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Stories by Tamar Fleishman

Antwerp: spiritual, corporeal, coarse and refined

Definitive high-meets-low Belgian culture.

I got off the train to Antwerp, Belgium, at Central Station, named by Newsweek as the fourth most beautiful train station in the world, just around the crack of dawn. The town square was lifeless, ...

Secrets of Ghent

Most of us in the U.S. remember the name “Ghent” from the Treaty of Ghent that finally ended the War of 1812 with the British. At the time, communication was slow, and Gen. Andrew Jackson ...

Tasty Prince Edward Island

A visit to foodie heaven.

Prince Edward Island, Canada, is called the birthplace of Canada – it was the site where they became a confederation in 1864. In 2014, they will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference leading ...

Ol' Tennessee Smokies

Breathtaking vistas, Southern charm, BBQ and moonshine.

Lots of tourist amenities have sprung up around Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the U.S., and it’s no wonder. The stunning scenery and wildlife have attracted people to the ...

Celebrate Amsterdam

Excuse to visit: 2013 is the legendarily tolerant city's jubilee.

Though it can be fairly said that Amsterdam is always ready for a party, this year the city is really celebrating. 2013 is the 400th anniversary of its famous canal ring, now a UNESCO World ...

Cultured Staunton, Virginia

An air of refinement in the scenic Shenandoah Valley.

Why are people from around the world flocking to Staunton, Virginia, a little railroad town nestled in the Shenandoah Valley? Staunton, pronounced “Stant-on,” isn’t content to merely be a scenic historic stop 10 miles west ...

Chattanooga, Tennessee

The Trail of Tears and the Delta Queen.

Chattanooga was one of the main starting points of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. It and the surrounding region of southeastern Tennessee are full of culture, preserving important elements of America’s heritage. And all this ...

Food + Art: Upstate in Dutchess County, NY

Dutchess County, New York, is part of the Hudson Valley. In one single county, you’ll find all types of cultures: historic, scenic outdoors, indie artists, foodie, horsey set and “beautiful people.” This is the land ...

Malmö: Gateway to Sweden

Do as the Swedes do in this cosmopolitan Old World city.

Malmö is at the very southern tip of Sweden. This lively, modern-thinking international city has been around since the Middle Ages and used to be part of Denmark. In fact, to visit Malmö, you fly ...

Helsingborg, Sweden

Ikea’s hometown is a favorite of royalty, tennis stars, rock stars and foodies.

The city of Helsingborg, Sweden, is a lot more charming and laid back than you would imagine Sweden’s busiest fruit port, the place where Nicorette was invented and still made, and the headquarters for Ikea. ...

Foie Gras... or Faux Pas?

A trip to an Upstate N.Y. foie gras (now illegal in CA) farm sheds light on the process.

Whether you're a foodie, a farmer or an animal rights’ activist, you’ll learn a lot and clear up many misconceptions by visiting Hudson Valley Foie Gras. You may have seen the episode of No Reservations ...

Gothenburg, Sweden

A Scandinavian arrival on the global foodie scene.

Gothenburg, Sweden, is the country’s second-largest city, and yet it’s not on most Americans' radar. It should be! It’s an important commercial port, Volvo’s headquarters, a college town, a gourmet food destination and a fashion ...

Day Trip to NYC: Art + Food

There are lots of reasons why you might like to have a handy day-trip plan for NYC. Perhaps you’re sitting bored out of your tree in one of the many cities that supports a super-discount ...

Hangin' with the Colonel in Bardstown, KY

Bourbon and Southern charm a-plenty.

One of the most recognizable advertising logos in the world is Col. Harlan Sanders for KFC. This is pretty much the extent of what most people know about the Kentucky Colonels, though some have an ...

Land of Haydn: Burgenland, Austria

This acclaimed winemaking region holds a few welcome surprises.

Many people are largely unfamiliar with how important Franz Joseph Haydn was to classical music. He is called the “Father of the Symphony” and “Father of the String Quartet,” yet he is not as well ...

Aboriginal Taiwan

A culinary tour of this culturally rich island off the coast of China.

Recently, I traveled to Taiwan to learn about its food. I sampled a range of delicacies, but was most struck by a culture completely unknown to me: the aborigines of Taiwan. The original settlers of ...

Weird – and Luxurious – Hocking Hills, Ohio

I certainly wasn’t expecting to find European-style castles and other luxurious things in Ohio’s Hocking Hills, nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Yes, they have some of the more expected things, like biker ...

Mittel Europe in Middle America: Cleveland, OH

You can immerse yourself in the culture of Central Europe without ever leaving the States by heading to Cleveland. Between the food, music and neighborhoods, there are lots of exotic pockets in the city that ...

Lucca, Italy: Puccini and the Heart of Tuscany

I was invited by the Tuscan city of Lucca, Italy, to learn more about its beloved son, Giacomo Puccini. The fifth generation of famous musicians in his family, Puccini lived from 1858–1924 and was the ...

Niagara Falls, Like Grandpa Used to Love

My grandfather was born in what is now the Ukraine, but was then known as Czarist Russia. When he later emigrated to the U.S. and got married to my grandmother, he wanted to go on ...

Pittsburgh (Yes, Pittsburgh)

A few years ago, The Economist pointed out that Pittsburgh’s changing demographics would make for a “rosier future.” Sure enough, it’s a hot place for young people to visit. Aging baby boomers in the steel ...

Down-home Door County, Wisconsin

The original French explorers and fur trappers who came upon the treacherous waters separating Washington Island from the mainland of Door County, Wisconsin, called it “Doors of Deaths.” Today, the waters do sometimes delay campers ...

Go Colonial in St. Mary's City, Maryland

Three hundred seventy-eight years ago, the state of Maryland was founded in St. Mary’s County. Leonard Calvert, representing his brother – the second Lord Baltimore – started a colony that would be hospitable to Catholics ...

Roanoke: Not-so-Sleepy Mountain Town

Roanoke, Virginia, is a mountain city in the South, but it’s not quiet and it’s by no means sleepy. The city has a culture of fine arts and music that permeates all of downtown. It’s ...

Fun in Cleveland (Seriously)

If you want to totally immerse yourself in rock music and the rock star lifestyle, Cleveland is the place to do it. I recently got to attend the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ...

Birmingham, Alabama: Birthplace of a Movement

Birmingham, Alabama, was founded in 1871 – after the Civil War – but quickly caught up with other Southern cities’ cruel segregation and Jim Crow practices. Some say it bested them. Dr. Martin Luther King, ...

Old-school in Wheeling, West Virginia

There was a time when Wheeling, West Virginia, had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the U.S. Once the capital of “newly restored” Virginia and the new state of West Virginia, it was ...

Little Rock: The New Indie Music Mecca

Little Rock, Arkansas, has quietly become an indie music lover’s paradise. People who ponder going to SxSW, but worry about the expense, the hassle and its growing commercialism are discovering Arkansas’ indie musician– and audience-friendly ...

Unconquerable Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma

The Chickasaw Nation, an active tribe now in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma, was once known as the “Spartans of the Lower Mississippi Valley” and the “Unconquered and Unconquerable Chickasaw.” The Chickasaw's original homeland was ...

Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma

How can you stay in the U.S. and yet be in another nation? You can in Cherokee Nation, located outside Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the state's northeastern corner. The Cherokee had been based chiefly in North ...

Columbus, Ohio: The New Foodie Mecca

I didn’t know until I stepped foot in Columbus, Ohio, that it had become a foodie mecca. Sure, I knew they’re near some of the most valued farmland in the US. But I didn’t realize ...

Travel with Your Dog: Pelee Island, Ontario

Sometimes, my dog and I need to get away from it all – maybe a little exotic jaunt to a Canadian island. You might be wondering about the logistics of traveling with your pup and ...

There's So Much More to Detroit

There’s so much more to Detroit than what’s in the foreboding Chrysler commercials. It’s taken a beating in the press with the hard times that have befallen the auto industry, but still offers a vibrant ...

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

This year is an especially good time to visit Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the home of the National Civil War Museum, with interactive exhibits that let you intensely and personally experience the 150th anniversary of the war. ...

Smithfield, Virginia

Paula Deen has shined a spotlight on Smithfield, the tiny Southern river town off the Chesapeake Bay. Yes, this is a real place — like the head of their visitors' bureau says, “It’s not like ...