia, I think this was one of the most memorable events of our most recent journey. And we brought back some new skills we can try in the kitchen to share with our friends and family. Way better than a pen that says “Verona”.

Proper Tiramisu

August 26, 2018/in eat like a local, Europe Tour, Italian, Italian Food, Italy, Uncategorized/by Craig Bresett

There’s the “Tiramisu” you get at the Olive Garden… and then there’s actual Tiramisu in Italy. Properly served, with fresh espresso that you add just before eating! Enjoy this on our Eat and Drink Like a Northern Italian Tour!

Is food and drink an afterthought, or a main feature? Check your itinerary!

May 27, 2018/in Beer, eat like a local, Europe, Europe Tour, food, Italy, travel/by Craig Bresett

Planning a trip to Europe can be hard work. Planning a GREAT trip to Europe is a daunting task. However, with the proper research and reservations, you can definitely get the best out of your European vacation, and ensure that what you eat and drink will be as important to the experience as what you see and do.

For many tourists, food and drink is an afterthought. Eating local means non-descript pasta in Italy washed down with some sort of wine… plate after plate of sausages and sauerkraut in Germany with a standard light lager… cone of fries and a Stella Artois in Belgium…

All these things are fine for tourists (except the Stella in Belgium! c’mon!) if you really have no interest in connecting with the culture and just want to avoid going hungry while you see the sights. But many travellers want to engage with the local scene and immerse themselves in the region and aren’t sure how to go about this.

If you’re one of those travellers, here are a few suggestions when planning your trip.

Don’t assume there is a “national” cuisine. Take Italy for example. The pizza/pasta stereotype for Italy just doesn’t cut it when you look at the huge variety of regional food traditions – the cuisine of the Veneto is not the same as the cuisine of the Alto-Adige or Emilia-Romagna or Liguria or… you see what I’m getting at. There are plenty of restaurants that cater to tourists that will serve the same basic pizza/pasta throughout Italy. But to really connect, you want to read about the food culture in the specific region you are visiting, and seek out restaurants that celebrate it! If Italy is on your list, I would highly recommend reading “Italian Cuisine: A Cultural History” by Capatti and Montanari as you are planning. It’s not a recipe book, but regional dishes are explained in context. Highlight the ones that interest you, then find restaurants that specialize in those dishes.
When you are in Europe with no specific plans for your meals that day, take note of restaurants that don’t seem to cater to tourists. Not on the main squares. No English menu. No “tourist menu” (that always makes me laugh – they actually put that on the signs out front of some restaurants!) No bow-tied pushy waiter standing out front trying to convince you to step inside. A place where you are mostly hearing the local language, and where ordering might be a bit of an adventure! If you know a few basic words in the language, and maybe can use your phone to translate anything your are unsure of, you’ll be fine and you’ll probably have one of the most memorable experience of your trip!
More expensive does not necessarily equal better quality. Many of the best food and drink experiences are the ones that the locals can afford too. I’ve had plenty of €3 glasses of house wine that suited the food and my palate better than the much more expensive bottles from the restaurant’s cellar. I’ve had ultra-cheap beer and food in little taverns in rural Germany that completely outshone the expensive meals offered at the hotel restaurant.

If you are interested in letting someone else take care of these details for you – we’re your people!
Eat and Drink Like a European offers the most unique tours in the industry – the best food and drink experiences with a focus on the most interesting history, art, and architecture.

Delicious Milano!

November 21, 2016/in Eat and Drink Like a Northern Italian, eat like a local, Europe, Europe Tour, food, Italian, Italy, Milan, Milano, Uncategorized/by Craig Bresett

The typical Milanese cuisine might not be as famous as the Roman or Tuscan, but it’s definitely worth trying: in fact, it includes some of the most delicious food in Italy!

Just like that of the whole region of Lombardy, the Milanese cuisine is made of ancient recipes based on simple ingredients. But as we said, most of its recipes are not that famous outside of this Northern Italian city, so… What to eat in Milan?

When you join us on our Eat and Drink Like a Northern Italian tour, you can be sure that you will taste the best that Milan has to offer!

An aperitivo before dinner.

Cotoletta alla Milanese

It is a famous meat recipe, very simple and quick to prepare, known all over the world with many variations, but the authentic tasty and crispy veal cutlet is only one, and can be enjoyed only in the city of Milan.

This dish consists of a delicious slice of sirloin breaded veal with egg and breadcrumbs and then fried in butter: a real treat for the palate. The union of the breading fragrance and the meat softness make this dish a must if you are in Milan.

Perfectly breaded, crisp and moist cotoletta alla milanese

Risotto alla Milanese

A first course, part of the Italian culinary traditions, that fascinates primarily for its color of gold, for its delicious scent and obviously for its unique taste. One must be careful, however, not to confuse it with the “saffron risotto”: the differences between the two are few but important.

The main ingredient is definitely saffron, but the real traditional Milanese recipe includes the use of beef marrow, fundamental to enrich the taste of the dish, and a dash of white wine. Famous and appreciated all over the world the risotto alla Milanese has a long history of flavors and continues today to be beloved by both the Milanese and tourists.

The fragrant Risotto alla Milanese

Ossobuco

The ossobuco (literally, the “marrowbone”) can be served as a main dish, but very often it is served accompanied by the risotto alla Milanese (and it is wise and recommended choice). It is a beef steak – with a hole containing the bone in the middle, and it can be cooked in different ways. The softness of this type of meat makes this dish unique and delicate.

In addition to the accompaniment with the risotto, the ossobuco is also excellent along with chopped garlic, parsley and anchovies, or with fried tomatoes and onions.

Tender, delicious Ossobuco

Cassoeula

The Cassoeula is a winter typical dish of the popular tradition of Lombardy. Its origins are very old, and its recipe has changed a lot over the years, be it has always been beloved.

The main ingredients of cassoeula are cabbage and pork.

The typical Milanese folk dish Cassoeula

Panettone

A historic Milanese dessert, eaten each year throughout Italy especially in the most beautiful time of the year, Christmas. The Milanese Panettone unites the whole table, is the sweet of Christmas and it’s beloved by all, both for its taste and for what it is able to convey emotionally during the Christmas atmosphere.

The origins of panettone are ancient and sometimes fade into legend: it is said that it had been cooked for the first time only with scraps, with what was advanced in the kitchen. Its recipe is simple, it takes a few natural ingredients – flour, baking powder, orange, eggs and the inevitable raisins. Delicious!

The Christmas treat Panettone

Authentic Food of the Cinque Terre

September 8, 2015/in cinque terre, Europe, Europe Tour, food, Grand Tour, Italy, pesto, travel/by Craig Bresett

Want to try some of the best cuisine in Italy? The food of the Cinque terre is a delight that needs to be sought out and included on any trip to the “Italian Riviera”. In fact, the food of the Cinque Terre —including pesto genovese, minestrone and focaccia, is a favourite of many frequent travelers to Italy, including me! Because Liguria is on the coast, seafood and fish are a big part of the diet here, and many of the region’s famous foods and recipes were first invented, or eaten, on ships or by fishermen.

Not a big seafood fan? Don’t worry! The sea breezes and mineral-rich soils mean that the region is also famous for its herbs (especially basil and rosemary), wine, olive oil, pine nuts, porcini mushrooms, and other delicious foods.

Want to make the best of your dining experience while traveling through the Cinque Terre or other parts of Liguria? Here are what food items to look for on the menu!

Foccacia

Focaccia: Ah, focaccia! This Ligurian bread has made its way around the world, and it’s no surprise: It’s delicious either on its own, dipped in sauce, or with a spread. A flattened bread (like a pizza without tomato sauce), it’s meant to be eaten hot from the oven. It might be flavored with anything from just olive oil and salt to cheese and sausage. And it’s a street food, so don’t feel as if you have to be sitting down at a restaurant to enjoy it.

Farinata: Another Ligurian street food, farinata is a bread made from chickpea flour. As with focaccia, of course, olive oil and other flavourings (often rosemary or onion) are added in. It’s also best eaten piping-hot and fresh out of the oven.

Latte brusco: Also called “frittura di crema,” this dish involves browning parsley and onion; adding flour, milk and egg yolks; and letting it all cool and harden before dipping it in egg whites, bread crumbs, and deep-frying the whole concoction in olive oil. Eaten hot, it’s a crusty, delicious snack, especially on a cold day!

Carciofi violetti: Rome isn’t the only place famous for its artichokes. Liguria is, too—particularly Albenga. These tender-yet-crunchy artichokes pop up in sauces, pies, and frittate, and you might even see them eaten raw.

Ciuppin

Minestrone: Legend has it this famous soup was invented in Liguria, although, of course, we can’t be sure. But the story goes that soldiers from Genoa, serving in the First Crusade, made a meal by taking vegetables and herbs from the locals… then cooking them as a soup in their army helmets. Who knows if it’s true, but it’s certainly a fun story!

Ciuppin: Ever heard of “cioppino”? Well, that’s a dish that was developed by Italian immigrants in California in the 19th century—and it’s based on Genoa’s ciuppin. The original version, made up by fishermen on Liguria’s coast, was meant to use up the fish that were too small or damaged for anyone to buy. The fish are slow-cooked for up to two hours, making for a delicious soup. There’s also much less tomato than in the Italian-American version.

Cappon Magro

Cappon magro: This dish looks like a salad… but it’s much more complicated! Hard-tack biscuits (yes, a holdover from Liguria’s seafaring times) are soaked in olive oil and salt water. They’re layered on top in a pyramid (something that takes a fair amount of artistry, and balance, to pull off!) with a mixture of fish, shellfish, olives, and eggs, and dressed with a sauce flavored with anchovies and capers. It’s a traditional dish to eat on Christmas Eve.

Corzetti: What are those funny little discs of pasta?Corzetti, of course! Coming from Genoa, they’re flat, round, and often embossed with a wooden hand-tool—something that not only gives the pasta a bit of decoration, but also lets it hold the sauce better. If you’re in Genoa, look for fresh pasta shops where they still handmake corzetti and stamp them.

Pesto alla Genovese

Pesto alla genovese: In short, while there are lots of kinds of pesto in Italy (“pesto” can refer to any paste of herbs that’s mashed up with a mortar and pestle), pesto alla genovese is the most famous. It’s D.O.P. protected, meaning it can only be made in a very precise way, with specific ingredients (including D.O.P. basil from Genoa), to be considered the “real thing.” The ingredients themselves are simple–basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino, garlic, salt, and olive oil—and when it’s done properly, it’s absolutely delicious over penne or another pasta!

Pesto bianco: This is another kind of pesto, literally “white pesto,” that you can find in Liguria (aside from the famed pesto alla genovese!). It’s a paste of walnuts, olive oil, and fresh ricotta.

Crema ai pinoli: Another pasta sauce from Liguria, this one is made from pine nuts, garlic, butter, and fresh marjoram. It’s especially popular in Genoa, where you’ll often see it on corzetti.

Torta pasqualina

Torta pasqualina: If you like some pastry with your greens, you’ll love this dish. Pastry is layered with a mix of green chard, parmesan, ricotta, and other herbs, and the filling is indented with eggs and butter. The pastry layers are supposed to number 33. Sound random? Each one is for a year of Christ’s life—this dish actually got its start as an Easter tradition, although many people eat it year-round now.

Pacciugo: An ice cream that hails from the area near Portofino, pacciugo includes bitter-chocolate ice cream mixed with whipped cream, fresh fruit, cherries, and a coulis of raspberry or strawberry. It got its start in the 1930s, and became an instant hit, especially with Portofino’s many tourists.

Focaccia castelnovese: A bun made of cornmeal, olive oil, butter, and pine nuts, this is a Christmas and Easter tradition.

Ravioli dolci: Like ravioli, but not! These “sweet ravioli” are envelopes of sweet egg dough, filled with a pesto of citrus peel, candied squash, citron, and beef marrow.

Meringhi genovesi: Cake soaked in rum or another liquor, filled with apricot jam, and topped with vanilla meringue, this is a cake for tose with a serious sweet tooth!

Pandolce

Pandolce: This literally means “sweet bread,” but it’s not what you’re thinking—it is a cake, not offal! According to legend, the 16th-century Doge of Genoa, Andrea Doria, invited Genovese chefs to submit recipes for a food that would represent the Republic’s wealth, as well as be nutritious, durable and suitable for long sea voyages—and so pandolce was born. It’s dense, crumbly, and filled with spices and candied fruits, and it’s generally eaten only at Christmas.

Eat and Drink Like a European is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences. All of our tours feature authentic regional cuisine! We also do travel consulting, and can help you find the places the locals eat on your independent trip to Europe. Contact our chief tour director Craig Bresett for more information.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog shared with you by Craig Bresett (trying not to get Farinata crumbs in my keyboard) – owner and chief tour director at Eat and Drink Like a European. Contact Craig anytime: craig@eatanddrinklikeaeuropean.com[/author_info] [/author]

High season in Europe? What high season?

August 6, 2015/in Escorted, Europe, high season, Italy, Louvre, Paris, shoulder season, tourism, travel, Travel Tips, Uncategorized, venice, Versailles/by Craig Bresett

“When is the best time to travel in Europe?” Great question! I think the answer is “whenever you can!”

I am often asked about the merits of travelling in Europe during the so-called “shoulder” season as opposed to “high” season. Shoulder season is often defined loosely as spring and autumn, and high season as summer. The obvious benefit of summer travel is the likelihood of good weather. The apparent benefit of shoulder season is the likelihood of smaller crowds. However, over the last decade, so many people have heeded the recommendation for shoulder season travel that the crowds have pretty much evened out, meaning that there isn’t really a “high” season anymore. I don’t mean to say that you’re going to see the same amount of people in St. Mark’s Square in January as you will see in July – but really, from March to October you are never going to find yourself alone riding the elevator up the Eiffel Tower, viewing the crown jewels in the Tower of London, or wandering through the Sistine Chapel. I still read this recommendation in travel articles and wonder if the author has ever been to Venice in March or Vienna in October!

Early morning in St. Mark’s Square – crowd free!

So unless you want to brave the probability of poor weather in the winter for the sake of more elbow room at the Louvre, you are going to be travelling in Europe with lots of other people. But if you plan well, you can avoid the pitfalls of the tourist season. For example, it is good to know that many of the big box tour operators bring their huge busloads of tourists to the Palace of Versailles about an hour after it opens. Arrive early and get in first (with a reservation of course) and you’ll have the first hour or so to enjoy the uncrowded rooms of Louis’ XIV’s pleasure palace with just a few other smart travelers. Most of these big tour groups are gone by mid to late afternoon, so arrive later and you get the same experience. Another crowd-beating tip is to understand that Venice is inundated with day-trippers from about 10 AM to 4 PM, most of whom are either coming in from mainland hotels that the big box tour companies use or from cruise ships in port for the day. The key is to stay in Venice proper, and take advantage of the early morning / late afternoon and evening for visiting the most popular places that the day trippers will have on their checklists (St. Mark’s Basilica and Square, the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto), and take in some of the lesser visited gems midday (the sublime artistic masterpiece that is the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, the palace frozen in a long past golden age Ca’ Rezzonico, and many others).

The Palace of Versailles, virtually empty in the late afternoon.

Travel in Europe when you want to, even mid-summer (which, after 10 years of guiding tours, is still my favourite time to be in Europe!) With some research and planning, you won’t need to worry about lineups and crowds.

Have you got a travel tip of your own? Feel free to share it in the comments section below.

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences. In addition to providing outstanding escorted tours for small groups, we also offer travel planning assistance for independent travelers wishing to have one-on-one expert advice. Contact our chief tour director Craig Bresett for more information.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (without a crowd in sight) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]

Top 5 Florence Places to Eat Amazing Food, Feel Like A Local—All for 5Euros or Less!

May 14, 2015/in café, coffee, eat like a local, espresso, Firenze, Florence, food, gelato, Italy, pizza, travel/by Craig Bresett

Florence is on everyone’s must-visit list in Italy and is full of fabulous art, shopping, and yes—food.

Over at Walkingfarfromhome.com they’ve researched five tasty and inexpensive bites to try while in Florence—perfect for a quick break from one of Florence’s many world-class museums and sites—or as a chance to savor a bit of the local way of life.

Here’s my 5 Favorite places in Florence, all of which hit the sweet, delicious intersection of price, taste, and local ambience.

1. Gelateria Santa Trinita. There will always be a fierce debate regarding Florence’s best gelato, but in my mind there’s a clear winner. What’s more, this place is reasonably priced despite its prime location. Go and agonize over the best flavor combo (you’ll be back), then walk over and grab a seat on the bridge. Settle in and watch the sunset over the river while the street performers do their thing.

Piazza dè Frescobaldi, 11-12r
50125 Firenze, Italy

2. Gusta Pizza. I ate this pizza five times in six days. It’s quick, tasty, and cheap, (5 Euros for a whole pizza of mozzarella, tomato sauce, and fresh basil). Take it and go and sit on the church steps in Piazza Santo Spirito along with the other cool kids who make this place their hangout most every night when the air is warm. Don’t miss it—the pizza or the chance to soak up one of Florence’s quintessential public spaces.

Via Maggio, 46r
50125 Firenze, Italy

3. Caffé Scudieri. Perhaps the best espresso drinks I found in Florence. The location too is unbeatable (facing the Duomo). Despite its elegant old-school vibe it’s not expensive if you stand at the bar (instead of sitting). Also be sure to try some of their amazing little pastries and candies. The trick to ordering here is to first pay for your coffee at the litte corner register and then take your receipt to the barista.

Piazza di San Giovanni, 19
50129 Firenze, Italy

4. All’Antico Vinaio. Their porchetta sandwhich was truly one of the best sandwiches of my life. Period. All sandwiches are on foccacia. It’s also cheap (5 Euro!) and just one or two minutes from the Uffizi area! I beg you, don’t come to Florence and miss this sandwich.

Via dei Neri, 74
Firenze, Italy

5. Biblioteca delle Oblate. A bit of a hidden gem: go into the courtyard, through the library, and up to the roof where there’s a decidedly student and non-touristy vibe with a rooftop view of the Duomo. Coffee is respectable—nothing extraordinary—but worth it for the view and the feeling that you just might pass as a local.

Via dell’Oriuolo, 26, 50122
Firenze, Italy

Bolzano, Italy: A Mountain Town with Culture, Class, & History.

April 9, 2014/in Alps, Bolzano, Dolomites, Europe, History, Italy, Ötzi, travel/by Craig Bresett

Bolzano is a fascinating stop on our Grand Tour. It’s located in the Italian Alps, but German speaking. Along with its outstanding natural beauty it houses one of Europe’s most interesting archeological finds: Ötzi, the mummified remains of a prehistoric man found in 1991 by hikers in the nearby mountains. In the following post Tim Pozzi of BBC Travel highlights some of Bolzano’s many charms.

Bolzano is the gateway to the Dolomites. It sits in a valley, and it’s quite something to gaze up from the main square, pretty Piazza Walther, at the forest-clad slopes and ridges of jagged limestone that surround it.

The centre is traffic-free, so as you meander away from Piazza Walther you hear sparrows cheeping, coffee machines whirring, old women gossiping, cups and saucers clinking.

The colourful medieval, Gothic and Belle Époque buildings, with their stepped gables, turrets and attractively faded frescoes, have a north European feel. Yet the porticoed main commercial street, Via Portici, feels Mediterranean. At Piazza delle Erbe, described with pleasure by Goethe in his Italian Journey, the two flavours meet. Some of the cosiest bars and cafés are hidden behind the stalls of fruit and flowers, spices and cheeses. And speaking of fruit – did you know that South Tyrol produces 12 per cent of Europe’s apples?

Bolzano’s churches; its Franciscan cloisters with 15th-century frescoes of monks from Scotland and Newcastle; its Mercantile Museum; and Museion, a spectacular, glass-clad collection of modern art on the banks of the River Talvera, are all rewarding places to visit. But Bolzano’s biggest attraction is Ötzi, a mummy discovered by chance in 1991 after spending the previous 5,300 years frozen in mountain ice. Most intriguingly, he was murdered.

You can see Ötzi in his fridge, kept at 21F (-6C), at the Museum of Archaeology, alongside a thrillingly vast quantity of artefacts found with him, from bear-fur hat to bow and arrows, and fascinating footage of the police, not realising how old he was, extracting his body.

This being the 20th anniversary of his discovery [in 2011], there is also a stunning new reconstruction of how tattooed, muscly Ötzi would have looked on the last day of his life.

The chance to come face to face with a man who lived some 500 years before the building of the Pyramids makes the journey to Bolzano worthwhile on its own.

Where to After Florence? 3 Tuscan Hill Towns to Explore.

March 28, 2014/in Explore, Firenze, Florence, food, hill towns, Italy, Tuscany, Wine/by Craig Bresett

Our Grand Tour ends in Florence, the gateway to Tuscany with its picturesque hill towns surrounded by endless wineries and sun-drenched countryside. The Tuscan hill country is a worthy option for those looking to extend their stays and do some further exploring. The following post from bloggers Beth & Randy is guaranteed to leave you hungry (perhaps quite literally) to explore more of this iconic region of Italy.

Siena and San Gimignano are the most well known hill towns in Tuscany, but they certainly are not the only ones. In fact, central Italy is famous for its hill towns. Their crumbling stone walls seem to cling to every rocky peak, watching over the manicured valleys and vineyards as the rush of the 21st century passes by below. During our stay with Stefano, we visited three hill towns, including Chianciano Terme, in the Siena Province. Each offered a taste of what eludes so many visitors to Italy: tranquility and tradition.

CHIANCIANO VECCHIA

i zC6J65f L 3 Tuscan Hill Towns to Add to Your Bucket List

Wine tasting in the cellar of Agricola Fontanelle.

Separated by a valley, Chianciano Vecchia is only a 10 minute walk following Via Madonna della Rossa from Agriturismo La Pietriccia. We spent most of our time in Chianciano Vecchia exploring the wines of Agricola Fontanelle. In the cave-like cellars of the small batch winery, we met with winemaker Riccardo Rosati who, along with his two brothers, produces world-class wines from experience they’ve inherited from generations of family winemaking. We spent a few hours with Riccardo and his family, sampling their wines and incredible selection of cured meats and olive oil. The family’s warmth made us feel like locals, just visiting with some friends on a weekday night.

MONTALCINO

If Virginia is for lovers then Montalcino is for wine lovers. This medieval hill town is famous for its Brunello di Montalcino red wines, featuring an array of enoteche (wine bars). Heck, even the 14th century fortezza contain
s one. Just outside of Montalcino sits the Abbey of Sant’Antimo. Located in a valley of olive trees, the abbey is considered to be one of the top architectural remains of the Romanesque Period. Several times a day the church’s community of monks fill the 12th century stone hall with the harmonious sounds of traditional Gregorian chants. We got to hear the chants in person and it was mesmerizing. The performances are free and open to the public.

PIENZA

A beautiful, typical scene in this perfect Italian town.

Named after pope Pius II, Pienza is full of renaissance architecture, moving with the feel of a modern day medieval village. As I looked out over the gentle, carefully cultivated hills of Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was easy to see the inspiration behind pope Pius II decision to remodel his hometown in the style of his day: Renaissance. Besides the hill towns’ grand views and classic architecture, Pienza is also known for its sheep’s milk cheese, pecorino. Plus, with streets names like Via Dell’Amore (Love), Via Del Bacio (Kiss) and Via Della Fortuna (Fortune), it is difficult not to fall head over heels for this charming hilltop town.

5 Great Water Experiences in Europe

September 30, 2013/in boat, cesky krumlov, cinque terre, Europe, gondola, Grand Tour, Italy, mediterranean, onelife tours, Paris, raft, Seine, skocjan cave, slovenia, swim, travel, venice, vltava/by Craig Bresett

Humans are drawn to water. There is a universal appeal to the beauty of a waterfall, a small stream, a crystal clear lagoon. Just look at house prices – the closer you are to a coastline or a lake, the more expensive the property. When I share pictures from travels in Europe, I can prove statistically that the ones that have water in them, whether they be the Ligurian coastline of Italy’s Cinque Terre, the Grand Canal of Venice, the Seine River in Paris, or the waterfalls of Plitvice in Croatia, are by far the most popular (they get the most “likes” and “shares” on facebook). But it is not just aesthetics – our attraction to water goes much deeper than the “surface”.

Water sustains life, and makes up more than 50% of our own bodies by weight. It is a powerful force that can bring positive energy (medieval watermills / modern hydro-electric dams) but also unstoppable devastation (tsunamis, floods). And of course there is the mystery – another world exists in the water – one that humans can visit briefly, but never join.

Despite the danger and the unknown, we love to be near the water, on the water, over the water, and in the water. Travelers routinely seek out any available water-themed experiences. Here are a few you should try in Europe:

#5 – Paris, France:

A cruise down the Seine River

I prefer to do this in the evening, when Notre Dame, the Conciergerie, the Eiffel Tower and other riverside structures are beautifully lit up. It’s a good way to relax for an hour or so after a day of sightseeing in Paris. If you are staying in the Latin Quarter area, take the Vedettes du Pont Neuf near Saint Chapelle. If you are staying closer to the Eiffel Tower/Rue Cler area, take the Bateaux Parisiens. You can also splurge and take one of the dinner cruises – reservations and proper attire required. Join us in Paris for three nights on our Grand Tour!

#4 – Cinque Terre, Italy:

A swim in the Mediterranean – any time of year?

I take tour groups to Europe in the summer, when you will see lots of people, locals and tourists, populating the beautiful beaches on the coast of Italy. I also take groups in March, when, on what a Canadian would call a nice warm day, the locals, in their full length winter coats and scarves, will watch in disbelief as a bunch of North American tourists hit the somewhat chilly waves. Hey – you’re there – you might as well have the experience! Both our Italian Experience and Grand Tour feature a two night stay in the Cinque Terre region.

#3 – Škocjan Caves, Slovenia:

Daring to walk high above the Reka River

Disappearing underground in the Karst region of Slovenia, the mighty Reka River becomes visible only to those who venture into the Škocjan Caves. In one of the largest underground canyons in the world (think Grand Canyon, but with a stone ceiling above you) tourists of old used to hug the walls and walk high above the river with only their torches for light. Now with modern railings and lighting, the journey is a lot less dangerous, but still a thrill! Note that you can only enter Škocjan with a guide – click the link for more information. Part of our Best of the East tour.

#2 – Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic:

Rafting down the Vlatava River

Want to enter this beautiful baroque town in style? Rent a raft up river, and float into town! Locals and visitors alike love to cruise down the usually calm river in an assortment of rafts, canoes and kayaks, stopping at one of the many riverside pubs for lunch and a refreshing Czech pils beer. The natural scenery is wonderful, but once you enter the town, which sits conveniently on an “s” curve in the river, it is glorious! There are several raft rental agencies – I recommend the friendly people at Maleček Rafting & Canoe. Our Best of the East and Ultimate Beer Tour both feature a rafting trip into Cesky Krumlov!

#1 – Venice, Italy:

A gondola ride through the canals of Venice

Once a major form of transportation for locals, now a remnant of a bygone era, gliding down these lovely waterways can be a great joy. Expensive – yes. Romantic – depends who you’re with. Best time to go – the evening. Best place to hire a gondolier – debatable, but I wouldn’t hire one at the Rialto Bridge or St. Mark’s Square – the “back” canals are much preferable to the Grand Canal, which you can travel on in a local vaporetto (water-bus) for a lot less money. Campo San Moise is a nice place to hire a gondola. Join us in Venice on the Grand Tour or the Italian Experience Tour.

OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences for our small groups. If you’re looking for travel with an adventurous spirit, we’re your company!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506116251454697472/4blfsXiS.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]This blog happily shared with you by Craig Bresett (just back from a swim) – owner and chief tour director at OneLife Tours. Contact Craig anytime: craig@onelifetours.ca[/author_info] [/author]