48 hours in New York on a shoestring

48 hours in New York on a shoestring

By Lynn Adler

It's known for its Broadway shows, designer shops and exclusive restaurants but there are plenty of things to enjoy in the Big Apple without burning a hole in your pocket.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge show that bargains can still be found in the city.

FRIDAY

6 p.m. - Soak in the bright lights at Times Square, where it always seems like mid-day under the mega-watt billboards. You'll get the rush of gawking tourists and perhaps see the barely clothed busker, "The Naked Cowboy." You can buy discounted Broadway tickets for same-day performances at the TKTS booth on Duffy Square.

7 p.m. - Grab dinner from a street vendor and sit at one of the seats in the "pedestrian plazas" in the middle of Times Square. Take in a sweeping Times Square view from the top of the red glass steps adjoining the ticket booth, or eat at one of the many restaurants in the theater district, or low-priced regional eateries along Ninth Avenue.

8:30 p.m. - If you skip the theater, or later if you do catch a show, have a drink at the revolving bar at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square.

10 p.m. - Enjoy panoramic city views from the "Top of the Rock" Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center.

SATURDAY

9 a.m. - Grab a bagel and coffee from a street vendor and head to midtown for a Gray Line or CitySights NY Hop-On, Hop-Off double-decker bus. Buy a 48-hour All Loops Tour and start with a downtown loop that takes in Greenwich Village and Union Square, SoHo, Chinatown, the Lower East Side and Empire State Building. You can get off at all stops and explore on your own. Also check out "NYSee Tours" for guided "Get Acquainted" city adventures.

The Gary Line and CitySights NY also offer Brooklyn tours that run every half hour until 3:30 p.m. The tour includes the Botanical Garden, antique furniture district and Brooklyn Museum of Art stops.

Or, because no trip to New York is complete without seeing the Statue of Liberty, jump on the free Staten Island Ferry for a view of this enigmatic lady, Ellis Island and lower Manhattan.

10 a.m. - Pick up hand-crafted cheese, organic produce and freshly baked goods at the Union Square farmers' market.

11 a.m. - Wander through Greenwich Village's meandering streets, historic townhouses, unique shops and many restaurants.

Noon - Movie and TV fans can take an "On Location Tour" of the city (www.screentour.com). The company specializes in TV and movie location trips and also offers a "Sex and the City Hotspots" and "Gossip Girl" site tours.

4 p.m. - Enjoy panoramic views of Manhattan and the East River by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.

5 p.m. - Spend some quiet time remembering the victims of the September 11 attacks at Ground Zero. The best viewing points are from the adjacent World Financial Center.

7 p.m. - Explore Chinatown's exotic food markets and gift shops, and pick a spot for dinner. Have a cappuccino and cannoli in neighboring Little Italy.

10 p.m. - Head to Arthur's Tavern in Greenwich Village at 57 Grove Street to end the night with intimate jazz and blues.

SUNDAY

8 a.m. - After breakfast of fruits and breads bought at the markets on Saturday, head to Central Park, the oasis in the middle of the urban jungle. Popular destinations include Strawberry Fields, a memorial to Beatle John Lennon, and Bethesda Fountain, a fixture in movies set in Manhattan.

10.30 a.m. - Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue. From an extensive Egyptian collection to countless European paintings and sculptures, there is something for everyone with approximately 3 million works on display.

1 p.m. - The Cloisters, a Metropolitan Museum of Art branch at Fort Tryon Park overlooking the Hudson River in northern Manhattan, offers free garden tours and medieval European art. Have a light lunch here at the cafe.

4 p.m. - Bike or walk over the George Washington Bridge, which connects the Washington Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan to Fort Lee, New Jersey. If you've had enough of nature, head back to Madame Tussauds wax museum in midtown, where soon you're not sure whether the person sitting next to you is real or not.

6:30 p.m. - Window shop along famed Fifth Avenue. Have dinner in Virgil's Real Barbeque on 44th Street, or at Osteria Al Doge on the same block.

Carnival to serve popular ThirstyFrog Red beer on more ships

Carnival to serve popular ThirstyFrog Red beer on more ships

This item was written by Johanna Jainchill, who covers the travel industry for Travel Weekly. Jainchill is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log while USA TODAY Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is away.

 

The private-label draught beer that debuted on the the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic in May is being rolled out to the rest of the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet.

The cruise line said that ThirstyFrog Red has been such a hit on the Magic, that it has already been delivered to 15 other Carnival ships, with three more receiving kegs of the brew over the next few weeks.

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Carnival debuted the $5.50-a-glass beer in the Magic's Caribbean-themed RedFrog Pub, the first pub ever on a Carnival ship.

During the Magic's inaugural sailing in May, the beer was so popular, it ran dry during the sailing, and more kegs had to be sent to the ship.

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The popularity of ThirstyFrog Red, which Carnival describes as a "tasty amber-colored" beer, also speaks to the popularity of the RedFrog Pub, and Carnival has said that the pub itself might also be retrofitted onto more Carnival ships.

Iceland Heating Up As Summer Travel Destination

Iceland Heating Up As Summer Travel Destination

Iceland, once a destination for only the most intrepid travelers, has quickly become one of the world's best tourism values.

Americans are discovering that Iceland's natural beauty and teeming wildlife (not to mention its pulsating nightlife) are practically on our doorstep, with direct flights from a number of major U.S. cities.

It's not too late to escape the triple-digit heat waves blasting your town this summer. Package deals to Iceland are plentiful and have never been more affordable.

Accordingly, Iceland has been named one of Travelzoo's "Wow Deal Destinations" for 2011. As usual, the folks at Travelzoo are right on the money-- new service on Icelandair, Iceland Express and Delta often costs less than a cross-country U.S. flight.

Iceland is less than four hours away from New York and Boston, ideal for even a quick three- or four-day getaway.

It's worth the trip just to admire the glaciers, mountains and rumbling volcanoes, or to soak in the famous Blue Lagoon. But visitors to Iceland can also enjoy a wide array of activities, made to seem otherworldly by the summer's midnight sun.

Menningarnótt, Iceland's yearly Culture Night, is held every August in the nation's capital Reykjavík. A world-class marathon is followed by artistic events which are held in the streets and at cafés throughout the day.Also this month, Reykjavik Jazz Festival strives to present the best in local and international jazz, as well as other musical genres.





Iceland is known for its outsized contributions to the world music scene, with performers like Bjork and Sigur Ros deftly blending improvisational elements with fascinating compositions and musicianship.

If you must wait, Reykjavik rocks a little louder in October as the hottest bands from Iceland, Europe and the Americas play the Iceland Airways Festival. Bjork makes a special appearance this year.

Icelandair has a package combining air, hotel, and admission into the annual Iceland Airwaves music festival starting at $625 per person from New York or Boston.

When you are done dancing to the beat of the Reykjavík's famed nightlife, consider that Iceland is a paradise for the outdoorsman.

The country is famous for its salmon and trout fishing, and one of the best salmon rivers in the world runs right through Reykjavík. Hunting is also allowed for overseas visitors.

Iceland is also among the best places in the world for whale watching. Successrates of seeing the world's largest mammals in their natural habitat are greater than 95 percent, according to the Iceland Tourist Board.




Golfing in Iceland under the midnight sun is magical. Rental equipment is available at the Akureyri Golf Club, the most northerly 18-hole golf course in the world, beneath snow-capped mountains in the far north of Iceland.

There is a wide selection of international flights to Iceland, both from Europe and the USA. Free stopovers in Iceland are available for those using Icelandair to fly from the U.S. to any of the airline's European destinations.

What's stopping you? The sleek and sophisticated Radisson Blu Saga Hotel in Reykjavik has rates from $145 per night this summer.

by Vincent O'Hara

Top 10 museum destinations

Top 10 museum destinations

NEW YORK: If you’re heading to Paris, you’ll stop in at the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, in Washington the Smithsonian is a must-see, and the Vatican in Rome should be on every museum-lover’s bucket list.

Online travel adviser Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.com) offers its top 10 museum destinations:1. Washington, D.C., United StatesIf you’re interested in history, architecture, art, religion, aerospace, or even wax, Washington D.C. has a museum that will pique your interest. The 19 Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of American History and the National Air and Space Museum, may appear to eclipse other institutions in the city, but other niche museums do just fine holding their own. Spend a day at Ford’s Theatre – where Lincoln was shot – before strolling the National Mall and the spectacular National Arboretum.



2. Cairo, Egypt

It goes without saying that if you’re heading to museums in Cairo, you’re into history. And you’ll get plenty of it at the renowned Egyptian Antiquities Museum, which properly holds the world’s largest collection of Egyptian antiquities. The most popular exhibit is the Tutankhamen collection, but be sure to make time for the Mummy Room. Other museums are lesser known, but stand out nonetheless. The Egyptian Ethnological Museum beautifully details daily Cairo life through the city’s long history.

3. Barcelona, Spain

It’s almost unfair how much amazing art is housed in Barcelona’s museums – the works of Picasso and Miro, not to mention the largest collection of Catalan art in Spain. Any trip to Barcelona requires paying homage to the strange architectural genius of Antoni Gaudi. Start with La Pedrera. One part apartment building, one part Gaudi museum, La Pedrera is a good primer on the naturalistic forms he preferred. Finish with La Sagrada Familia. The unfinished masterpiece church, under construction since 1882, resembles a drizzled sand castle and embodies the brilliant eye of the great Gaudi.



4. New York, United States

Along Fifth Avenue and Central Park’s east side, ten museums are densely packed into 22 city blocks, creating the infamous Museum Mile, home to powerhouses like the Frick, the Guggenheim, and grandfather to them all, the Met. The Metropolitan Museum of Art contains more than 2 million works of art, from ancient sculptures to 19th century portraits like Washington Crossing the Delaware.



5. Vatican City, Italy

Italy’s holiest of cities houses wonderfully extensive collections of the Catholic Church in some of the greatest museums in the world – the Vatican Museums. The museums feature works by prolific Italian artists like Raphael, Botticelli, Caravaggio and Michelangelo. Spend time admiring papal thrones, sculptures, and paintings as well as the grandeur of the Sistine Chapel.



6. Paris, France

The Musée du Louvre is the world’s most visited art museum. Visitors to Paris’s paragon, which houses nearly 35,000 works of art, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, can spend hours, days – even weeks – exploring the beloved trove. After the Louvre, cross the Seine to the Musée d’Orsay, which boasts 19th and 20th century art by impressionist masters like Monet, Van Gogh and Cezanne.



7. Toronto, Canada

Begin a weekend in Toronto by finding half-priced inspiration at the Royal Ontario Museum, a fabulous hodgepodge of thousands of artifacts featured in more than 20 exhibits. Friday nights are half off, and the museum welcomes visitors, from students to seniors, to admire its dinosaur, Indian and textile exhibits – and, of course, the magnificent Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, a spectacular entrance constructed of glass and aluminum to resemble an intricate crystal.



8. Berlin, Germany
Berlin’s dynamic history and the preserved monuments to wars and political strife leads visitors to sometimes feel like they’re walking through a museum just by strolling the capital’s streets. Twenty-seven museums have opened in the past decade, helping to establish the city’s Museum Island as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and pave the way for international artistic respect. The Anti-Kriegs-Museum is the world’s first anti-war museum and re-opened proudly in 1982.



9. London, England

Start with the Museum of London and learn about the city itself from prehistoric times through Roman conquests, medieval London and present day. Or, if you want another type of look at the city’s evolution, head over to the London Transport Museum where you’ll find vehicles and artwork representative of 200 years’ worth of London commuting – including the world’s first underground steam-powered train. But if it’s the cutting edge of modernity that you want, look no further than the Design Museum. Located on the River Thames, the world-class exhibits here illustrate the bravura of 20th and 21st century designers of all mediums.



10. Vienna, Austria

The Habsburgs single-handedly positioned Vienna as an art mecca for eternity after ruling over Austria – and its art production for more than 600 years. Visit Wien’s Museum of Fine Arts and admire the vast majority of the ruling family’s collections. For a more contemporary vibe, pay admission to the Kunsthalle Wien, which features contemporary international art and works by both Klee and Picasso.

Adventure your way across Alaska

Adventure your way across Alaska

By Ashley Strickland

Alaska's vast expanse of wilderness and natural beauty is captivating to its residents and visitors alike. Whether you're new to this fascinating state or a native Alaskan, it takes time to explore all the Land of the Midnight Sun has to offer.

"I feel even if we do a lot of homework online, it won't be enough to have a good vacation in Alaska," iReporter Uday Ellala said.

Don't let this wide-open landscape intimidate you. Traveling to Alaska is well worth the planning.

"Alaska is an amazing, enchanted place," iReporter Joan Splinter said. "The scenery is unbelievably beautiful, and the people are warm and welcoming."

iReporters, both tourists and locals, shared their favorite experiences and tips for navigating your way across the state.

First-timers

Don't feel overwhelmed by Alaska's sheer size -- or treat this like it's your only opportunity. First-timers in Alaska should try to immerse themselves, iReporter Laura Grabhorn said.

"Instead of going for the whirlwind, pick a couple of destinations and spend a few days there. From Seattle, you can get to Sitka in less than two hours. Rent a car and enjoy the place!" she said.

Go with a plan for what you want to see and experience for your "immersion." Also, don't forget to keep the season in mind when making your plans.

"If your first visit to Alaska is in the summer, your next trip must be in the winter," Splinter said. "Winters are magical: peaceful, amazing sunrises and auroras. It is easily my favorite season there of all!"

iReporter Adyson Ellis has a few tips of her own for the summer. "Make sure you have hotel reservations, as rooms can get booked a year in advance. Be prepared for high gas and food prices, and in the smaller communities, there are limited places to eat, so plan accordingly."

Because hot weather is rare in Alaska, don't forget to bring layers of clothing, especially if you go out on the water.

"First-timers should see glaciers, attempt to go fishing on a stream or the ocean and, of course, consume much fresh seafood," iReporter Russ Dale suggested.

Cruising through

Photographer and iReporter L. Craig Smith knows the importance of making the most of your trip.

His recommendation? "A cruise through the Inside Passage of Alaska to explore and experience the small and beautiful mining and logging towns, as well as witnessing up close the beautiful glaciers."

To take a gander at the wild side of Alaska, get your adventure on in the Kenai Peninsula, Smith suggests.

iReporter Dino Robert U. Eleazar recommends taking a cruise to maximize your time in Alaska -- and visiting multiple cities.

"I've been to Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka and Icy Straight Point, amazing places. At least you can visit not just one place in Alaska, but the cruising experience is really the best," he said.

Road trippin'
For those with the opportunity to see Alaska by car, iReporter Joan Splinter advises to venture along the road rarely taken.

"There is nothing like seeing Alaska by land. Homer -- a haven for artists and sportsmen alike -- is the crown jewel of the peninsula. The four-hour drive from Anchorage to Homer can easily take you six hours or more if you stop to photograph the amazing scenery along the way," she said.

You can also adventure through Alaska with horseback riding, kayaking, float planes and water taxi tours, Splinter said.

Where to eat and stay

In Juneau, Laura Grabhorn recommends several places to grab a bite. "My absolute favorite is Hangar on the Wharf: awesome food in a friendly and low-key spot. It used to be the Juneau airport, and now you can eat and see float planes taking off and landing and enjoy the mist and clouds as they tumble down the mountains."

She also suggests the Twisted Fish Company in Juneau and theLarkspur Café in Sitka.

Joan Splinter loves visiting Homer, and when she does, she stops byFat Olives or Cosmic Kitchen. "For fine dining, Cafe Cups cannot be beat by any restaurant in Alaska or the lower 48." She usually stays at the Timber Bay Bed & Breakfast or the Ocean House Inn.

When Grabhorn is in Juneau, she stays at the Alaska Beach Cabinon Indian Cover with a waterfront view. In Sitka, she suggests staying at the Shee Atika Totem Square Inn. "Lovely people, and they'll help you find your way around town and give you water for your stroll."

Feasting in Alaska: Dried moose, whale blubber and spit-roasted yak

Favorite spots

As iReporter Paul Tamsai said, "I would recommend the Denali area, but there is no place that I would not recommend."

While Juneau, the state capital, is a favorite with its museums, art galleries and live shows, iReporters ventured all across the state.

"I love Seldovia!" said Alicia McDonald, a former Anchorage resident. "The town is in such a beautiful setting, the people are great, the sunsets are gorgeous, the views are humbling ,and there is such a peacefulness to the area."

iReporter Russ Dale felt similarly about Ellamar. "There is no way to describe the breathtaking sights I saw, no way to describe the glee and transformation of a free soul on the edge of the untamed wild."

'Killer Seaweed' Plagues French Beaches

Travelers to France's Brittany region are being warned of toxic seaweed that is coating beaches and killing wildlife.

In the Saint Brieuc area of northern Brittany, a region in northwest France, dead wild boars have been found along local beaches. The suspected culprit? Rotting algae, reports news.com.au.

The poisonous blue-green algae releases toxic fumes as it decomposes. It's believed that breathing in these fumes caused the boars' deaths, and it can be the same for humans.

"This is a very toxic gas, which smells like rotten eggs," Brittany marine biologist Alain Menesguen told news.com.au. "It attacks the respiratory system and can kill a man or an animal in minutes."

"We are very worried for the health of visitors to beaches around here," Morieux mayor Jean-Pierre Briens said, urging travelers to use caution when going near beaches.

According to local government, the seaweed is above a health alert level, but below severe danger level.

Seaweed, a type of algae, is common along these beaches. It becomes toxic and releases hydrogen sulphide when it mixes with nitrogen waste runoff from pig and poultry farms.

"There is no doubt that farming is to blame," environmentalist Jean-Frangois Piquot told the Daily Mail. "Brittany has 5 percent of French agricultural land but 60 percent of the pigs, 45 percent of the poultry and 30 per cent of the dairy farms."

According to the paper, over the past decade, demands from local councils to control the waste produced by these intensive farming practices has fallen on deaf ears. The government's solution has consisted of hiring teams of workers to haul away the seaweed – which just comes back again.

In 2009 a member of a seaweed clearing team was poisoned by gas and taken to hospital in a coma. That same year a horseback rider passed out and his horse died after breathing the fumes.

Italy's best affordable country inns

Italy's best affordable country inns
By Valerie Waterhouse

From an ancient stone villa in Piedmont to an atelier in Florence, we reveal Italy's best affordable country inns.

Novecamere Resort, Le Marche

An unassuming cream-stone house with blue shutters in Le Marche's Conero Park, Novecamere Resort is not for those seeking high-tech amenities. Eco-conscious and organic are the aesthetic here.

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The nine guest rooms are stylishly spare with natural oak floors, white Conero-stone walls, and handmade linens. For breakfast, owner Isabella Fabiani serves salumi, cherries, plums, peaches, and grapes straight from her farm, and she'll whip up fluffy goat-cheese omelettes on demand.

There's not much to do at Novecamere except relax, which is precisely the point.

5 Via Cave, Sirolo; 39-071/933-2127; doubles from $259, including breakfast.

Relais Cattedrale, Piedmont

Globe-trotting owner Laura Elsa Valente has transformed her family's 18th-century palazzo in the medieval town of Asti into a fashionable country retreat.

The seven rooms -- four of which have restored ceiling frescoes, discovered during the renovation -- are appointed with Turkish silk floral carpets and Moroccan wrought-iron lamps sourced from Valente's travels.

In summer, locals join guests in the Renaissance-style garden to drink Asti Spumante, the region's sparkling white wine, and hear live acoustic music.

7 Via Cattedrale, Asti; 39-0141/092-099; doubles from $168, including breakfast.

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Town House Street, Milan

Milan has long had the reputation of being a staid and business-minded city, but a design renaissance is helping to transform its image. Take Town House Street, an innovative B&B in the Citta Studi district, just a 10-minute walk from downtown.

Created by local architect Simone Michele, the four ground-floor suites are housed in converted shops, each with its own entrance that opens up onto café-filled Via Goldoni. Eye-popping colors (red, orange, yellow, green) and giant black-and-white paintings of Milanese street scenes punctuate the modern interiors. One caveat: You'll have to head next door to Town House 33 for breakfast.

33 Via Goldoni; 39-02/70156; doubles from $360.

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Villa Lina, Venice

Hidden behind the Nason & Moretti glass factory on the island of Murano is this secluded pink-washed manse. Surrounded by oleander and lemon trees, the contemporary inn was decorated by owner Evi Nason, wife of local glassware designer Carlo Nason.

Vintage Murano lamps and vases can be found in all the suites, along with four-poster beds and orange leather couches perfect for perusing the hotel's expansive art-book collection. What we love most? The view from the veranda across the lagoon to central Venice, just a short vaporetto ride away.

12 Calle dietro gli Orti, Murano; 39-041/527-5358; doubles from $216, including breakfast.

Casa Schlatter, Florence

Once the atelier of 19th-century Swiss painter Adolfo Schlatter, this three-suite retreat is like an antiques-filled museum dedicated to the artist. It's no wonder, given that the owner, Alessandra, is Schlatter's great-grandaughter.

She'll greet you at the door and take you on a tour of his masterpieces, including some dramatic oil paintings of Florence. The inn's greatest asset is the location -- within walking distance of downtown Florence but far enough out to have space for a private garden.

14 Viale dei Mille; 39-347/118-0215; doubles from $122.

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Al Cardinal Mazzarino, Piedmont

The Portofino of Piedmont -- that's what Italians call the hilltop village of Cherasco, where well-heeled families including those linked to the Agnellis, of Fiat fame, spend their holidays.

Guests may not live like the Italian aristocracy at Al Cardinal Mazzarino, but they'll find calm in abundance: the 19th-century former convent has only three modest but elegant suites with botanical prints on the walls and striped silk Bellora bedspreads. Linger over a breakfast of house-made almond cake and croissants in the rose-filled courtyard.

48 Via San Pietro, Cherasco; 39-0172/488-364; doubles from $230, including breakfast.

Casa San Ruffino, Le Marche

When British transplants Ray and Claire Gorman got fed up working in banking, they moved to Le Marche and opened the honey-hued Casa San Ruffino. With the views of lush farmland and the blue-tinted Sibillini Mountains from each of the four airy suites, it's easy to understand why.

A few highlights: vintage terra-cotta floors, exposed wooden beams, and (unusual for an Italian B&B) a fully stocked and fairly priced mini-bar.

13 Contrada Montese, Montegiorgio; 39-0734/962-753; doubles from $187, including breakfast.

Villa Urbani, Rome

Music is the raison d'être at this early 1900's mansion on the avenue that leads from the hip Trastevere neighborhood to Gianicolo Hill.

Two Italian set designers are the brains behind the contemporary interiors, which are filled with Art Deco furnishings and black-and-white photographs of international musicians.

In the high-ceilinged dining room, classical and jazz melodies can be heard around the clock, and, if you're lucky, owner Laura Urbani will invite you to a private concert in the villa's patio garden.

2 Via Trenta Aprile; 39-333/481-7313; doubles from $146, including breakfast.

Casa Baladin, Piedmont

If you're a beer aficionado, you may have heard of Teo Musso, the maverick behind the Italian craft-beer movement, whose Casa Baladin is across the road from Le Baladin pub, in the village of Piozzo.

The five rooms have themes related to travel destinations, from China, with an antique, black-and-red-lacquer bed and vintage floral fabrics, to Africa, with walls covered in traditional tribal paintings. Book a tasting at Musso's pub to sample his artisan-made ales, including our favorite, the Isaac, flavored with coriander and orange peel.

34 Piazza 5 Luglio, Piozzo; 39-0173/795-239; doubles from $175, including breakfast.

Le Tre Stanze, Florence

Just steps from the Duomo, the bohemian-chic Le Tre Stanze is a favorite haunt of artists, writers, and musicians. Decadent glamour is the theme here, from the worn tile floors and handmade wooden beds to the objéts d'art (antique porcelain bowls; terra-cotta sculptures).

Book the Mansarda Room with its own terrace overlooking the city's centuries-old palazzi.

43 Via dell'Oriuolo; 39-329/212-8756; doubles from $173.

Relais Villa Antea, Florence

A friendly dog named Marta welcomes you to Relais Villa Antea, an ocher-colored villa owned by sisters Diletta and Serena Lenzi.

Inside, a Renaissance-style staircase framed by three archways gives way to six well-appointed suites with pastel-colored curtains, Empire-style armoires, and plush armchairs covered in vintage fabrics. The Lenzis treat guests like family and are more than happy to offer the inside scoop on the city's best restaurants and boutiques.

46 Via Puccinotti; 39-055/484-106; doubles from $157, including breakfast.

Masseria Cimino, Puglia

If you're searching for a romantic getaway in the Pugliese countryside, look no further than Masseria Cimino, an 18th-century farmhouse surrounded by centuries-old olive groves.

White-stone sconces illuminate the 15 whitewashed rooms, some with stone fireplaces and private balconies that look out onto the crystal-blue Adriatic. Bring an appetite: the hotel's stylish restaurant will have you feasting on authentic Puglian specialties and the region's renowned Primitivo wines.

Contrada Masciola, Brindisi; 39-080/482-7886; doubles from $497, including breakfast and dinner.

Le Case Della Saracca, Piedmont

One of the four ancient houses that make up Le Case della Saracca was previously home to a quirky farmer named Camiot who kept a donkey on his third-floor balcony.

Today, his former residence has been turned into an edgy B&B and osteria. A stone candlelit passageway leads to a mazelike interior, where glass walkways connect six rustic-chic rooms (washbasins carved from tree trunks; exposed wood-beamed ceilings; flagstone floors).

After a day of exploring the nearby vineyards and truffle farms, head to the inn's restaurant for such regional specialties as risotto with artichokes and bacon, and local goat cheese au gratin.

3-5 Via Cavour, Monteforte d'Alba; 39-0173/789-222; doubles from $190.

Il Resentin, Milan

Italian pop star Eros Ramazzotti is trying his hand at the hospitality business. In the artsy Brera zone, his Il Resentin draws a sophisticated crowd looking for an intimate alternative to the city's top hotels.

The four understated rooms are set above a bustling restaurant and bar (also owned by Ramazzotti) with plush white bedding and gray-and-taupe-striped walls. But it's the small details that make this place stand out: fresh flower arrangements everywhere, Linea Comfort Zone bath products, and free bicycles for exploring the city.

24 Via Mercato; 39-02/875-923; doubles from $418, including breakfast.