One of the most universal - yet misconstrued - pasta dishes is Spaghetti alla carbonara. It appears on restaurant menus from Melbourne to Montreal, yet very few make it in the classic Roman way.

The origins of the dish also vary, though one of the most common theories is that it was developed in Rome after WW2 as allied troops supplied the local population two American staples: eggs and bacon. The recipe was first published in Elizabeth David’s 1954 classic ‘Italian Food’ and became rapidly popular for its simplicity and versatility (the dish is suitable for brunch, lunch and dinner). But like Chinese whispers, the original message became confused and it grew common for cream, parsley and even cheddar cheese to be added.

For an authentic Roman Spaghetti alla carbonara, try this recipe (Serves two):
Buy (in Campo di Fiori market for example):
225 grams of pancetta, bacon or guanciale (pig’s cheek)
450 grams dried spaghetti
4 eggs
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Then:
Cook spaghetti until it’s al dente (keep the water). Lightly fry the meat until fat is dispersed over the fan and it’s turning crispy. Add the pasta to the pan and toss around, adding a little pasta water as necessary. Add grated cheese and egg whites and some ground pepper and toss. Transfer to serving bowls. Make a hole in the ‘nest’ of pasta and drop in egg yolk and extra grated cheese.
Toss this around a bit on your bowl and eat immediately. Buon appetito!

Since 2006 Holiday Velvet offers Rome accommodation.

If the award for Best Market in Europe was dished out by name alone, Rome’s Campo de’ Fiori (or ‘field of flowers’) would win hands down. (Well, it’s certainly better than Barcelona’s Boqueria, which translates as ‘slaughterhouse’).

Campo de’ Fiori is primarily one of Rome’s most beloved squares, even though it lacks the formal architectural arrangements of the city’s other great piazzi such as the Piazza Navona or del Popolo. However this one-time meadow has always been a hub of the city’s commercial activity and the nomenclature of the surrounding streets reflect this. In the Middle Ages, you could have picked up a bespoke cape in Via dei Giubbonari (Tailor’s street) and a bow and arrow in Via dei Balestrari (Crossbow makers street) before heading off to one of the many inns in the square for a night of bawdy revelry.

This still happens once the sun sets on the Campo de’ Fiori, when hoards of young people, mainly tourists, pack out the outdoor cafes that line the piazza. But every morning (except Sunday) the Campo de’ Fiori comes alive with a genuine local experience; Rome’s biggest (and possibly Europe’s prettiest) open air market.

This being Italy the stalls of fruit, vegetables, flowers and fish border on works of art. As you wander around, you will marvel at the exquisite bunches of vine tomatoes, cascading walls of strawberries, perfectly balanced pyramids of peaches and plums and curtains of wisp-like red peppers flapping in the breeze. Marvel at the fact that someone has the patience to sit there all morning trimming artichokes and how flowers are displayed in antique baskets where stems, textures, shapes and colours intermingle to make the most glorious compositions.

As a result, the Campo de’ Fiori market attracts is fair share of curious tourists. But first and foremost the market serves the residents of the centro storico and acts, as all good markets should, as a community meeting place. So, don’t stand back. Buy some ingredients for a classic Roman dish such as Spaghetti alla Carbonara and you will take home a genuine slice of Roman life.

Since 2006 Holiday Velvet offers Rome accommodation.

For lovers of classical music and opera, there is possibly no better destination in Europe than Prague. The capital of the Czech republic has a year-long calendar of concerts and recitals, performed in the gorgeous art nouveau and baroque churches and theatres the city is renowned for.

The most famous of these is the Národní divadlo, or National Theatre. This giant early neo-Renaissance edifice embodies Czech identity and national pride. Built (and then re-built) with public donations during a time of cultural and political repression, the laying of its foundation stone was celebrated as the birth of a nation, and today the Národní divadlo is seen as the alma mater of the Czech Republic.

The National Theatre’s Opera Ensemble repertoire ranges from classical such as ‘La Traviata’ and ‘Cosi fan tutte’ to ‘Tomorrow There Will Be’, an opera based on the life of Dr. Milada Horáková, a Czech politician executed by the communists. If scheduled, don’t miss a performance of ‘Libuše’. This opera by Bedřich Smetana christened the National Theatre and is seen as the ultimate musical expression of patriotic sentiment.

But visiting opera buffs need not just limit themselves to one performance. In keeping with the National Theatre’s democratic spirit, tickets can be picked up for as little as CZK 50 (about €2) For information on how to buy them, see: www.narodni-divadlo.cz

Since 2006 Holiday Velvet offers Prague apartments.

You’ll see it everywhere in Barcelona, from workers munching on brick-sized bocatas (sandwiches) in the street to the baskets of stuff placed in front of you almost as soon as you sit down at a restaurant table. Pa amb tomàquet is the national dish in Catalunya - the meat to their potatoes if you like - and no other dish brings a tear to a Catalan’s eye quite like a humble piece of bread smeared in tomato pulp and then drizzled with olive oil.

Pa amb tomàquet is generally topped with cheese or charcuterie (at this point it is re-named a torrada). Do try something local, such as botifarra blanca, a tripe and port sausage, fuet, a think whip of sweet salami-type sausage or the wonderful or Iberian ham. As for cheese, dryer, firmer varieties seem to work best (they soak up the olive oil) such as an aged manchego. Even salted anchovies (the best ones come from L’Escala on the Costa Brava) are delicious.

Whatever you choose, pa amb tomàquet should really be made with the best local ingredients; take a slice of rustic-style bread and toast it. Whilst still warm, rub a peeled clove of on one side. Cut a ripe tomato in half (the small-ish crinkly ones you see sold on vines in the markets such as the Boqueria work best). Drizzle with virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt then add the topping and ya esta! You have an instant Catalan classic.

Photo Credits: stone soup | Since 2006 Holiday Velvet offers Barcelona apartments.

It’s been called ‘the greatest market in the world’ and in many ways it is. Barcelona’s Boqueria market is the largest in Europe and the best in the city. Located right on Las Ramblas, La Boqueria goes beyond a place to do your weekly shop; it is a showcase for the Spain’s vast array of seasonal produce, an inspiration for local chefs, a stage for local community events and increasingly a top tourist attraction.

Traders of all sorts have been peddling their wares at La Boqueria’s site since the 17th century when the city was still walled, though the soaring glass and iron structure you see today dates from the mid-19th century. Inside, there is logic to the market’s layout; in the centre you’ll find the ‘illa de peix’ (island of fish) where pearly-white cuttlefish, bucket-loads of prawns and scary-looking monkfish glisten on seas of ice. Around the edges you’ll find fruit and veg, with exotic fresh fruit juices sold at the Rambla-facing stalls. In between you’ll wander through everything in-between, from tiny paradas selling only eggs or bananas and another with every sort of fungi under the sun (Petras, Nº 867, they also specialise in edible insects). Perhaps logically the offal and game stalls are tucked away on the outer wings and if you happen to be in need of horse or bull meat check out Carnes Serrano (stalls 142-143) one of the few butchers left in Barcelona who stock it.

Even if you don’t have the urge to whip up a local Catalan speciality, such as pa amb tomàquet, you can eat at one of La Boqueria’s handful of bars—a quintessential Barcelona experience that should not be missed. The most famous is Pinotxo (stall 466) where you’ll be rubbing shoulders with market workers and top chefs who have stopped off for a glass of cava and a tapa on their rounds. Organic (stall 972) is pure veggo fare, whilst Symposion (Stall 923-924) sells the best giros in town.

More: La Boqueria Official Website | Since 2006 Holiday Velvet offers Barcelona apartments.

Because no matter what you are looking for in a holiday, Berlin has it all. Shopping, culture including street art, museums, theatre and opera, nightlife in cafes and clubs, leisure in parks and on beaches – there is nothing you won’t find, and this variety makes Berlin my dream destination every year.

My favourites: Berlin Kreuzberg has been a no-go area for many years but has developed into the best hub for artists and youth culture, offering countless bars and trendy shops, especially on Orienburger Straße. But before you hit them, you should eat the best Currywurst you’ll find in Germany at Konnopke Imbiss in Schönhauser Allee a food stall that has existed since 1901.

Mitte in East Berlin offers dozens of museums and galleries and is slated as the future centre of town. A highlight is the Museumsinsel (Island of Museums) and in particular the Pergamon Museum, the most visited museum in Germany. Don’t miss sitting on the stairs of the Pergamon Altar or walking through the Ishtar Gate, a relic from the ancient city of Babylon. It always make me feel like I have left the modern world and been transported back centuries. The TV Tower on Alexanderplatz is the 4th tallest construction in Europe, affording 360° views all over Berlin and into the surrounding countryside.

Because of its glorious and often inglorious past, Berlin offers a historical legacy that has been tailored for this tolerant and culturally diversified metropolis. Two of the biggest events of this nature are the Christopher Street Day and the Carnival of Cultures on Whit Sunday that represents the cities many ethnic groups. People dance, sing and celebrate together – no matter where they are from in an experience not easily forgotten.

If I feel like enjoying a cultural evening, I mostly visit the Friedrichsstadtpalast, which is famous for its theatres, or the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. But many cabarets and concerts are also offered in the O2 Arena or Waldbuehne, which was built for the 1936 Olympic Games and is one of the most beautiful open air theatres in Europe.

And if you have the chance to visit Berlin in summer, you should stop by at the beach because Berlin has transformed itself into the capital of beach bars. Between the Reichstag, Museumsinsel and the East-Side-Gallery, along the river Spree, you can sit underneath palm trees at a beach bar or on the sand, and almost feel like you on one of the big South European beaches.

There is nothing better than finishing off a day full of sightseeing or shopping with a cold beer in the sun, sand between your toes and watching young people playing beach ball.

Having it all – that you can get only in Berlin!

**This short Travel Story was submitted as part of the Holiday Travel Writing Competition. All short-listed entries such as this one are published in our online Travel Guide**

Story written by Jette Winkler | Photo Credit: mikko l | Since 2006 Holiday Velvet offers Berlin accommodation.

I’m no Meg Ryan and he’s no Tom Hanks, yet despite this, we managed to fall in love and have a sleepless time in the city that never sleeps.



Red-eyed from the flight we made our way from JFK to The Gershwin, a 
boutique hotel on 27th and 5th. 

After checking in we walked ten blocks to the Empire State and ascended 102 floors to the top. The city twinkled before us in the cold clear night sky. Behind us the park was quiet. Ahead of us Fifth Avenue looked alive with lights as it carved it’s way down the island dissecting it in two before losing itself in a mish mash of streets heralding the start 
of Greenwich which beckoned us to descend, hail a cab and make our way to The Blue Note in the heart of The Village. 



Jazz courtesy of Ben E King, daiquiris and our hearts aglow we hailed 
another cab down to the waterfront and watched the sun come up and the boats busy themselves under Brooklyn Bridge.



Practising our very best John Travolta struts we walked to the middle 
of the Bridge before returning to pose for pictures in Battery Park with 
the plastic Liberties.



Too busy to sleep we walked Wall Street and paid our respects at the 
gaping hole plunged through the heart of New York.



A day of shopping, hot coffee and cold toes followed before we 
collapsed for a late afternoon snooze and spooned on our Queen sized bed in our cosy room.



With shows, concerts, Radio City, Madison Square Garden and Soho to 
choose from we plumped for comedy off Broadway followed by a stroll 
around Hell’s Kitchen, singing and twirling our way round lampposts in 
homage to the original West Side Story.



Too cold to go barefoot in the park we doubled our sock count and walked through the park. With the sun squinting through the trees we welcomed in our last day in Manhattan. I swear we passed Annie Hall or did I just Imagine her in John Lennon’s garden? 



We asked for breakfast at Tiffany’s but all they could offer was 
delicious gems that neither of us could afford. We plumped instead for 
pastrami on rye at a nearby deli. As we munched we watched would-be 
Carrie’s hop in and out of every other cab.



We walked to 34th street to see if we could witness a miracle but all we
found was the Subway. We spun a coin and took the train to Brooklyn 
where we fell in love with the brownstones and dreamt of our double 
lives here living next door to Hannah and her sisters.



The subway ride back to the island afforded a quick shut-eye. A sugar 
fix combined with a need for tea led us to the Astoria for afternoon 
tea. As we munched we watched the ladies do late lunch marvelling at 
the Charlotte look-a-like’s as they swapped tales of sex and their City.



With the clock spinning round we walked to Time’s Square and down 42nd Street. A walk through Grand Central Station and we were at the foot of the Chrysler throwing down tall shadows in the late afternoon sun. And it was then that we realised we heart New York – we really did.



A love affair had begun and we knew we’d have to return again and 
again. In the meantime, in our heads at home, we’d replay the movie we 
made that weekend in the city that never allowed us to sleep.

**This short Travel Story was submitted as part of the Holiday Travel Writing Competition. All short-listed entries such as this one are published in our online Travel Guide**

Story written by Vicki Rimmer | Photo Credit: dbking | Since 2006 Holiday Velvet offers New York accommodation.

Barcelona - My Favorite! It is one of the best tourist spots in Spain. Here are some of its highlights. The Cathedral of Barcelona is dedicated to the Saint Eulalia. It has beautiful carvings on the choir and on the tomb of Saint Eulalia that is housed in the crypt. There are street performers, many vendors and cafes around the cathedral. It took a very long time to build this religious structure. Work began in 1298 and went on till 1913 as civil wars and plague disrupted its construction.

The National Museum of Catalonian Art (MNAC) is located near the Parc de Montjuic and has a beautiful collection of works from the Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic, Rococo and Modern periods. Lectures are also held to educate the tourists about art history. The museum is open to visitors from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm and from 10am to 2:30pm on Sundays.

The Picasso Museum is based in central Barcelona (in the historical Born district) and is easily reached by metro. Out of the five Picasso Museums in Europe, this one was the first to open (in 1963). It features the beautiful works of Picasso that were made by him in his formative years. In addition, there are temporary exhibits of artists who influenced Picasso as well of those who were influenced by his legacy.

Next in line is the Barcelona Aquarium. Opened in 1995, it has 35 tanks containing 11,000 sea creatures from 450 different species. Fourteen showcase Mediterranean habitats whilst seven exhibit coral reef and other tropical communities. You can closely look at the beautiful aquatic creatures moving around freely in their habitats. The Oceanarium is a very big tank that has a glass walkway underneath it, which enables you have mind-boggling view of the sharks, morays and other countless species of fish.

Paying a visit to the La Sagrada Familia in is an enlightening experience. Antoni Gaudi, the brainchild behind this marvelous piece of architecture. He started work on it in 1882, it is still continuing and expected to be completed by 2035. The facades on the east side depict the birth of Lord Christ while the west facing facades depict the demise of the Lord. The rear side is dedicated to Virgin Mary while work on the front side is yet to be completed.

I sincerely hope that you have a joyful and enlightening experience in Barcelona!

**This short Travel Story was submitted as part of the Holiday Travel Writing Competition. All short-listed entries such as this one are published in our online Travel Guide**

Story written by Milan Matchev | Photo Credit: Jurvetson | Since 2006 Holiday Velvet offers Barcelona accommodation.

Because the last time I was there I was heavily pregnant, and every single person smiled at me, and wished me tanti aguri (best wishes). Everywhere else in the world I felt large, to say the least, and a strain on everyone but in Rome I was a welcome addition to society. In restaurants I was sent delicious dishes by chefs (that I didn’t order) and whenever I think of my midnight munchies- the pizza! Lordie lord the pizza! I became a regular at the Pizzeria da Baffetto (via del Governo Vechio 11), a roman institution and the queues that snake outside are testament to this. The large pizzas would feed a small village - all this for as little at 7 Euros for a meal.

Oh and then there was the ice-cream! I should probably admit at this point that the chestnut ice-cream (a favourite of the late John Paul II I was told) is a memory that I will carry with me into my old age. Most Romans consider Giolitti (via Uffici del Vicario 40) to make the best gelato in Rome but I found it delicious wherever I bought it.

What more can I say other than about food? The fragrances in the lovely Campo di Fiori of freshly cut flowers (this square’s name actually means ‘field of flowers), the colours of fresh fruit from the market stalls and the endless smiling faces of other pregnant mothers all worked magic on my senses. The architecture is breathtaking and there is a visual surprise around every corner. I recommend Rome to everyone, pregnant or not!

**This short Travel Story was submitted as part of the Holiday Travel Writing Competition. All short-listed entries such as this one are published in our online Travel Guide**

Photo Credit: SjWilliams82 | Since 2006 Holiday Velvet offers Rome apartments.

A visit to Paris is often associated with guilty pleasures; there’s something about those delicate, pastel-coloured macaroons, rich, red Bordeaux wine and even pure silk lingerie that would be foolish to resist. So why stop at shopping and eating? While you’re at it, indulge your body and mind at one of the city’s top spas.

Le Spa Nuxe (32 rue Montorgueil, www.nuxe.com). Exposed brick walls and natural wood combined with contemporary furniture in earth tones set the scene for this popular urban spa that offers both Western and Eastern styles of treatments and massages. Nuxe skincare products, which are produced under the principles of phytotherapy and aromatherapy, are used exclusively.

La Bulle Kenzo (1 rue du Pont-Neuf, www.labullekenzo.com), Anything that carries the name of French- Japanese designer Kenzo Takada you expect to be unconventional, and this futuristic spa is no exception. In a quirky décor featuring the designer’s signature vivid colours, you can lie in on a bright pink massage matress (you didn’t presume to see a regular massage table did you?) where you will receive a ‘choreographic massage’ accompanied to music whilst watching the abstract projections on the walls around you unfold. Later on, you will be served tea in spa’s lounge, where a complete range of Kenzo products and perfumes are sold.

The Vendôme Spa (4 rue du Mont Thabor, www.spa-renaissance-paris-vendome.com) Located inside the Hotel Renaissance Vendôme Hotel, and very close to the Louvre Museum, the Vendôme Spa’s treatments are heavily inspired by Eastern philosophies of wellness and include Thai massage, reflexology and body scrubs. A sauna, hamman and tranquil pool complete the experience.

Saint James and Albany Spa (202 rue de Rivoli, www.saintjamesalbany.com). The name of this spa may be terribly Anglo-Saxon, but the treatments inside are pure Eastern with a list of products that read like a spice market. Holistic massages are given with black pepper or lemon-based exotic balms and oils mixed with mint, cardamon, camomille or green tea. Afterwards, relax in the Turkish bath or crystalline, ozone-treated pool and return to the busy streets of Paris with your groove back.

Les Bains du Marais (31-33 rue des Blancs Manteaux, www.lesbainsdumarais.fr) is not the only hamman (Arabic sauna and wet room) in Paris, but it’s certainly the most reasonably priced and accessible. The must-have treatment here is a traditional gommage, which consists of a vigorous scrub down with a rough mitt and olive oil-based soap, removing dead skin and leaving you glowing all over. Note that the hamman has designated ‘men’ and ‘women’ days, much the same way as they operarate in the Arab world where hammans are public baths.

Photo Credit: Spa Renaissance Paris Vendome | Since 2006 Holiday Velvet offers accommodation in Paris.