Food & Wine

On a visit to Beijing, Sept. 6-Oct. 2, 2007, I was fortunate to learn ahead of time of three interesting areas often missed by tourists.

Vegetables, salads and wholesome food in an almost fast-food environment? During our September ’07 visit to Switzerland, that’s what we found in Lausanne at a Manora Restaurant (Rue Saint-Laurent 7,1002 Lausanne, Switzerland; phone +41 [0] 21 321 36 99). Affordable food in a country where restaurant prices can be as breathtaking as the Alpine views? Again, that’s what we found in the Manora.

Searching the Internet for an apartment somewhere around Lake Garda in northern ITALY for our 3-week stay, April 21-May 12, 2007, I found Residence Bella Vista (Via Rimembranza 29, 25080 Manerba del Garda, Italy; phone/fax +39 0365 551805, www.residencebellavista.com).

The former hotel, converted to seven apartments in 2000, is in an ideal, quiet location in a small village on a ridge overlooking the southwestern part of the lake.

I thought the Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires was way beyond my budget, but, thanks to an incredible package from WOW! Argentina (Santa Fe 882 12th floor, C1059ABP, Buenos Aires, Argentina; www.wow argentina.com), we stayed there July 18-20, 2007.

For the two of us, $866 plus tax included three nights’ stay in a double room and two dinners for two in the hotel’s Le Mistral restaurant, including two glasses of the wine of the week (a delicious Catena Zapata’s malbec). An outstanding buffet breakfast was also included each morning.

Bella Roma! I am a college professor, and together with a colleague we escorted 21 students through Rome’s classical treasures in May ’07. On my final night, as I packed, I watched a spaghetti Western on the hotel TV. It got me thinking about “the good, the bad and the ugly” of our trip.

ITN was mailed a copy of a letter sent by a reader to Oceanwide Expeditions, as follows.

My husband, George, and I went on a 16-day Smithsonian Journeys tour, “Treasures of Angkor Wat and Vietnam,” March 19-April 3, 2007.

by Joyce Bruck, Ocean Ridge, FL

I would not go across town to eat there, but if you are in the neighborhood a good light dinner can be had in Paris at Plein Soleil (90 ave. Parmentier, Paris 11e, France).