A trio of German entrepreneurs is hoping to convert an old industrial building in Berlin into the world’s largest rooftop farm. Plans for the self-sustaining organic spread, which should be up and running by 2013, include a fertilizing fish farm
Category: Food / Travel
Nutella may be tasty, but the creamy chocolate spread is not nearly as healthy as its labels would suggest. A court in Frankfurt has ruled that Ferrero, Nutella’s parent company, needs to change its labels, which consumer groups call downright deceptive.
Eating in absolute darkness, or getting a massage without being seen, can change your perspective. From Paris to London and Barcelona — and coming to the U.S. and Russia — institutions run by the blind are also sharing their vision of life’s experiences
The new Super rich of China are indulging in another world classic: Caviar from wild sturgeon in the Caspian sea comes in at hundreds of dollars a spoonful. But China has also quietly become a new source of farmed caviar, which experts say can compete wit
What many considered the planet’s best restaurant, Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli in Spain, recently closed its doors. So where to now for a genuine out-of-this-world meal? North – way north. In Sweden’s Jämtland, a bearded chef named Magnus Nilsson is
Italians have ancient claims on the origins of the ever more global holiday of Halloween. In Mantua, where Jack-O-Lanterns — called “lumere” — light the roads to cemeteries, others may be more interested in the delicious dishes made wi
Charred bones and teeth found in a campfire in a remote part of Nuku Hiva, a French Polynesian island, may be all that’s left of a missing German man. Details of case remain murky, but already some suspect the 40-year-old world traveler was not o
Welcome to Guangxi Province, a land of karst mountains, rice farmers and – rock climbers. Yes, the famous karst mountains of Guilin in the south of China can now be climbed.
The EU Council of Ministers has finally cleared the way for Nutrition Facts labels to be standardized Europe-wide. But manufacturers still have a few years to conform – and consumer protection groups aren’t entirely happy.
On the Left Bank, the Shakespeare and Company bookshop is a place where the physical book – and all the humanity that goes into it – is fighting to survive. Aspiring young writers are still offered bed and board: the only condition is that they read a boo
Essay: The most recent trend in cooking shows combines two well-tested television formulas: reality TV and sports. But a French philosopher argues that by emphasizing competition shows like “Hell’s Kitchen,” and “Master Chef,” a French equivalent, the bea
Op Ed: A recent decision by the European Court of Justice regulating the components of honey is absurdly rigid and far-reaching, and could undercut any agricultural technological advancements in E.U. countries.
Little by little, North Korea is looking to build tourism in the otherwise isolated Communist country. A reconverted freighter has been unveiled as the first chance to take a cruise, replete with evening entertainment and great scenery. Certain amenities,
In sauces and on skewers, critters that crawled and worms that squirmed are increasingly seen as a thrifty source of protein for people in the developing world — and beyond.
In the heart of Hong Kong, Chungking’s 17 stories are divided by price and “presentability.” They are home to travelers, traders, restaurants and prostitutes in a low-cost microcosm of our ever mobile world.
Fueled by Internet forums and photo-sharing, so-called “urban explorers” track down decaying houses and boarded-up factories to capture the way things were in an ever more remote past.
They look like a cross between a prison cell and an office container, but go by the fancy name of “Wies’n-Loft” — or “Field Loft.” They’re not cheap, but it’s better than nothing if you can’t get a hotel during Munich’s Oktoberfest.
Since China organized the 2008 Olympic Games, its revolutionary national stadium – dubbed the “Bird’s Nest” – has been the symbol of a country turned toward the future. But it also serves as a reminder of the country’s unresolved internal tensions.
Believe it or not, good bread can sometimes be hard to find in the French countryside. Some farmers are rising to the occasion, swapping their work gloves for baker’s mitts and offering customers some genuine country cooking.
A handful of Roman families are accused of intimidating both tourists and other would-be faux ancient gladiators treading on their cobblestones. Police use some ancient tricks to trap them, but they always come back for more.
As wine grows in popularity with a new Chinese elite, some shady sellers are hocking “French” wine made with artificial flavors and colors. But the labels look great!
French retailers and food manufacturers are realizing there’s money to be made by embracing halal, food produced according to Islamic law. Though sales tend to spike during Ramadan, halal is very much a year-round market.
The American fast food chain’s latest attempt to adapt to local tastes may make global bread connoisseurs shudder. In September, it will add French bread rolls to its breakfast menu. And by next year…a baguette sandwich.
Venice is falling apart at the seams – quite literally in some of its best-known places. Critics say unregulated tourism is destroying Italy’s beautiful and fragile lagoon city.
Categories
Mingling With Gorillas In Rwanda
Northern Rwanda is the only place in the world where mountain gorillas can be observed in their natural habitat. It is a boon to tourism in a country healing the scars of a brutal 1990s civil war.
Ottolenghi’s famous London eateries offer a feast for the eyes and stomach. Though not a vegetarian himself, the Israeli-born entrepreneur has developed into a world-renowned master of meat-less cuisine.
A Russian submarine provides a rare expedition to the bottom of Switzerland’s largest lake to view the wreck of a 19th century lake steamer, and a peek into a forgotten tragedy.
Bicycle paths in some Swiss cities are about to crowd up as motorized, 3-wheel rickshaw taxis come to town.
Thai wine is gathering growing praise from world-renowned wine experts. Many tourists – including some who sign on as grape pickers – now include vineyards on their list of things to see in Thailand.
A political battle erupts when locals objecting to the arrival of bears decide to hold a very particular kind of barbecue.
Categories
The End Of The Organic Myth
Op-Ed: The bean sprouts identified as the culprit in the recent E. coli crisis in Germany has cast a shadow over the virtues of organic food. Expensive, environmentally demanding — and not always so tasty or healthy — organic food is not the idyll that
Asian millionaires want the best Bordeaux wines. This permanent demand on a limited number of bottles has sent prices skyrocketing for the most prestigious Chateaux at Hong Kong auctions. It risks skewing the market as a whole.
Good news for people who like hiking – in their birthday suits! A nude-friendly trail in central Germany is now open for the season. Could Switzerland, a hiker’s paradise, open its natural spaces to naturists as well?
Categories
Meet Claude Monet’s Master Gardener
Gilbert Vahé has devoted much of his life to the picturesque Claude Monet gardens in Giverny, a living legacy he not only preserved, but helped recreate.
Best known for his operas, Gioachino Rossini also had quite a flair for culinary composition. That hardly comes as a surprise considering he grew up on Italy’s Adriatic coast, which continues to wow visitors with its natural beauty, exquisite architecture
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Ferran Adria’s Final Menu
The Catalan genius of molecular gastronomy is tired of cooking people meals, and is set on closing his restaurant El Bulli. But the final few months, and very last meal, is the maximum of foodie exclusivity.
After designing London’s Millennium Bridge and the Beijing airport’s international terminal renowned architect Norman Foster is now looking to leave his mark on the Dolomite Mountains, with a ski lodge billed as seven-star luxury. But some local
Instant messaging will notify Air France customers in real-time of every twist in their itinerary, from delays to sudden cancellations to the whereabout of your luggage.
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In France, meat eaters strike back
Confronted to rising criticism of the shoddy practices and environmental damage of the meat industry, beef lovers are organizing themselves to defend their beliefs.
With their rugged mountains and jewel-like fishing ships, the Traena islands are Norway’s dreamlike destination.