Ramadan begins today: what travelers can expect

by Meg Nesterov on

Today begins the Islamic holiday of Ramadan, a month long period of prayer and reflection, fasting and sacrifice, as well as feasting and acts of charity and kindness.

Travelers should exercise extra patience and flexibility this month where Ramadan is celebrated, but enjoy the special atmosphere and festivities.

If traveling in a Muslim country during August, expect closures, a slower pace, and shorter tempers during the day, but lively iftar meals and celebrations at night.

Here in the largely secular city of Istanbul, foreigners and tourists won’t encounter many problems, most restaurants and attractions will be open and travelers aren’t expected to observe the fast, though it’s polite to refrain from eating or drinking in public (read about last year’s Ramadan in Istanbul here and in Cairo).

In the US, Whole Foods has become the first nationwide chain to offer promotions and special content for Ramadan. The grocery store’s blog will share recipes and sponsor giveaways all month for the nearly 2 million American Muslims.

The TSA has just posted on their blog about what to expect in airports during Ramadan, though most of their tips are general for any time of year (you may encounter Muslims performing ablutions in airport bathrooms or hear prayers whispered) or information about what not to expect (i.e. eating or smoking).


Ramadan will end on August 29 this year, followed by a week of celebration when many Muslims travel to visit family or pilgrimage to Mecca.

Read more Gadling travel tips for Ramadan here. Traveling in the Muslim world this month? Share your experiences with us in the comments below.

[Photo courtesy balavenise, Wikimedia Commons]

Istria and the Unintentional Search of the Next Tuscany

by David Farley on
In a way it’s no surprise that Istria, a heart-shaped peninsula in northwestern Croatia, is regularly called “the Next Tuscany.”

Long under the rule of the Venetian Republic and, more recently, occupied by Mussolini’s Italy, the Adriatic’s largest peninsula has a decidedly Italian feel. In addition to the 11% Italian minority, nearly all Istrians-especially along the coast-are fluent Italian speakers. New York chef/restaurateur and Italian cuisine promoter, Lidia Bastianich, hails form just outside of Pula, a town on the southern tip of the peninsula.

In the last decade, though, there’s been an invasion of foreign homebuyers as well as journalists focusing on the region’s many foodie signifiers: the white truffles! The wild seasonal ingredients! Hence “the next Tuscany.” But is it? Or is this label just a lazy travel writing cliché? Maybe now that Croatia has recently been invited to join the European Union, travelers will start disassociate it with that over-romanticized region in central Italy. I set out to find the answer.

Well, not really. I actually made an impromptu trip to Istria for one specific reason. I wanted to eat at one of the best restaurants in Croatia, an eatery that is way overlooked by the traveling food-loving community. Valsabbion. The restaurant isn’t unknown, but given the high quality modernist cuisine coming from this spot and the fact that you’ll pay less than half you would have at elBulli in Spain, Valsabbion deserves more recognition. The drive from Venice would take me through Istria and at last, I thought, I can see what all the truffle-scented fuss was all about. It would be an unintentional search for the next Tuscany.

Besides, I was in Venice and had a rental car for the day and wanted to go on a drive. I pulled out of Venice, hungry and excited, and followed the signs to Trieste. When I crossed the border from Italy into diminutive Slovenia a few conspicuous changes took place: prices drop by a third and vowels vanished from words (signs in my rearview mirror for Trieste, the Italian border town, for example, became “Trst”). The coast of Slovenia, a short drive from the border (and about three hours driving from Venice), is only 30 miles long, but it packs a cultural and aesthetically pleasing punch. Tightly clenched Koper and Izola, perched out on city block-long peninsulas, are pretty enough, but I kept driving. The same with Piran, a compact seaside town.


The 75-mile drive to Rovinj took me across the Slovenian-Croatian border. The guards insisted on speaking Croatian to me, asking repeatedly in Croatian where I was from. When he finally asked in English, I answered and then he began laughing. “Is this the next Tuscany? I asked. The guard stopped laughing and pointed back toward Italy. “Tuscany, that way,” he said.

It’s impossible to not be dazzled by Rovinj (pictured), the best preserved town on the peninsula. Rovinj is a hilly and tightly packed cluster of Gothic structures and smooth cobbled pedestrian streets that was, a century and a half ago, an island (today a long narrow peninsula connects it to the mainland).

But, with my stomach rumbling and the sun setting, I drove on toward Pula, Istria’s largest town (with a population of 65,000). When I got there, I briefly stopped to gawk at the almost perfectly preserved Roman amphitheater that’s plopped in the middle of the city, the sixth largest in the world (Rome’s Coliseum is the first), an arena that could once accommodate 20,000 blood-thirsty spectators. I took a few glances around the Old Town, where there’s a curious combination of architectural styles (imagine: Gothic meets Fascist- and Socialist-era structures).

And then finally, at last, I made my way to Valsabbion. And how was the dinner? Was it unforgettable? The only thing I won’t forget was the sign on the door informing me the restaurant was closed for the month (it was February). I lost out on eating at one of Europe’s great underrated restaurants. At the same time I missed seeing the coastal towns of Istria. Travel fail, indeed.

Oh, but at a gourmet food shop in Pula a woman convinced me to buy some of those truffles that always get mentioned in travel articles about Istria. “Istrian truffles,” she kept saying. “Is this the next Tuscany?” I asked.

She stared back at me for a long second and said: “This is Istria. No Tuscany. Never.”

That’s probably as satisfying an answer as I’ll ever get.

Mastering the culinary experience on Benelux trains

by Tom Johansmeyer on


Hitting the rails around Europe can be a blast, and I particularly enjoyed it in the so-called “Benelux” countries (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg). The scenery in the Netherlands was a bit thin, but the Belgian towns were incredibly cute, and it was fun to watch the Dutch signs yield to French as we approached the Luxembourg border.

And let’s face it: any alternative to air travel is a welcome one.

While the trains were a bit slow, they did offer plenty of space, and the ride was comfortable. The only downside was dining: some had a cart that was pushed around periodically, but that was the best available. In other cases, there was nothing at all.

So, if you’re going to hop the train to places like Amsterdam, Bruges, Brussels and Luxembourg, you’re going to want to pack your own grub. You can always pick something up at the train station, but packaged sandwiches and snacks pale in comparison to what you can accomplish with a little planning.

You can do better!

Below, you’ll find tips for giving yourself a better dining experience when you ride through Benelux:

%Gallery-129425%The Netherlands: let’s focus on Amsterdam; after all, it is the country’s major destination. You might be tempted to pick up a “spacecake” while they’re still available to tourists (the fun, for those who indulge, comes to a close at the end of the year), but that only appeals to one type of audience. Instead, head into town and pick up some of the local cheese – one of the few areas where Amsterdam truly excels in food and dining. You’ll wind up spending $10 to $15, but you’ll walk away with enough cheese to feed a village on a three-hour train ride. To make it a bit better, add some spicy mustard to your order (it complements the cheese nicely).

Plan ahead: the cheese and mustard will stay edible for a while, so spend the extra cash to get enough for several long train rides. You’ll be happy you did.

Belgium: in Bruges, there’s a great farmers market in the main market square. Visit it. While the vegetables look delicious, they do have a fairly short shelf life (unless you happen to travel with a refrigerator strapped to your back). So, you’re better off heading to the sausage stand. Pick up a few sausages, and make it interesting by selecting from a variety of animals. You’ll be able to dine on pig, bull and ass, among others. Bring some variety into your on-train meal, and you’ll have a better experience.

Remember the cheese you picked up in Amsterdam? And the mustard? If you bought enough, you can add some awesome sausages to the experience. The meal builds on itself! Again, plan for future train rides, and buy some extra sausage.

Luxembourg: you have cheese and mustard from Amsterdam. You just picked up sausages in Bruges. And, you’re Benelux trip will likely end with a trek from Luxembourg to Brussels or Amsterdam to catch your flight home. What’s missing from your meal on what could be the longest leg of your Benelux train experience?

Wine!

Luxembourg’s local white wines are nothing short of delicious. Skip the Alsacian, French and German options in favor of what the locals produce. If the imbibing experience matters to you, spring for a few cheap wine glasses that you’re fine with tossing at the airport (or losing to breakage in your bags). Otherwise, a few plastic cups will do the job just fine. As you ride back to your final stop before leaving Benelux, you’ll wash down your accumulated sausage, cheese and mustard with something crisp, tasty and unlikely to be on the shelves of your local liquor store.

Connecticut Beer Trail holds second official “Bikes and Beers” tour in Granby July 31st

by Laurel Miller on

Far be it from the People to not abide by the Constitution. On July 31st, Granby is holding its second “Bikes & Beers” tour along the Connecticut Beer Trail (it’s the Constitution State, FYI. Yeah, I didn’t know, either).

Connecticut seems obsessed with food and drink-themed pathways: there’s the new Hot Dog Trail, the Ice cream and Sundae Drive (cute), and the Wine Trail. Why the fixation? Who cares? It’s a cool idea, especially when partnered with pedaling.

Bikes & Beers is a collaboration with Connecticut’s Pedal Power bike shops. Riders will get to enjoy beautiful views along the 17.2-mile loop, as well as some cold ones at the Cambridge House Brew Pub, an award-winning producer of craft beer. It’s just one of 10 craft breweries featured on the Beer Trail, a social media organization dedicated to promoting local breweries, the craft beer community, and related tourism (how cool is that?) statewide.

Better look out, West Coast and Colorado–Connecticut’s craft brewers are gaining on you.

The Connecticut Beer Trail and Pedal Power are planning future rides; click here or go to Pedal Power’s site for updates.

[Photo credit: Flickr user roboppy]

Amsterdam hot dog review: THE CHUBBY!

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Sometimes a food’s name says everything you need to know about it. Tucked away in the museum part of Amsterdam, the Lunch Kiosk is a mobile operation intended to feed the tourists in need of some fast grub. I was in that spot on my visit earlier this month, and I do like to sample a hot dog wherever I go. It seemed like an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

At the Lunch Kiosk, the Chubby Hot Dog on the menu caught my attention immediately. How could it not? The big dog is wrapped in bacon and cheese, making it (what I thought would be) an artery-clogging delight. I had visions of Vancouver and Reykjavik, which made me salivate all the more. After waiting in line for what felt like an eternity, I placed my order and waited some more. I took this as a good sign, too. After all, immediate doesn’t usually equate to culinary quality (not even with hot dogs).

When my order was up, I snatched it with excitement and headed over to the ketchup and mustard. The latter was particularly interesting, as Amsterdam tends to do mustard well (I do suggest smearing some on any of the local cheeses).

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My first bite was nothing but … disappointment. The Chubby Hot Dog nailed the aesthetic, but it failed to deliver on taste. The dog was lukewarm at best, a risk inherent in eating hot dogs from vendors that have four wheels. It didn’t snap as much as hot dogs from the likes of Gray’s Papaya or even Banger Bros in London. And for flavor, it just held flat. At best, the Chubby tasted like lukewarm bologna. While I was able to tolerate the dog at first (I was incredibly hungry), I wound up abandoning it at the half-way mark.

Foreign hot dogs tend to be a role of the dice. Where East Anglia (England), Madrid and Amsterdam fell short, Stockholm, Reykjavik and Montreal came through in style. Though considered to be among the lowest forms of food, it’s nonetheless tough to master the hot dog. The Chubby just failed to execute on its delectable plan.