Food & Wine

by Judith Anshin, Contributing Editor

As a “country counter” avidly trying to reach my personal goal of traveling to 100 countries, I added El Salvador (number 70) to my list in January 2010. To be truthful, it had not been at the top of my list of destinations to visit, not because I didn’t want to go there but because I had not thought about going. It was almost by accident that I ended up there.

I enjoyed Lew Toulmin’s October 2010 “The Cruising World” column, reviewing various cruise lines, but since he has not sailed with Holland America Line (HAL) and I have done at least five of their cruises (from 1997 to 2009, Alaska twice; Australia to New Zealand; the Baltics, and the Mediterranean), I want to share some of my observations.

As my wife, Judy, and I traveled for 37 days in Central Europe, late August through early October 2010, we found a number of restaurants we would recommend.

REPORT FROM MALTA…

by Bill Altaffer, San Diego, CA

My husband, Bob, and I were introduced to Vin Marottoli’s outstanding Tours for Wine Lovers (New Haven, CT; 800/256-0141) in 2002 and have taken six tours with him since then, in the US and abroad. Our most recent was an eight-day tour in Italy, April 15-23, 2010, which cost $3,199 each, excluding airfare.

REPORT FROM INDIA…

Select Italy (Chicago, IL; 800/877-1755, www.selectitaly.com) has a series of day trips, “The Archi-Wine Tour: When Architects Meet Winemakers,” focusing on innovative wineries in the Tuscany and Piedmont regions. One half-day and three full-day tours are offered.

by Sandra Scott