Elizabeth Heath

Why you might be dreading the end of lockdown

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Author’s note: I live in Italy, which has just been put under “lockdown” for the next three weeks as a result of the coronavirus epidemic. While I’m not under quarantine, circumstances have forced us all to consider that self-quarantine might be in our near future. I’ve thought a lot about how to keep my family of three comfortable and nourished should that occur. I’ve tried to maintain a level head and not panic while still being pragmatic and prepared. Yet every time I go...

It always seems like a good idea at the time. Leave meat to soak for a few hours — or even overnight — in a flavor-packed marinade, then toss it on the grill. The results should be a happy marriage of grilled goodness: seared meat that’s deeply imbued with sweet, salty or tangy flavors from the marinade. Should.
But the best-laid plans can fall apart once the brisket hits the flame. Marinades can do a little bit of good or a lot of harm — sometimes leaving meat rubbery, mushy or bitter.
Fortu...

It’s often argued that handmade pasta, with its toothy texture and rich flavor, tastes infinitely better than the dried stuff. For Italians, who do actually consume untold kilos of dried, store-bought pasta every year, pasta “fatta in casa” is a hallowed culinary event that is increasingly rare in modern Italy, where families are less nuclear and less likely to gather around a communal table, and where home cooking is giving way to convenience.
But homemade pasta still commands attention, and...

Here’s what to do if you want to keep the acqua alta—Venice’s high tide of November and December—from washing out your vacation.

From Prague to Edinburgh, Alsace to Manchester, Sweden to Spain, the Christmas market is a hallmark of the holiday season in Europe. The old cities take on a festive glow, with wooden market stalls selling handmade gifts, fairy lights strung in trees, the scents of gingerbread and glühwein (hot, spiced wine), and the overall feel of an Old World Christmas. Here’s how to enjoy a European Christmas market with kids.
European Christmas markets with kids
Christmas markets are most often set up in...

Jason Ransom/ One Ocean Expeditions
Mega-cruise liners that carry 5,000 or more passengers may not be your style. But there are still parts of the world that are better experienced from a ship—and others you can only get to by ship. For travelers with a sense of adventure, expedition cruises are an effective way of getting to the planet's more remote corners. Antarctica and the Arctic are favorite destinations for this type of cruise, and Galapagos, Patagonia, Greenland, and Iceland are also ...

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That it was tasteful and luxurious was no surprise. That a doorman or bellhop appeared before I even knew I needed him was expected. That there was not a whiff of obsequiousness and that everyone—everyone—at this landmark Mayfair hotel was friendly, quick to chat or make a joke and genuinely seemed to be having a good time on the job? Now that was a surprise.
My stay at Brown’s Hotel London ranks among my most pleasant experiences in a luxury city property. I’ve stayed in hotels that we...

Florida, best known for its busy beaches and theme parks, probably doesn’t spring to your mind as adrenaline central — but maybe that’s because you’ve never visited the Sports Coast.

The what coast, you say? North of Tampa, west of Orlando, and in a world all its own, Florida’s Sports Coast — anchored by the communities of Zephyrhills, Dade City, Wesley Chapel, and New Port Richey — is that hard-to-find combination of pristine natural areas, wide-open spaces, and cities that get confused for ...

Elizabeth Heath
Forget the old cliché of Rome not being built in a day. If you’ve only got a day to do it, you can see the best of Rome. Unlike other sprawling European capitals (we’re talking to you, London and Paris), the touristic area of Rome is fairly compact, and most of it can be covered on foot. This self-guided walking tour of Rome includes stops at the best things to see and do. It assumes you get an early start on your day, that you’re in reasonably good shape for a long walk (with...

Friday marks National Watermelon Day, and in observance of this hallowed commemoration, I can’t help but reflect on how watermelon once made me feel like an outcast.
I was 5 years old, and living in the St. Louis suburbs. I was playing in a neighbor kid’s backyard, back when children ran barefoot in the woods and had muddy faces. My playmate’s mom came outside with a plate full of watermelon slices. I asked for some salt.
“Salt?!” a chorus of kindergartners asked accusingly, their sweaty litt...

Jason Cochran
Seeing the Colosseum in Rome just got easier. And more complicated.
In spring of 2019, CoopCulture, the entity that manages visitor access to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill and other archaeological sites in Rome, introduced a new timed ticket system that appears to be working relatively smoothly.
Prior to the timed system, advance planners could buy their skip-the-line entry tickets on the COOP Culture website and enter the Colosseum whenever they wished to do...

You may think of it as that ‘other’ city in Tuscany – the one that’s not Florence. You may plan to visit ‘if’ you have time, once you’ve trod through the museums of Florence, traipsed through the ruins of Rome and plied the canals of Venice by gondola. But a weekend, or even longer, in Siena – the city in Tuscany that isn’t Florence – reveals a compact, manageable city with a glorious medieval centre, winding narrow streets and alleys, and a fascinating history. In Siena, more so than in bigg...

Venice, Italy is one of the world’s most magnificent cities. Its iconic bridges, Byzantine-influenced cathedral, romantic, gondola-filled canals, and narrow, characteristic streets have enchanted visitors for centuries. But it’s also a victim of its own success, as seen in well-publicised reports of the city straining under the effects of over-tourism. So while travellers keep visiting Venice, they’ve come to expect that they will encounter stifling crowds, overpriced hotels and restaurants, ...

Zürich isn't just Switzerland's largest city; it's also the country's nightlife capital. As such, the city has its share of long-established bars and clubs—including Einstein's favorite café—as well as a constantly changing roster of new "it" places. Options here really run the gamut, from riverside pop-up bars where you can soak your feet while you sip to dimly lit jazz bars and thumping dance clubs.
Clientele, like the city itself, is young, attractive, and prosperous. And also just like th...