Harvest time brings out festivals around the world from apple picking here in Virginia to olive pressing in Italy. The annual Alba Truffle Fair, held each October to early November in the village of Alba in northwestern Italy, is ground zero for celebrating some of the world’s finest “tartufi bianchi,” or white truffles, considered by many as one of the world’s richest flavors. Even if you didn’t get an invitation to the auctions where fanatics will bid up white truffles into the tens of thousands of euros, you can join the happy crowds and browse the weekend town markets for truffle oils, cheeses, and more or settle into a local café for menus celebrating mushrooms in more ways than you thought possible. Naturally, no Italian celebration is complete without medieval costumes, parades and contrada – neighborhood – contests. In Alba they race donkeys in the annual competition for neighborhood bragging rights.
Please check out our website for a comprehensive list of Italian festivals.

How would you like to visit the Nuremberg Toy Museum, tour a BMW car production facility, bike in the German countryside, ride Segways in Vienna, go whitewater rafting and see the Lipizzan stallions? These activities and more are part of the 2016 Uniworld Danube Discovery river cruise, especially designed for families. European river cruising is changing with the times and the cruise lines are rushing to accommodate families with more spacious cabins, special facilitators and children’s activities designed for families to learn more about European art, culture, music and history.

Where is Christopher Columbus? With Columbus Day coming up this weekend, do you know where he is buried?

Columbus passed away in Spain in 1506 after having made four voyages to the New World. In respect to his wish to be buried in the New World, the great explorer’s remains and those of his son Diego sailed in 1537 to Santo Domingo where they were interred in the local cathedral. In 1795, when Spain lost Hispaniola to France, the remains were sent to Spanish Havana for safe keeping. After the Spanish-American War of 1898 Columbus father and son were shipped back to Spain where their remains were entombed in the Cathedral of Seville. Today the Seville Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can see Christopher Columbus’ impressive bronze casket borne by the likenesses of four Spanish Kings.

The story has an interesting twist. In 1877 a lead coffin was discovered in the Santo Domingo cathedral inscribed with “don Crisobal Colon.” Since then the Dominican Republic has claimed Columbus’ remains and you can visit the Columbus burial monument there. Meanwhile in Spain, experts recently tested the DNA of their holdings and claimed that Spain has Columbus!

Considering how traveled Columbus was in his lifetime perhaps it is fitting that the Admiral of the Seas is shared by the New and the Old World.

Alhambra Palace
Moorish emperors of Andalusia constructed Alhambra in the 14th century on a hilltop overlooking Granada in southeast Spain as a palace and fortress designed to be “a paradise on earth.” This UNESCO site will treat you with its aromatic gardens, lively fountains, numerous reflecting pools, delicately carved columned arcades, tile works and views of the valley below.
Later it was here that Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain granted Christopher Columbus his charter and funded his voyages of discovery.
The American Author Washington Irving lived there in the 1820’s and wrote his “Tales of the Alhambra” which went on to motivate the Spanish government to save and restore site.
As Irving wrote about the Court of Lions with its 124 white marble columns : “It is impossible to contemplate this scene, so perfectly Oriental, without feeling the early associations of Arabian romance, and almost expecting to see the white arm of some mysterious princess beckoning from the gallery, or some dark eye sparkling though the lattice. The abode of beauty is here as if had been inhabited but yesterday.”
Alhambra draws millions of visitors annually and entrance tickets are limited and time controlled. We suggest a visit in the spring or fall to avoid the summer crowds and the heat.

We welcome the Holy Father to the USA. Last week we brought our tour group to the Vatican to attend the weekly Papal Audience at St Peter’s where we had the privilege of seeing Pope Francis close up and listening to his sermon on the importance of family life.