Food & Wine

Bulgaria is a country that I highly recommend everyone visit.

My wife, Carolyn, and I took a 7-night, customized tour through Romania, May 25-31, 2012. We normally don’t splurge like that, but the prices in Romania are very favorable.

A Paris vacation is a dream trip, but it doesn’t have to be a wallet breaker.

REPORT ON HUNGARY…

My husband, Bob, and I are in our 80s, and when we travel we like to go a little more slowly and stay longer in each place. We’d rather cook our own meals and eat less than what restaurants generally serve.

I like to have an apartment wherever we go. We use Untours (Media, PA; 888/868-6871), which offers apartments in lots of overseas locations and sometimes includes a car with the rental. In every Untour apartment, there is some food stocked when you arrive, such as bread, milk, butter, eggs and cheese.

A wonderful place to stop when on a Black Sea vacation is Hotel Selena (Yani Popov str. 7, Sozopol 8130, Bulgaria; phone/fax +359 550 25200 or phone +359 550 25300). This lovely, 72-room hotel is located on the shore of a horseshoe-shaped bay. Odd-numbered rooms overlook the beach and harbor.

My wife, Sandy, and I stayed there June 1-9, 2012. For €30 (near $38) per night, we had a very comfortable, clean room.

Two free guides provide details of 43 places to eat in the English counties bordering Wales.

The chefs of some of London’s finest restaurants are passing on their knowledge at a series of master classes arranged by Tasting Places. They are being held at a designer kitchen in Holland Park and at several restaurants.

The morning sessions in Holland Park cost from £100 (near $179) per person, with a 2-hour hands-on master class followed by lunch with fine wines.