Wine is on the agenda for our upcoming Weekend in Spain event! Our very own wine expert in Spain, Isa Calviche, will walk guests through a primer on Spanish wines, along with some tasting notes as guests sip along. Here is the list of wines she recommends. We’ve included links to wine.com. Some may also be…
Dreaming of France? No place could be dreamier than Chantilly, a nice day trip from Paris, with something for everyone. It is home to horse racing, featuring the world’s most ornate stables and a château that rises from a lake, giving it a dream-like quality that is especially appealing to children. Indeed, Château de Chantilly…
With borders closed, and no European travel in the near future, many of us are enjoying photos and memories of past UnTours travels. Vickie Kelber is a loyal UnTourist and frequent contributor to the UnTours blog. She has shared her insights on London and fond memories of Switzerland. This week on the blog, she shares…
As most of you know, the UnTours Foundation is the brainchild of our late founder, Hal Taussig, who used profits from his travel company to seed his vision of microenterprise and an inclusive economy. The UnTours Foundation owns UnTours, and its work overlaps with the guiding principals and progressive business practices of UnTours, whose employee…
Flamenco is the sound of Spain, a tradition of music and dance that was developed in the 18th century and that remains popular in Spain today. It originated in Andalusia, home of our Cordoba and rural Andalucia UnTours, though it grew to be embraced all over Spain and is performed widely to this day. The…
With its remarkable combination of history, setting, and culture, Thun is one of our favorite cities in Switzerland. Thun Castle overlooks the city and offers a wonderful view. As you walk the arcaded sidewalks of the old city, you’re constantly reminded of Thun’s medieval past. In its present, Thun offers regular open-air concerts on the…
Lisbon is a city that captured my heart. On my first trip there earlier this year, I was impressed with its picturesque streetscapes, its rolling hills and vistas, its remarkable light, and its old world grandeur and beauty. At times, as a street car whizzed by, I was reminded of San Francisco. My favorite neighborhood…
Fado has never sounded so good! The plaintive vocals of this most traditional Portuguese music seem perfectly made for our times. So as we plan our Weekend in Portugal, a virtual trip to Portugal featuring Zoom events, tours and performances meant to offer guests an immersive experience of Portuguese food, wine, and culture, Fado seemed…
There is no sweet treat so distinctly Portuguese as the Pastel de Nata, a simple egg custard tart that has become a Portuguese favorite. The confection goes back over three centuries, to the active days of the historic Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon’s Belém district. The monks and nuns there used egg whites to starch their vestments….
Sometimes a bowl of soup is more than a bowl of soup. Goulash is Hungary’s national dish for some good reasons. Aside from being deeply satisfying and spectacularly red, its development speaks to the development and history of a nation. Given its interesting history and cultural significance, here is a little context on the dish…