Movers

Nördlingen

Harvard

Watervillas Maldives

Tapestry Room

When Dario Cecchini staged a mock funeral for the Bistecca alla Fiorentina when it was banned for BSE in March, he shot to world-wide fame. His butcher’s shop in Panzano, a tiny town in Chianti, is foodie heaven. Opera or jazz blares from the CD player, the place is full of cookery books, jars of spices, strings of garlic and chillies, he holds brunch on Sunday mornings, recites Dante and sells extraordinarily good organic meat. He also prepares meat dishes from traditional recipes.

Lollipop sunrise

on train

Seegrotte

Get out of the malls and hit the stalls for a Budapest shopping tradition. The Christmas Market will see Vorosmarty ter and nearby Vigado ter filling up with little stalls selling quality hand crafted items and traditional Hungarian gifts. Funky Transylvanian items include excellent lace, incredibly warm untreated wool sweaters and (technically edible) hats made of mushroom leather. Of course, there’s also clichés like faux-folk bullwhips and fur-covered wine jugs but it’s best to steer toward gifts like hand-carved chess sets, hand-made jewellery and puppets.

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