We spoke to some solo women travel experts who shared their top safety mistakes to avoid when traveling alone... In Strasbourg’s Hôpital civil, a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape would be prescribed for bloating, while a Côtes de Provence rosé was used to treat obesity... Take a tour of six slightly obscure French destinations with a surprising number of gastronomic restaurants.

While visiting the coastal town of Bermeo, one of the oldest towns in the Basque Country of Spain, I received a most unusual invitation to dine with friends of friends. It was unusual not just because it began in a seafood market or ended in a mountaintop bodega. No, this was a rare invitation to dine at one of the Basque male gastronomy societies.

For many, kirsch is simply a sharp-tasting liqueur that recipes require in a pot of fondue. For the Swiss it is their national drink. For me it was an excuse to tour the Dettling Kirschwelt distillery. To be honest, just the hour-long boat ride from the city of Lucerne to the idyllic village of Brunnen on Lake Lucerne would have been worth it.

Dedicated Loudoun County winemakers, working with the rhythms of time and the vagaries of Mother Nature, have created an overwhelming revelation for visitors to Washington D.C. For those in the pursuit of pleasure, Loudoun County, a short 25-miles to the east of D. C. is a leisurely laid-back alternative from the chaotic rush and jumble of the big city where vineyards and horses combine to create a lifestyle to envy.

Just as the early morning sun had penetrated the Adriatic Sea’s marine layer, my driver arrived to take me to the Venice airport for my flight home to the U.S.   PortoPiccolo proved to be the ideal location to end my journey of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Located minutes from Trieste, devoid of Roman roads and medieval streets, the upscale seaside resort was the perfect venue to simply relax and reflect about my exploration of Italy’s Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.

The distinguished city of Bordeaux in southwest France with its astounding urban historical center noted as a World Heritage Site boasts a glorious buffet of sidewalk cafes and restaurants with legendary cuisine honoring French culture and their indisputably sophisticated approach to gastronomy. Dining here offers a lifetime of pleasure for the Bordealais as well as an enduring love affair with some of the world’s finest wines produced by hundreds of nearby wine chateaus.

At a wine merchant's warehouse the regular taster died, and the director started looking for a new one to hire. He posted a sign at the entrance to the building: EXPERIENCED WINE TASTER WANTED – POSITION STARTS IMMEDIATELY.