This photo of Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)

The Rome Food Tours are guided tours that last for three or four hours. These are walking tours and they also put a stress on various cultural and historical monuments along the way. They include six to eight tastings of some fantastic Italian specialties and are led by polite, funny and very knowledgeable guides. The Rome food tours try to avoid the crowds and to be arranged in small and cozy venues, where could be tried some of the greatest delicacies in Italy. In general, the Rome food tours try to make the participants feel like real Romans by the end of the tour. They are suitable to age groups.

This photo of Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)

There are many reasons why someone would like to come on a Rome food tour. The first one is that he or she will try several very tasty meals and will enjoy some wine with them. Al The second one is that the fun is absolutely guaranteed. The third one is that one will meet several new people, most probably from different cultures. Fourth, one will discover some hidden spots and landmarks. And fifth and final, the traveler will become a real expert on gelato.

This photo of Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)

Besides the regular Rome food tours, there are also Rome walking tours and Cooking classes, which are four hours in duration. Yes, this is a short cooking class, but it is absolutely worth it. The cooking class is usually done in a small restaurant near the magnificent Trevi Fountain and the experience is very personalized and some deep secrets of cooking are being shared. The participants are also given recipes that they can take home and cook themselves.

This photo of Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)

Another Rome food tour to consider is the Taste of Italy Food Tour, which is done outside Rome in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. The participants in this tour are welcome to sample cheeses and wine, as well as salami and some other local specialties. This tour lasts for an entire day and the lunch is done at a small rural restaurant.

If you do not have a full day to spend on food tour, then you can go on a small group cooking lesson in Rome with duration of five hours. During that cooking lesson, you will learn how to cook four Italian meals in a nice private kitchen in the heart of the Italian capital. The groups are only of up to eight people, so that all participants can get equal personalized instruction for a food expert. Several glasses of excellent Italian wine are also in the picture.

Another great destination for a food holiday is Budapest where you can stay in apartment in Budapest.

The first thing that deserves to be mentioned is that during the winter months there are no so many tourists in Barcelona and this is normal. It also means that there will be no crowds on the streets, no long queues at the galleries and the museums and several interesting festivals that are great to be visited. Locals love their city in the winter, as they feel they have it all for themselves. There are no tourists crowds, no cruise ships and no charter flights, the stag parties are also waiting for better times, etc. Those travelers however who have learned their lesson, know that the flights in the winter time are cheaper and the accommodation is more affordable as well.

The city of Barcelona is very lively around the Christmas holiday, but not only. An area nice to be seen is Fira de Santa Llucia with its seasonal market and the nativity scene at the Placa Sant Jaume, which is different each year. Besides Christmas, another much celebrated holiday is the Three Kings’ Day, which is held on the Twelfth Night. It is on that holiday that most of the children receive presents. The holiday is celebrated with a street procession, during which the helpers of the king throw sweets to the crowd. After these two holidays start the winter sales, when the city is more quiet, if Barcelona could be quiet at all.

In the middle of January the city celebrates the Festa dels Tres Tombs or the Three Turns on the St. Anthony’s Day in the district of Sant Antoni. The city celebrates it with horse riders and beautifully decorated carts. Another important holiday is the Santa Eulalia Holiday, which is celebrated for five days around February 12^th, when are organized various free concerts, processions of giants, etc. At that time of the year many of the museums are free to enter as well. Another interesting holiday is Shrove Tuesday and the Burial of the Sardine, which is a strange local tradition. Several weeks after that is celebrated the Festes de Sant Medir with a lot of sweets.

Nice places to go to at that winter period are the Museu de la Xocolata, or the lovely courtyard of El Jardi. Another good idea is to check the winter exhibitions in the city. Of course, always nice to be visited are the Museum of Picasso and the Gaudi’s La Pedrera, as well as the Catalunya Caixa exhibition centre.

Another destination that you can visit after your trip to Spain is Portugal where you can stay in Lisbon apartment

Among the areas that are included are the Batignolles area, placed between place de Clichy and Rue Rome to where Rue de Batignolles starts. The neighborhood is called Batignolles and is not known by the tourists groups. The atmosphere is authentic and one can enjoy some truly pleasant Parisian experience, especially when the weather outside is warm and nice. This district is famous for its many small shops, restaurants, boutiques and terraces. For those who are looking for some loud music and fun at night, there are many restaurants and bars placed on Rue des Dames. There are some interesting boutiques there as well, usually visited by the resident transvestite community. Nearby is placed the town hall the Marie and there are two nice cafes opposite it. Not far away is available a wine bar, which is open only during the day.

In the region there is also a nice church from 19^th century and several restaurants with a pleasant outdoor area, where one can try Provencal food. Close to the church, there is the Square de Batignolles and a small park with very beautiful and old trees, while at the far side of that park are available two pitches for the sport that is typical for France – petanque. That park is usually full of families, couples, people reading books. If one goes out of the park and along Rue des Moines, one will see a busy shopping area and covered market with stalls, as well as some outdoor cafes. Nearby is set a lovely chocolate store.

If you like that atmosphere of Paris, then stay away from the highly ranked restaurants like Guy Savoy, Chez L’Ami Louis, Georges or Josephine Chez Dumonet and try to appreciate good food and fine dining in some of the smaller restaurants which are a bit away from the main tourist flow. And finally, tourists who want to experience some “local” activities in Paris, should remember that this is a major international capital city and thus it should be accepted for what it is. Thus, if you still want to get the typical feeling of France, then it would be better to go to the French province and spend some time there.

A post written by Pauline Petit who is also writing about apartments in Prague and apartment in London.

This photo of Brussels

The city of Brussels has an underground metro system that operates since year 1976 and features a comprehensive tram and bus network that covers the city on the ground. Passengers can use an interticketing system and this means that a holder of STIB ticket can use long-distance buses and train inside the city. The metro system in Brussels has reputation of being safe and clean and its entrances are marked with a big letter M sign that comes in white and blue. The announcements inside are made in French, Dutch and English. The metro system in Brussels has six lines and tickets could be bought from the station or from the driver. The tickets are valid for one hour drive, no matter which means of transport you are using.

This photo of Brussels

The city of Brussels also serves as a hub for the national roads, which are organized in a clockwise manner to the cities of Breda, Maastricht, Aachen, Luxembourg, Rheims, Maubeuge, Koksijde and Ostend. The city has an orbital motorway and an inner ring road. The city center itself has a small historic centre along one square and four streets with cobblestone roads which are closed for cars, while the rest of the center could be easily accessed by car. Most of the landmarks of Brussels are close to each other and could be reached on foot from your Brussels holiday apartment.

Another very pleasant way to enjoy the city of Brussels is by bike. The municipality is offering low-cost and short term rentals of bikes at 180 locations close to the city center. This system accepts only the Smart cards with a PIN code and the first half an hour of usage is free of charge, while the next half an hour costs half a Euro. While enjoying the city of Brussels on a bike, it is advisable to get a helmet and a vest. Brussels Bike Tours are also available and they cover an easy route which includes all main landmarks of the city for a period of four hours. These bike tours are made with an experienced guide.

A post by Renate Renard who also writes about Amsterdam apartments and London apartments

Warsaw is a delightful tourist destination with plenty of historical sites and cultural landmarks that should be considered. It is also a city where one could relax and pamper one’s body and soul. There are plenty of spa centers that should be considered in and around the city of Warsaw. Among the ones that are outside Warsaw and are most famous are placed at the spa resort Konstancin-Jeziorna. This is a wonderful summer holiday resort, which is placed only 20 km from the city of Warsaw, on the bank of river Jeziorka and close to the forests Słomczyńskie, Chojnowskie and Kabacki. The spa center is built with lovely historical villas and small palaces and is set amidst pine forest. The place has not only beauty purposes, but is actually covering several main treatment areas, such as respiratory and heart diseases, mobility and rheumatic disorders, neurological diseases, etc. In Konstancin-Jeziorna one can find a spa park, a physiotherapy centre and also a twig tower with brine vapor.

This photo of Warsaw

In case that you do not have the time to visit this spa heaven, there are plenty of spa centers in the city of Warsaw itself. Take for example, the spa center Oasis Beauty Day Spa, which offers many spa and beauty treatments like therapeutic massage and therapeutic pedicure. The place is to be found on the -1 level under the Marriott in the LIM centre shopping passage of the building of Marriott/LOT. Another place that is also good is the City Spa center, which offers to its clients a range of treatments including facials and body scrubs, exotic massages like hot stones, mauri and Thai methods, as well as nutritional advice. The other place that deserves the attention is Club Oasis, which has a spa center a swimming pool and fitness. There is also a wet and dry sauna and various beauty treatments. If you are looking for laser therapy and some special beauty treatments then the right place is Elite Laser Therapy Center.

This photo of Konstancin-Jeziorna

Those who are in need of some stylish and trendy hair treatments and styling should definitely visit the Franck Provost saloon, where work stylists trained in France. The place also offers manicure and pedicure and works with high-quality cosmetic products. Massages, body and facial beauty treatments are offered at Kosmetyczny Instytut Dr Irena Eris. Those people, who need some toning and slimming treatments, as well as oriental massages should go to spa club Papillon. The last two spa centers to be considered in the Polish capital Warsaw include the beauty parlours Le Spa and Malayka. Le Spa is a place authorized by Guerlain and besides the many beauty and spa treatment, it offers some emergency services like make up, tanning, etc. There is even “before party” package here, which is good to be considered. At the beauty parlour Malayka, there is a full range of beauty services including hair and body treatments, pedicure and manicure, massages and styling, as well as cosmetics. The place is set in the center of Warsaw and this is a great plus.

A post by Adamski writing about apartments in Warsaw and Krakow apartments.