From The Seine To The Tagus-Your Top European Summer Picnic Spots The European
Vol.1. Issue no. 37
August 21, 2007
Paris, France 
| For the best view of the city and the glittering waters of the Tagus, the Castelo San Jorge is also good for an urban picnic. Photo courtesy of L.F. |
That holiday feel of August is gradually slipping away-public transport is getting more crowded in the mornings, ministers are returning from their breaks in the sun, and the leaves are already starting to shrivel on the trees. For many of us it's back to business as usual.
Despite ripples of an economic slowdown reaching Europe, the mood is upbeat in Spain as new projects to facilitate legal immigration from the poorer countries of Africa are launched. Portugal, the country that currently holds the EU presidency, is also holding up its reputation as a tolerant country as backing is given to Turkey's application to join the EU.
I'm looking forward to covering that side of the Aegean, but in the meantime read on to find out about the cost of living on a Greek island, some secret addresses in Barcelona (in readiness for our Live and Prosper in Europe, Sept. 2-4), and my favorite picnic spots in Europe. Bests, Leigh Fergus
Editor, The European
From the Lakes to the Tagus-your top European picnic spots by Leigh Fergus When you're on vacation, you may not always follow "normal" meal times-long lie-ins in the morning mean you won't always make it to lunch in a restaurant, but in the summer, eating al fresco is more fun anyway. Here are a few of my favorite picnic spots. Coniston Water, Lancashire, UK
In dry summer and autumn days, the little shores and beaches of this lake are where to head for your picnic. The side nearest Coniston village is best if the weather looks changeable-you can always dash to the lakeside café for a hot drink and shelter if it starts to rain. Gather your feast from the local Co-op store and bakeries in the village of Coniston, where fresh sandwiches of the crumbly local cheese are easy to find or assemble yourself. Or if you're staying in one of the youth hostels, ask for one of their substantial packed lunches, complete with a chocolate bar and fruit. Coniston Water is the third largest lake in the Lake District, and is less touristy than Windermere, despite the attractions of the little ferry and the John Ruskin estate.
Youth Hostels in Coniston (and you don't have to be a youth to use them): Holly How and Coppermines. For more, see: www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodation/the-lake-district/index.aspx. Pont des Arts, Paris, France
Instead of hauling your snacks all the way to the quiet green heights of the Buttes Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement, this ultra-central location opposite the Louvre is much more convenient. This arched footbridge provides an unbeatable view of the Seine, good people-watching opportunities, and is close to the fruit and vegetable market on the rue de Buci and the delis of the Rive Gauche selling quiches, tarts, and cold meat. Bring something to sit on in case all the benches are occupied. This is a great spot for an evening picnic as the sun goes down, turning the dome of the nearby College de France to gold. Castelo de San Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
This castle high above the city, with shady trees, and plenty of benches and old wall to perch on, offers the best view of the Tagus river. You'll need to bring your picnic with you on the tram (lines 12 or 28 from downtown), but what better place to enjoy chorizo, ham, accras codballs, and the famous pasteis de natas washed down with a little vinho verde.
Castelló d'Empúries-a rural idyll by Aileen Torrance 
| Santa María cathedral, the heart of Castelló d'Empúries, far from the crowds on the Gulf of Roses. Photo courtesy of Aileen Torrance |
For a quintessential rural Catalan town, you can't get much better than Castelló d'Empúries, with the magnificent 13th-century Santa María cathedral at its hub. A sleepy rural market town with church spires, leafy squares, and welcoming cafés, it's a real hidden gem. It lies just a stone's throw from the Gulf of Roses and provides the perfect contrast to the dramatic beauty of the nearby coast and accompanying crowds. The town is charming in a genteel crumbling way, with parts of the original city walls still intact, and lots of tiny alleyways leading down to a gentle river walk-perfect for a timeless wander.
The small bustling squares, bars and restaurants, and the town's proximity to the Parc Natural dels Auguamolls de l'Empordà make it a great place to stay for walkers or cyclists. I can recommended two hotels: Hotel Canet (tel. +34-972-25-03-40; website: www.hotelcanet.com) is that rare creature, a budget hotel with real style. Crisp cotton sheets in the small but restful rooms with tiny balconies, a buzzing café, a good value restaurant, and a stunning pool housed in the old Convent de Sant Agustì can be yours all from less than 70 euro for a double. Two minutes' walk away in another pretty square is its upmarket sister, Hotel de la Moneda (tel. +34-972-15-86-02; website: www.hoteldelamoneda.com), a 17th-century mansion upgraded with flair, combining bright primary colors with calmer hues and classic modern comfort. Doubles here cost about 120 euro, and both hotels offer suites.
If you don't want to eat in your hotel, Castelló has a surprisingly wide range of restaurants and cafés offering Catalan fare. Among the traditional dishes available, look out for rabbit grilled with rosemary or stewed with snails, sample a platter of the rich variety of fish and seafood from the nearby Gulf of Roses, or try esqueixada da bacalau, a real local specialty-ceviche of cod with fresh tomatoes, green peppers, and olive oil. Sarfa (www.sarfa.com) is the main bus company operating in the area. Buses run reasonably frequently, even in the winter months, between Figueres and Roses, so getting there couldn't be easier.
What it costs to live…on Karpathos
Island, Greece by Roberta Beach Jacobson Imagine a place with a remarkably low cost of living…and a Mediterranean climate to boot. Living in the far-flung island chain of the Dodecanese gives you just that. My husband and I freelance from home and cut back on our living costs by enjoying whatever fruit and vegetables our garden produces-we also have our own olive trees for oil and keep bees. Everybody here fishes. Expat friends of ours raise chickens. We do whatever we can to live off the land…after all, my husband and I searched for a remote Greek island to get out of the fast lane and to live on the cheap.
Jobs here are few and far between. The only work available is seasonal, largely within the tourism industry (hotel or restaurant work, tour guiding), so either you create your own employment or you are financially independent when you move here. In 1999 my husband and I paid 35,000 euro ($47,300) for our 3,875-square-foot stone farmhouse that came with a large courtyard full of mature almond trees and an adjacent vacant lot. Our garden is half-full of wild artichokes. The fig trees showed up on their own and we've planted other fruit trees such as orange, mandarin, lemon, apple, peach, and pear. An added bonus of living here is the low VAT rate. Mainland Greece pays 18% VAT, but we pay a rate of only 6% for food (13% for other items). This is to compensate "underdeveloped areas" such as ours. Even the electricity is subsidized-our quarterly bill is usually around 60 euro. The following are examples of prices in a supermarket in Piagadia, capital of Karpathos: A loaf of white bread 1.09 euro
A dozen eggs 1.80 euro
1 liter (shelf) milk 1.25 euro
Pack of butter (250g) 3.46 euro
Fresh chicken (per kilo) 4.50 euro
Pork chops (per kilo) 8.10 euro
Tomatoes in summer 0.80 euro
Bottle (1 liter) of Cretan wine 3.99 euro Going-out costs:
Lunch for two with wine 22 euro
Ice cream cone (single scoop) 2.50 euro
Instant coffee 2 euro
Instant cappuccino 2.50 euro
Annual road tax 168 euro
Unleaded gas super l.17 euro per liter
regular 1.12 euro (diesel is 1.00) Car insurance per annum
(medium-size vehicle) 304 euro
Boat insurance per annum
(18-footer, registered for fishing and pleasure) 130 euro [*Editor's note: Readers should be aware that our European Roving Editor Steenie Harvey has strong views about the failings of the Greek health system.]
Barcelona confidential by Mike DeSimone 
| Mountains of these tempting montaditos await you in a certain tapas bar in Barcelona.
Photo courtesy of Mike DeSimone. |
Stroll down any side street in Barcelona, and you'll be amazed by all the different tapas bars to choose from. Step into one, sit down, and order a glass of viura, verdejo, or albariño (white wines), and you'll be asked if you would like a tapa. The correct answer is, "Seguro,"or "Sure." The barman will then wave his hand over a long glass display case indicating that you are to point to what you want. Of course, with any of these white varietals, you are most likely to pick a seafood dish. Market-fresh seafood
Your choice will be served on a small plate or tapa with a fork and a basket of crispy breadsticks. One of my personal favorites is ham croquettes, made with superior quality jamon Iberico at a restaurant owned by the brother of the renowned chef of the Michelin-starred Restaurant El Bulli. The bar is also famous for its market-fresh seafood dredged in flour and flash fried in 100% olive oil. You can taste the briny Mediterranean in every morsel.
Another bar, right around the corner, serves the tenderest baby octopus in a light tomato sauce with just enough garlic to accent, but not overpower. I also love this chef's coquinas-tiny clams, sautéed in olive oil, white wine, and little else. Two streets down, a delicious oxtail stew is served. You can order a small portion, or, if you are hungrier, the racion, or full-sized portion. The large plate is perfect for sharing with a group of friends or that special someone. A well-balanced Rioja Riserva made from Tempranillo grapes, and a loaf of rustic bread complete the meal. A racion and two glasses of red wine should set you back no more than 12 euros ($16). Torpedo-shaped rolls
One of my friend's favorite bars serves nothing but montaditos-small sandwiches. The little torpedo-shaped rolls are freshly baked and served still warm and crusty. The combination of fillings is seemingly endless, and the menu lists more than one hundred options, including my choice of cabrales blue cheese and duck ham. Another amazing pairing is a creamy Spanish cheese, similar to French brie, gently melted, and topped with a confiture of sweet yellow onions, or a panini-pressed sandwich of aged Manchego cheese and Pata Negra jamon made from the acorn-fed free roaming pigs of Spain's mountainous regions. [Editor's Note: We've purposely not named any of these tapas bars, and if you happen to find one of them, please keep its location confidential: We'd still like to be able to find seats there when we return for the Live and Prosper in Europe conference in two weeks.] IL |
