After disembarking from a Mediterranean cruise on Oct. 2, 2011, I stayed at Hotel Nazionale Rome (Piazza Montecitorio, 131 00186, Rome, Italy; phone +39 06 695001, fax 06 6786677). This was my third stay at the hotel, and I just love everything about it: its central location, the staff, the rooms, the service and the fabulous breakfast served. For four nights, two of us paid €270 (near $360) per night for a twin room. Most importantly, just around the corner is Rome’s most famous ice cream parlor: Giolitti. After Rome, I spent three days in Vienna, then headed home. Before taking United from Washington, DC, to Phoenix, I flew from Vienna to Washington aboard Austrian. It was my first time with the Austrian airline, and I found the food and service in business class to be outstanding. There was a real chef on board, hat and all. The appetizers and desserts were on a trolley and you could choose what you wanted. The soup was individually ladled out. The whole lunch was as good as in any first-class restaurant. At the end of the meal, five different kinds of coffees were offered. On the negative side, the business-class seat was surprisingly uncomfortable. EVA BORY Phoenix, AZ