A foodie?s quest starts with barbecue and takes off from there with a tangle of radish kimchi, spaghetti stuffed into an ice cream cone and raw octopus tentacles.
Whether prompted by rising airfares or the specter of fewer available flights, tour operators say travelers have been booking unusually early this year.
Even as passengers grimace at each new charge the airlines impose, they have generally been sympathetic toward pilots and flight attendants ? until recently.
Baltimore, San Diego, St. Louis and two Florida destinations are among the cities affected as the carrier grounds a third of its fleet to counter soaring fuel costs.
Under the city?s medieval church spires, a spider web of cobblestone lanes brims with art museums, theaters, upstart fashion boutiques and all-hours night life.
Exploring the 34 islands and peninsulas that make up the 12-year-old Boston Harbor Islands National Park is a striking juxtaposition between modern and 19th-century visions of the city.
On a meandering road trip between two standard tourist spots ? Sturbridge Village, Mass., and Newport, R.I. ? a less known, often achingly beautiful New England reveals itself.
To the Editor: I got a kick out of the travel section?s ?36 Hours in Pittsburgh? (July 6). Pittsburghers have known for a long time that the only people who don?t like our city are those who have never visited. The theater scene here is vibrant. Not to be missed is Quantum Theatre (www.quantumtheatre.com), which since 1990 has been producing works in sites specific to them like a city park, abandoned industrial warehouse or an empty swimming pool in Andrew Carnegie?s first library building in Braddock, Pa.
To the Editor: I was very distressed that the Travel article ?36 Hours: Bangkok? (June 29) chose to include a trip to Patpong, the infamous red light district. First, with a mere three days in a city rich with art, culture, religion and food, why would anyone waste their time at strip clubs or buying porn? But more disturbing, why would The Times advocate visiting a part of the city that profits from the sex trade, a business that exploits men, women and children? Visitors who want that experience will find it without a tacit endorsement by The Times. Lauren Bufferd.
To the Editor: I would like to congratulate Adam Begley on his excellent article, ?Sicily, Through the Eyes of the Leopard? (July 6). Having been born in Siracusa, Sicily, and grown up there in the 1960s, I was made to read ?Il Gattopardo? in high school and never appreciated it. Not sure how, but recently I found the old high-school book, reread it and loved it. The article captures, better than any I have ever read, the essence of the book, the author, the land, the people, the contradictions, the culture. Paul Pirrotta.
