LONDON: Have lunch in one of Her Majesty’sPrisons
The Brixton district is home to The Clink, where inmates learn aspects of the restaurant business as part of their rehabilitation. There, you will dine in the historic gaol where Mick Jagger was briefly confined. No “bum beef” here!
GLASGOW: Calculate your “angels’ share”1
At the gateway to the Highlands, the family-owned Glengoyne Distillery offers a Malt Master Tour during which Scotch whisky a cionados concoct their very own personal single malt. Slàinte! (To your health!). “Angels’ share” refers to the percentage of the contents of a barrel lost to evaporation.
PARIS: Dig in at a real Parisian’s digs
The experience is invariably fascinating. And to cinch a congenial visit, make sure to show interest in: your host, the meal and your host’s dwelling, which will surely have a certain je ne sais quoi.
PRAGUE: Learn all about that city’s Kafkaesque corruption and hop into the hops
Billing itself as “the world’s first corruption tour,” this quirky visit takes you to “the best of the worst.” Hilarious and thought-provoking. And, after your walk, why not wash off all of that corruption in a relaxing beer bath?
VIENNA: Learn the Viennese waltz
Don’t be a wall ower during the romantic season of winter balls (some 400, at last count!). Instead, step up and take a one-hour waltzing course at the Austrian capital’s best school: Elmayer Dance School.
TOULOUSE: Climb aboard a real Concorde
You can visit a number of aviation’s legendary aircraft at Aeroscopia, Toulouse’s aeronautical museum, appropriately located near the Airbus assembly plant.
MARSEILLE: Become Wonder Woman
Usually, you kayak in the calanques, the fjord-like coves nearby. But at Sormiou you can go vertical, climbing with a rope. Even beginners are welcome.
MADRID: Take your order to the order…of nuns
At the Plaza del Conde de Miranda, you can purchase naranjines (orange-extract cookies) from the sisters of the Corpus Christi convent. Since they’re cloistered nuns, their sales method is highly unusual, but what it is you will have to find out for yourself!
LISBON: Take a spin in a GoCar
The “GPS- guided Storytelling car” provides commentary on the itinerary of your choice. Let’s go! We rent two to accommodate our group, and off we go on our autonomous guided tour! (Also available in Madrid and Barcelona).
ROME: Play the romance card
Along with your sweetheart, head for the Aventine Hill, one of the Eternal City’s legendary seven, to admire the setting sun from the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden). There, you will be rewarded with one of the city’s most breathtaking views.
