A recent testament to the healthy properties of the Mediterranean Diet, specifically the Greek diet, has inspired us here at UnTours. (Read the entire article in last week’s NY TImes magazine here: The Island Where People Forget to Die) This article profiles a Greek WWII veteran, Stamatis Moraitis, who came to the US in 1943,…
Who goes to Italy to drink beer? Those in the know. Italians have long enjoyed beer with their pizza, but refined and complex micro brews have replaced the old Peroni. Indeed birra artiginale (Italian craft beer) is putting Italy on the world brewing map. Unlike their northern European counterparts, Italian brewers are not bound by…
In 1832, Prince Wenzel von Metternich charged his personal chef with creating a dessert for a dinner for several distinguished guests. The chef pawned the job off on his 16 year old assistant, Franz Sacher…and the Sachertorte was born. Now, the Sachertorte could credibly make the claim to being the most famous chocolate cake in…
Head over early to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, one of the crown jewels of Vienna’s stellar architecture. (The cathedral opens at 6 am.) to beat the throng and psyche yourself up for the 343 steps to the viewing platform at the top. Reward yourself with coffee at Cafe Landtmann (pictured above). This landmark cafe,…
Above is Al, happily ensconced in the Seiwald apartment, and Babs, happily capturing the beauty of Halstadt, one of the great daytrips recommended on our Austrian Untour Tell us a little bit about your most recent Untour. We stayed at the Seiwald apartment in Kuchl, Austria for three weeks. We found out about UnTours a…
One definition of culture that I have always liked is: Culture is groups of people solving problems over time. ) And no where is that more ably illustrated than the answer to a seemingly simple question: Why do the Swiss make cheese? Find more photos like this on UnTours Cafe There are many cultures that…
Although the Swiss Franc’s value against the dollar has risen dramatically over the past 3 years (up almost 27% since April 10, 2009), there are still many ways to enjoy the marvels of Switzerland at a, shall we say, more reasonable price. Check out our top 3 suggestions below! Eat at the Grocery Store In…
Today’s Culture Clue comes from the “who knew” section of cultural lore. We’re sure you’ve had a “who knew?” experience. It’s when you’re in a new setting, and there’s a subtle rule difference from what you’re used to. As long as you don’t know about it, you can remain reasonably blissful in your cluelessness. But…
From the Alsace region of France, a Tarte Flambée (or Flammeküeche in the Alsatian language, a dialect of German) is unique to this region. That being said, given it’s reliance on heavy cream, bacon and onions, one can discern it’s very French and German roots, like nearly everything else in Alsace! One legend is that…
Here are the most common coffees you’ll find in an Italian bar; most of these should be available in the ubiquitous “bar” no matter where you are in Italy: Caffè In Italy the word “caffè’” naturally implies an espresso. There is no need to specify “espresso” when ordering. Served in a demitasse cup. Caffè macchiato:-…