The jewel of the Italian Lakes, Lake Como is a delightful spot with gorgeous scenery, wonderful villas and gardens, and palatial hotels. There are several towns where you can relax and enjoy la dolce vita. Como, at the southern tip of the left branch of the lake, is the largest. It’s also the hub for ferries and hydrofoils.

Como has a lovely lake-front promenade, a pretty piazza, a couple of interesting old churches, and a villa built in 1782. You can tour it and wander the pretty gardens. You can also take a funicular up the Brunate Hill. You’ll be rewarded with fabulous views of the lake. Read more…

Although Eurodisney Paris has lots of fun rides and attractions, unless you’re the best parent in the world, it’s probably not real high on your list of things to do in Paris. If you’re like many people, shopping is at or near the top.

But if you can find a volunteer to go with the kids to Disneyland Paris Resort, you can spend the day at La Vallee Village, the outlet mall that’s just a few minutes’ walk from the Disney park entrance. If you’ll have the kids in tow, there’s a play area for them at the Village. Read more…

Everyone knows that the French make incredible red and white wine. But their rose wine is also fantastic, albeit sometimes misunderstood.

When I told a friend that we loved the rose wines we drank on our recent trip to France, she turned up her nose and said, “Isn’t that like Kool-Aid?”

The truth is that most American roses, if you can even find them, aren’t very good. We went to the California wine festival yesterday in Santa Barbara, and of the 350 wines they poured, probably fewer than 5% were roses. Of those, only one was even slightly dry. Read more…

Being sick is always a drag. But being sick when you’re away from home is doubly so. Toughing it out in a strange hotel room with none of the items that might make your feel better is miserable. In fact, the only thing that’s worse is being on a crowded plane or train, unable to sleep or get any rest.

We’ve been stricken in Africa, South America, Alaska, and Europe, and an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. And though you can’t prevent everything, you can stack the odds in your favor. Read more…

With some of the top flea markets in the country going strong for years now, L.A. needs another flea market like it needs a hole in the head. But Southern Californians are so crazy for flea markets that too much is not enough. In fact, the only thing more popular than flea markets is food trucks. And some brilliant entrepreneur got the idea to combine the two.

The new L.A. Flea Market debuts on July 18 in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. The grand opening will feature the Hollywood Yard Sale with items donated by George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and other celebrities. Proceeds from sales will benefit the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center. Read more…