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Love to travel? Like to eat? Why Portugal should be on your bucket list

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The gastronomy scene in Portugal is booming with the food scene finally stepping out of the shadow of Spain. While neighboring Spain often steals the limelight as a foodie destination, Portugal shouldn’t be overlooked.

Michelin has recently awarded 3 restaurants in Portugal with their first star. The country now boasts 20 restaurants with one star, and 6 with 2 stars, demonstrating that exceptional cuisine is served in restaurants across the nation.

To give travelers a taste of the country’s gourmet cuisine, the national airline TAP Air Portugal has introduced a “Taste the Star” program through which Michelin star chefs create exceptional local cuisine which is served to business class passengers.

Now is the time to visit as the best culinary destinations become tourist hotspots. Some of the finest foodie options in the country include exquisite codfish tasting menus in Aveiro to typical Portuguese snacks, known as petiscos, in Alentejo.

Portuguese cuisine hinges on 5 icons. First, the best fish in the world in the opinion of many renowned international chefs. Their habitat and specific geomorphological location in the Atlantic give the fish unique conditions for birth and growth that enable them to acquire a taste and texture hard to match elsewhere.

Second is the cataplana, a utensil that is the delight of gourmets and those who like to conjure up all the senses around the table. Cataplana is the word for both the food dish and the spherical pot it’s cooked and served in. This pork and seafood stew is found in the Algarve in Portugal.

The third icon of Portuguese cuisine is Port wine, considered both sumptuous and sensual. Its unique characteristics come from the soil, man’s hard work, and the sunshine that ripens the fruit. This region was classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, as well as the Lodges in Gaia where these wines age.

Next are the sweets of Portuguese cuisine, and they are divine. In the old days, nuns would prepare their recipes of sugar, eggs, and almond in the seclusion of their cloisters. The result of the balance between flavor, creaminess, and crispiness is another icon of Portuguese cuisine, considered a truly heavenly sweet – the pastel de nata (custard tart).

The fifth icon of Portuguese cuisine lies in the human factor. The country’s chefs are increasingly talented and winning more prizes, revolutionizing the richness of Portuguese cuisine with their creativity, boldness, and good taste. Currently, Portugal is proud to have a host of chefs who work at the highest levels of cuisine, using old-established recipes or more unusual methods that often enhance the flavor and quality of local products.

Along with these cultural food icons, are a number of other products that also help to distinguish what is eaten in Portugal. The Protected Denomination of Origin (DOP) meats from local breeds – Bísaro pig and black pig, Arouquesa, Maronesa, Mertolenga, Barrosã and Lafões beef, Barroso kid (charnequeiro and transmontano), Terrincho and Bragançano lamb – whose producers work hard to maintain their succulence and flavor.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are the basis of Portuguese cuisine and of its more Mediterranean characteristics, typical of a healthy, simple, and varied cuisine. They are the product of a fertile land, which is adopting the new organic production processes that are friendly to both consumers and the environment.

For seasoning, there is pure aromatic olive oil that is conquering international markets with every passing day. Fish, soups, salads, and cheeses are all seasoned with it.

And, surprise – there are wonderful mountain cheeses produced in Portugal that the world has yet to discover. The creamy, oily, or dry goat and sheep cheeses will make foodies bless the heavens.

Meia Tigela restaurant in Portugal

To accompany all this, there is one more delightful secret that is just beginning to be revealed – excellent table wines. Created from a new generation of winemakers and producers with a new vision for the cultivation of vines, Portuguese wines are exactly the right drink to accompany meals with great quality according to the region of the country in which you are dining.

Now all you foodie travelers need to do is plan your trip, and when you arrive sit down at a table and enjoy the food and wine as you toast your delightful experience.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Italy travel: Extraordinary opening of hidden treasures to the world

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An extraordinary opening is about to take place of over 1,100 sites in 430 locations in Italy, from the Palazzo della Consulta in Rome to the Castle of Melegnano (MI), from the Center for Space Geodesy in Matera to the city of Pontremoli (MS). This is the Italian Environmental Fund (FAI), the National Trust of Italy.

The organization was founded in 1975 on the model of the British National Trust. It is a private non-profit organization with 60,000 members in early 2005. Its purpose is to protect elements of the Italian physical heritage that could otherwise be lost.

The splendid paradox of Italian beauty is being together both every day and extraordinary, sometimes sumptuous and explicit, others hidden and wounded, but always so deeply Italy’s as to define who the country is and remind of the countless plots that have woven the nation’s origins, leaving footprints in Italy’s cultural heritage as if they are clues.

On Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24, 2019, the FAI invites everyone to participate in the FAI Spring Days to look at Italy as never done before and build an ideal bridge between cultures that will make travel around the world a goal and a delight.

Now in its 27th edition, the event has turned into a grandiose mobile party for a vast public, which awaits every year to take part in this extraordinary collective ceremony, an unrepeatable appointment in the cultural panorama that since 1993 has enthralled almost 11 million visitors.

Year after year, the FAI Spring Days exceed themselves: this edition will see 1,100 places open in 430 locations in all regions, thanks to the organizational thrust of the 325 groups of delegates scattered in all regions – regional, provincial, and youth group delegations – and thanks to the 40,000 Cicerone Apprentices.

Hundreds of sites and thousands of people that the soul of the FAI lights up, will take everyone by the hand and accompany the Italians to reflect themselves in the astonishing variety of the most beautiful country, opening places that are often inaccessible and exceptionally open to visitors this weekend, during which it is possible to support the Foundation with an optional contribution or with registration.

For 2019, the novelty of the largest square festival dedicated to the cultural heritage of Italy will be a FAI bridge between cultures, the FAI project that aims to amplify and tell the different foreign cultural influences scattered in open goods throughout Italy. Many of these places bear witness to the wealth derived from the encounter and the fusion between Italy’s tradition and that of European, Asian, American, and African countries.

This is why in some of these sites and in some FAI assets the visits will be handled by over a hundred volunteers of foreign origin who will tell the historical, artistic, and architectural aspects typical of their culture of origin which, in contact with Italy’s, contributed to give life to the country’s heritage.

Examples are the Carlo Viganò Library of the Catholic University in Brescia, a “journey” between the Latin, Greek, Arabic, and vernacular languages through manuscripts, sixteenth-century works, and printed works that document the development of algebra, astronomy, the physics, and other sciences.

There is the Piazza Sett’Angeli in Palermo, an open book where one can read the millennial history of the city, and the Chinese Cabinet of Palazzo Reale in Turin, covered with lacquered panels  from China. Also, there is the connection between Venice and the Dalmatian School of Saints George and Trifone, which still maintains the spiritual and cultural bond between the Dalmatians and Venice.

The catalog of goods that can be visited during the FAI Spring Days is available at giornatefai.it and contains a proposal so varied and original that it is impossible to summarize.

Travel News | eTurboNews

St. Kitts & Nevis records double-digit growth for first two months of 2019

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Demand for St. Kitts & Nevis as a premier destination for travelers continues to rise, with air arrivals for the first two months of this year posting a year-to-date increase of 15.3% system-wide as compared to the same period in 2018. Results are even better from North America, the destination’s largest source market, registering a year-to-date increase in air arrivals of 19.3% for January and February 2019 as compared to the same months in 2018. This continues the growth of airlift from major gateways in 2018, which increased over 2017 by 9.3% system-wide and reached a total of 153,364 air passenger arrivals for the full year, the highest number ever recorded in the destination’s history.

“I am extremely pleased to see such strong increases in air passenger arrivals to our Federation for 2018 continuing into peak season 2019,” said the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism for St. Kitts & Nevis. “These numbers are a clear indication that we are gaining momentum towards reaching our goal of 150,000 stayover visitors in the next few years.”

“We redoubled our marketing efforts in the fourth quarter of last year specifically to support our additional peak season air service and these numbers demonstrate that we have achieved very successful results,” added Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. “With the milestone airlift arrivals recorded for 2018 and performance last year in the months of March and June nearing 30% growth over the same months in 2017, the significant growth measured so far in 2019 signals a rising demand for St. Kitts as a highly desirable travel destination, particularly from North America and for key events such as St. Kitts Music Festival. We will continue to employ this successful marketing formula as we strive to reach our goal of 150,000 stayover guests by 2021 from our primary source markets of the US, Canada, UK and the Caribbean.”

St. Kitts’ marketing strategy maintains a particular focus on reaching individuals who are a match with the geo-demographic lifestyle data of its target visitors in key gateway markets to support airlift year-round as well as marquee island events including St. Kitts Music Festival. In the fourth quarter of 2018, additional digital, print and spot TV advertising combined with public relations to communicate special offers and raise brand awareness in and around select North American cities comprised a coordinated campaign to grow arrivals for peak season 2018-2019. The Ministry of Tourism and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority also work closely with airlines to systematically build out air bridges to/from identified target gateways to grow service in a sustainable manner while making the island increasingly easy to reach via air.

St. Kitts & Nevis welcomed non-stop Saturday flights from Minneapolis that started December 22, 2018 and operate through April 20, 2019. In addition, from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, the destination receives Wednesday non-stop flights that started January 9, 2019 and operate through March 6, 2019 to complement existing non-stop Saturday flights. Looking ahead to the summer, new non-stop Saturday flights from Dallas starting May 25, 2019 and operating through August 17, 2019 open up a new gateway with easy connections from Houston and the western states of the US.

About St. Kitts:

Intoxicating natural beauty, sunny skies, warm waters, and sandy beaches combine to make St. Kitts one of the most seductive spots in the Caribbean. Located in the northern Leeward Islands, it offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history. The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s former sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, and touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the more traditional vacation pastimes available are water sports including catamaran cruises, golf, shopping, tennis, dining, gaming at St. Kitts’ exclusive casino or simply relaxing on the beach.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Italy travel: Destination Baia and Latina steps into the video limelight

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In 2017,  “The Year of the  Borghi” was celebrated in Italy. According to the directive of the former Minister, Dario Franceschini, the initiative was created with the intention of enhancing lesser-known cultural tourist destinations among small towns and cities characterized by a broad historical and cultural heritage, representing ideal destinations for slow  and sustainable tourism.

Among the lesser-known villages is Baia and Latina, a smaller village rich in history and a historical and cultural heritage celebrated by Pliny the Elder for the pure air and the quality of the land. The municipality located between the Trebulani mountains and the course of the Volturno river, a crossroads of goods and cultures between Lazio, Campania, and Sannio, preserves the cultural characteristics of its own tradition favorable to evaluate and insert its presence in the list of the minor Borghi of Italy.

 

Baia and Latina, in the province of Caserta, the ancient belonging to an Etruscan colony has attributed the credit that Enea would have stayed in Latina and his father Latino would have built a temple sacred to Minerva and given the name to the village.

Other versions trace the origins of the borgo back to the Samnite period. The two villages today form a single municipality, a decision dating back to the period of French domination (1806-14) and the subsequent one, during the Bourbon domination.

The houses of the borgo have medieval conformations highlighted in part by the important structures: towers and castles perched to guard its territory. Together with the numerous palaces and archaeological finds dating back to the period of its origins.

 

What remains of the past reflects a historical reality that can be read on the stones of its houses, churches, noble palaces and castles. Structures that climb upwards through alleys and narrow streets that sometimes seem to disappear inside the houses and then re-emerge in an open space or a small square where the sunlight is finally free to radiate.

The doors of the houses maintain characteristics that evoke distant times. And therefore  charm, pleasure of being immersed in the lifestyle unchanged over time. Imagine living in distant ages just 50 km from the nearby metropolis: Naples and 25 from Caserta with its majestic Royal palace.

The Year of Italian Villages met with great interest by Italian municipalities from North to Sicily and developed promotional initiatives with highly encouraging results, creating new sources of tourism that have decreed success: the statistics published at the end of the Borghi year indicate an increase in 7% of national tourism and foreigners in particular from Asian countries – China and Japan.

 

The ambitious plan of the mayor of Baia and Latina, Giuseppe Di Cerbo, in office since June 2016 is to bring his borgo to the attention of an increasingly high number of visitors, more than those who arrived on the occasion of the celebration of ” Living Nativity “celebrated at Christmas 2018, artistically improved under his direction. And, create initiatives to stimulate daily visits, even to the extent of raising the destination slowly to success. Then enter triumphantly in the official catalog of the Italian minor villages.

With a visit to the borgo, the opportunity to get more information from the mayor presented itsel.

eTN: In the area of the ancient village, many houses have been identified in a state of abandonment and decay. Is there a plan for their recovery?

Mayor: The request for subsidies for the restoration was sent to the European Union (UE) without result as the granting of EU funds requires the participation of private capital to the extent of 25% of the total value for the restoration.

The owners of the buildings are unable to invest. But, we have obtained regional funding with an EU contribution to the settlement of water shortage.

eTN: What is your program to improve the life of the borgo?

Mayor: Among the priorities stands  the creation of a receptive system, that is the Bed & Breakfast and the expansion of the sewerage network. For this we are waiting for funds from the region. The redevelopment of the Volturno river, improving aid to buffalo farmers through the Rural Development Program (PSR) [is also a priority].

Baia and Latina the first small town in Italy equipped with video surveillance.

A historical plaque affixed to a building tells: “Here in the tormented years of the new kingdom of Italy, November 10, 1863, the mayor, Antonio Scotti, and his wife, Francesca Lacracchi, after heroic resistance disdaining surrender to the brigaders horde that had set fire to the house perished among the flames.”

eTN: Mayor, is this what motivated your project of video surveillance of the village?

Mayor: The project, in fact, was started by my predecessor as prevention of the national problem on the small delinquency that has also affected our territory. We believed it right to continue and delegated the public works councilor Antonio Brancaccio to finalize it to be active on the 24 hours, round the clock, with great satisfaction of the inhabitants (about 2,400).

The security cameras will be connected to the data reception center of the Carabinieri barracks. My plan includes the Internet system entrusted to the architect Christian Itri.

The village produces dairy products:  mozzarella cheese, salami, and honey. Vegetable production is mainly at the individual level: only private gardens! Visitors can take advantage of small dining options and a larger one in Baglio, the Arco restaurant, whose cuisine offers specialties utilizing local products.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Lufthansa launches seven new European destinations from Munich

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During this year´s summer flight schedule Lufthansa launches seven new destinations in Germany and Europe. There are several weekly flights to Strasbourg and Rostock for the first time, and the offer is being extended to Spain, France, Italy and Croatia. “The summer timetable offers business travellers important connections via Munich to the rest of the world. Holidaymakers can also look forward to attractive new holiday destinations, especially around the Mediterranean,” says Wilken Bormann, Lufthansa CEO Hub Munich. Lufthansa is flying from Munich to 140 destinations in 46 countries this summer. These include 113 destinations in Germany and Europe that can be reached non-stop from the southern Lufthansa hub.

On April 9, Lufthansa will be taking off from Munich to Strasbourg for the first time. As the seat of the European Parliament, the city in Alsace is an important business destination. But Strasbourg is also interesting for short-term holidaymakers: The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Bombardier CRJ900 brings passengers to Strasbourg five times a week, offering an optimal option for business and leisure travelers.

Alicante is on the Munich flight plan for the first time on April 12. An Airbus A320 will fly to the port city on the Costa Blanca three times a week.

Until now, Tivat has been considered a little-known holiday destination. Now, a less than two-hour flight links the city in Montenegro to Munich. Steeped in history, Tivat is located near the Bay of Kotor and, with its historical settlements by the fjord-like bay, is a UNESCO World and Natural Heritage Site. From April 13, Lufthansa will be taking off in an Airbus A319 to Montenegro every Saturday.

After a long break, Rostock/Laage is back on the Lufthansa flight schedule. From May 1, the CRJ900 will be flying from Munich twice a day and on every Sunday afternoon. Transfer passengers have optimal connections to the worldwide Lufthansa network in Munich.

Also new in the timetable is Biarritz. The seaside resort on the French Atlantic coast will be served every Saturday from May 25 with a Bombardier CRJ900. The legendary holiday destination offers long sandy beaches and is an Eldorado for surfers.

For the first time, northern Croatia is just an hour’s flight away from Munich: Rijeka is the name of the new Lufthansa destination, which is considered the gateway to the Croatian islands. On Saturdays, also from May 25, a Bombardier CRJ900 will fly to the Kvarner Gulf region.

Tourists can now also reach Rimini on the Italian Adriatic coast directly from Munich with Lufthansa. A CRJ900 will touchdown at the popular holiday destination every Sunday from May 26.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Things first-time travelers to Jordan should know

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Award-winning Canadian novelist, Colin McAdam, once said, “The best advice I heard before going to Jordan was ‘don’t read anything about it’.” It is indeed true because however much you do your research nothing will prepare you for the overwhelming beauty of this country. Jordan is proud of its rich culture and heritage, warm and welcoming to its tourists, offering them an experience of a lifetime. It is so magnificent that you will need multiple Jordan vacations to get a feel of this land, its culture, lip smacking food, and everything else that it has to offer. Here are some tips for first-time travelers to Jordan which can make their trip a little smoother.

Dress appropriately

Jordan is a Middle Eastern country and contrary to popular notion, it is not a hot desert all year round and to be honest, weather can be quite fickle. Even light snow is not uncommon in the colder northern parts of the country. Therefore, watch out for the weather predictions around your time of visit and pack your clothes accordingly. Certain religious places might require you to dress conservatively, and it is a good thing to be respectful of the culture. Therefore, irrespective of gender, try to carry a few conservatives, clothes covering your legs, chest and arms, to wear when you visit religious spots. Always carry a scarf on you to drape around yourself in case you are required to cover up. Although it is a popular tourist spot and thus, there are no dress codes or restrictions at large, it is a smart idea to be respectful and ditch your skimpy outfits.

Vegetarian options are limited

Food here in Jordan is simply mind blowing and you will fall totally in love with the rich delectable, lip smacking cuisine here. It is a paradise for food lovers, and you are bound to go back home with a few extra kilos. But if you are a vegetarian or vegan you might find your options slightly limited as the entire country is absolutely in love with its various forms, kinds and preparations of meat. Most popular dishes in Jordan are made with some form of animal product or other which is why you have to do a little bit of research to find items which do not contain any form of animal product else you might end up with a seemingly vegetarian dish and it comes out to contain meat.

Try to avoid rush hours

Rush hours in Jordan are mostly during the office hours but traffic jams reach their peak around 2-5pm. Although the yellow cabs of Jordan are super affordable, you might like to avoid taking a cab during these hours in order to avoid higher fares and being stuck. Sometimes taxi drivers are also hesitant or they even tell you honestly that it is better to avoid a certain area due to the jams. If possible, plan your travel accordingly and try to avoid longer distance travel during this time and instead opt for walking around.

Be careful about the water you drink

The weather here, especially around summer can present you with sweltering heat and intense perspiration which demands you to stay hydrated, more so during your sightseeing around Petra, Wadi Rum and other hotter places. You cannot drink water straight out of a tap as tap water here is not potable water and has to be filtered to be drinkable. Avoid drinking water from a source you are unsure of. It is advisable to rely only on packaged drinking water to save yourself from stomach upsets. When you go for sightseeing make sure you carry your own bottle of water to keep yourself hydrated. If you feel dehydrated, opt for ORS for quick re-hydration.

Jordan is a beautiful country steeped in a beautifully ancient culture, where the modern life is growing rapidly, coexisting with the ancient, so that the past in not wiped out by the future. The people are friendly, helpful and kind enough to help you around with directions or guidance so feel free to ask around. It is also quite safe, making it perfect for solo and family vacation alike.

Travel News | eTurboNews