Intelligent Travel

Coffee with an $11,000 Price Tag

As I deliberated over coffee beans in my neighborhood grocery store, the guy next to me struck up a conversation. It was run-of-the-mill small talk at first, but soon he was swooning over Grape + Bean, a combo wine-and-coffee shop that had just opened in nearby Alexandria, Virginia. Clearly still on a caffeine high from his visit, he was positively rapturous over the “best cup of coffee he’d ever had.” Intrigued, I pressed for details—after all, anyone who knows me at all understands coffee is my true love (sorry, Noah). And a couple of weeks later, I hopped on D.C.’s Metro on a pilgrimage to check the place out for myself. 

Just off bustling King Street in Alexandria’s adorable Old Town, Grape + Bean beckons with a cozy-but-classy feel (hardwood floors, exposed brick walls) and a friendly barista manning the coffee bar’s coveted gem: the much-buzzed-over Clover, only one of about 200 such high-end machines scattered throughout the world that brews coffee (not espresso) on a cup-by-cup basis. Produced by a small Seattle company, the machine costs a mean $11,000 and is for the bean connoisseur, or, really, anyone who’s willing to shell out more than $3 for a cup of joe. Sort of like a French press, the Clover precisely micro-manages each variable of the brewing process (temperature, time, et al), ensuring each cup’s quality is consistent. At Grape + Bean, each cup steeps for 44 seconds, though you can request longer or shorter if you know what you want.

Slate’s Paul Adams managed to get his hands on a Clover to tinker with the brewing process. In his words: “I'm sure I'm not the first Clover user to experience a quick flashback to a vivid childhood memory—watching, horrified, as Darth Vader lowers Han Solo into his carbonite freezer.”

The Genuine Article: Brazilian Lace

Traveler's Shopping Guide columnist Laura Morelli is off to Brazil this month to learn about renda di bilros, the craft of bobbin lace. Explaining its history, she writes:

[It] came to Brazil along with Portuguese colonists who claimed its beautiful northeastern coastline as their own in the 17th century. Portugal already counted a rich tradition of lacemaking, and colonists continued the practice in the New World. Mostly the province of women, lacemaking was passed down from mothers to daughters, who learned by watching and repeating their motions.

Crafting lace is tedious, requiring as many as 50 bobbins pinned to a firm pillow, the workspace for the lacemaker.

Lacemakers complete the pattern by winding and overlapping the threads from the bobbins to create a distinctive weave. Experienced lacemakers work at a rapid pace that, on the surface, seems effortless. Their wooden bobbins click together as they render circles, stars, rosettes, and more complex motifs like scrolls, animals, leaves, and flowers.

To learn more about Brazilian lace, check out this month's Shopping Guide column, and don't miss other shopping tips from Rajasthan, India, to Paris, France. To learn more about Brazil, check out the March 2008 issue of Traveler.

Photo: Imagebroker/Alamy

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Saddling Up with TrustyPony

While we tend to ignore most of the silly travel swag orbiting the blogosphere, that doesn't mean we don't occasionally go weak in the knees over stylish laptop sleeves, totes that compress into keychains, and tiny pirate spyglasses. To that end, IT's Katie Knorovsky was thrilled to discover fellow Drake University alumna Berit Thorkelson had launched TrustyPony, an independent travel goods blog determined to help inspire people "to get out there and explore the world...in style." Check out daily picks and a Global Eye-type photo feature. But first, Berit divulges TrustyPony's backstory as well as a few highlights of her stomping grounds: the Twin Cities.

Why did you start TrustyPony?

I've been a travel writer for over a decade now, and I'd started doing regular travel-gear roundups for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, my hometown paper's Sunday travel section. While researching gear, it struck me that there wasn't an independent, leisure travel-specific shopping blog on the web. I've always been a compulsive traveler, as well as a compulsive solution-finder, so it really made perfect sense that I fill that void. I went live with TrustyPony in July of 2007.

You mentioned on your website that you're "not about more stuff" but "about finding the right stuff." How do you determine what the right stuff is?

For the site, I'm careful not to select stuff that only I would use. Everyone travels quite differently, has different tastes, and each type of trip requires different necessities. I try to mix it up and to be selective, yet open-minded about items. I envision what style of traveler would see what I've posted and get excited about it, because it fulfills a definite need or just because it's an interesting or cool-looking version of something they'll use on a trip. You only get to bring so many things. Best to make them really count.

How can a traveler determine what the right stuff for them is, especially in a time of shrinking baggage allowances?

I’ve always felt as though less is best. I've done month-long backpacking trips overseas where I loaded up a pack with everything I "needed," then started paring down until the bag was less than half full. In the end, I still ended up overestimating and bringing a t-shirt or two I could have done without. So my best piece of advice is to pack a few days in advance, then take three or more items out. Try to select articles of clothing that mix well, so you can get lots of mileage out of each piece. And try to accumulate double-duty clothes that can go from beach to dinner, or sightseeing to the club. That sort of thing. Beyond clothes, it really depends on your trip and your style. An item that might seem unnecessary to one can end up playing an integral part in another's travels.

What are the goods that you don't leave home without?

It depends on the trip. I'm obsessed with luggage and bags, so that's where my thoughts first turn. There's my trusty Kelty backpack, which I've used for over 15 years. It's seen a couple dozen countries and is still kicking. I love my Hideo Wakamatsu three-way carry-on trolley for more urban travel. It has a padded front laptop pocket, made of black basketball rubber, both sleek and durable. And my Yak Pak Chinook bag is the perfect size to act as a purse or a tote. Plus, it's cloth and washable. And super cute. When my husband and I might be sharing the bag, though, he prefers we go with the Haversack, made of recycled bicycle tires. Unisex. Durable. For international travel, gotta carry the all-in-one universal adapters, which have inputs and outputs for different countries in one compact little device. I have a couple of those. And, of course, Moleskine notebooks for recording road thoughts. They have new artsy versions, plus city-specific styles with little maps and such. I could keep going, and going, and going...

Eat and Shop Better

For eager wanderers like us, browsing a bookstore’s travel guidebook section tends to stir raw and conflicting emotions: lust, for the thrill of a new adventure; ennui, for the too-often trite content; and angst, for the endless options from which to choose.

After all, no matter how off-the-beaten-track you consider your destination, chances are likely the bookshelf holds at least a handful of guidebooks promising to be your travel bible. And while we strongly believe that the best way to experience travel is by immersing yourself in a place full-throttle—not with your nose in a book—there’s no denying the added confidence a guidebook provides in unfamiliar territory.

So when we heard about Portland-based eat.shop guides, we were eager to learn more. The guidebook series only features local shops and restaurants—such as Manhattan's Saxelby Cheesemongers (pictured) in Essex Street Market—so you can support establishments with local color instead of generic big-box stores and chain restaurants and hotels.

“We believe that for travelers, patronizing locally owned businesses is so integral to the real experience of any city,” eat.shop’s Emily Mattson explained to us. “Especially in the U.S., it's too easy to stay within your comfort zone while traveling: drinking Starbucks, for example, because you recognize the logo on the street. Why not go to Ristretto Roasters here in Portland, for example, where the owner, roaster, and barista are passionate about what they're serving you?”

The Genuine Article: Parisian Passementerie

Traveler's authentic shopping columnist Laura Morelli is back this month with an lesson in scouting out the ornamental trimmings, fringes, tassels, and pom-poms that make up the distinctively French art of passementerie .  This "art of embellishment" fed the desires of wealthy French nobles for opulent flair on nearly everything they could touch. Morelli writes:

The French monarchy and noble classes kept the city's artisans busy churning out deluxe interior fabrics and table settings, prestigious coaches, along with shimmering jewelry, lace collars and cuffs, custom shoes, and powdered wigs to adorn themselves as fancifully as their abodes.

Though sadly, the popularity of powdered wigs has declined, Paris remains the world's fashion capital thanks to the work of these artisans. Morelli writes that authentic passementerie shops can still be found in pockets of the city:

Some of today's best artisan passementiers are clustered in the Bastille district of southeastern Paris. In the Middle Ages, this area of town was home to the furniture trade guilds: cabinetmakers, joiners, metalworkers, and specialists in inlay and marquetry. Today, though undergoing gentrification, the area retains some of the flavor of an old-fashioned working-class district, with hole-in-the-wall workshops that transport visitors light years away from the posh avenues of the rest of the Right Bank.

Read more: Check out Traveler's website to find Morelli's current article and to see her columns from months past. Look through IT's own archive of shopping tips. And visit Traveler's Authentic Shopping guide before heading out on your next trip to ensure you can do better than souvenir T-shirts this time.

Photo: Jacqui Hurst/Corbis

Elvis, Je t'aime

Those of you still lamenting the demise of the Elvis is Alive Museum take heart, as you can always head across the pond to get more of the charismatic crooner. The International Herald Tribune reports that the Elvis My Happiness boutique, located not far from the Louvre, offers up a variety of objets for fans of "Le King." The store is run by a French fan club, and it's proprietor believes that Elvis' European fans are more passionate than their American counterparts, in part because he never performed in Europe (though he visited Paris on a tour with the U.S. Army). Check out this video for a slice of that passion.

The Genuine Article: Chinese Silk

We're loving Laura Morelli's new column for Traveler's website, The Genuine Article. This month, to tie in with our China-centric issue, Laura guides us through the process of buying traditional Chinese silk. She writes:

Many travelers to China are overwhelmed by the choices for silk fabrics, garments, and smaller accessories. The number of silk shops in Shanghai and Beijing alone is staggering. For the most authentic shopping experience, head to one of the regions known for silk. The city of Suzhou, west of Shanghai, for example, developed a reputation as a silk capital because its silk-makers turned out imperial garments from the seventh to the early 20th centuries under the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. At the Suzhou Silk Museum, you can view silks dating back to the seventh century, and train your eye for the many silk shops and factories that lure travelers across the region.

We had no idea, for example, that the Chinese still use a "burn test" to determine whether their silks are authentic. But we think it's best to let the experts handle that, for fear of singeing your souvenirs.

Photo: Mark Thiessen/NGS

Rolf's Very Subjective Guide to Bookstores

Traveler staffers Marilyn Terrell and Janelle Nanos were lucky enough to get a visit from travel writer and Vagabonding blogger Rolf Potts the other day for lunch. Naturally, given our shared interest in writing and travel, the conversation turned to books. We asked Rolf to suggest a few favorite bookstore he's come across during his travels to round out our bookstore coverage this week.

In 15 years of near-constant global travel, I've found bookstores to be both a psychic sanctum and a destination in themselves in faraway places. I seek out bookstores not just to find more information on the host destination, but to take a "time out" from that destination, and enter into a more cerebral zone. Below is a very subjective list of some of my favorite bookstore locations and destinations around the globe:

1) Powell's Books – Portland, Oregon

I've never seen a bookstore anywhere in the world quite so extensive and fascinating as this "City of Books," which takes up an entire block in Portland. I went to college in Oregon, and spent many hours on weekends wandering the stacks here, or attending author readings.  Powell's also has an excellent online bookstore if you're just interested in shopping, but visiting the physical store is an experience in itself. Wandering the extensive corridors of books can easily burn off the better part of a day.

2) Shakespeare & Company – Paris, France

This bookstore isn't in the same Left Bank location as its legendary Lost Generation-era namesake, but it does uphold its legacy as a first-rate bookstore that attracts the English-speaking literary community in Paris. I teach a creative writing workshop at the Paris American Academy each July, and our annual readings at Shakespeare and Company are a highlight for students. One interesting side note is that literary travelers are actually able to sleep in a makeshift dormitory inside the store in exchange for working in the shop a couple hours each day (see photo).

3) Book Passage – Corte Madera, California

I can hardly speak objectively about Book Passage, since I've been a panelist at their Travel Writers and Photographers Conference, and since the store hosted a terrific author event for me on my Vagabonding book tour in 2003. Still, even an objective literature lover would fall in love with this San Francisco-area bookstore, which has a huge selection of books, and A-list author events happening almost daily.

Finding Lost Art in the Czech Republic

Traveler recently launched Laura Morelli's "The Genuine Article: In Pursuit of Authentic Crafts" on its online shopping guide. And in pursuit of some of our own authentic handicrafts, IT stumbled upon Traditional (Hastalska 7 Prague 1; +420 222 31 66 61), which, according to the store owners, is the only place in the  Czech Republic where you can buy 19th-century hand-carved wood printing blocks, which are often considered a lost art form.

Printing blocks are made from three pieces of wood (local Bohemian hardwoods like pear and plum) that are glued and nailed together. The top piece is carved with an intricate design, while the bottom piece is used as a handle.

Printing blocks were used to make textiles and wallpaper until the mid-20th century, when printing became entirely mechanized, and most wood blocks were deemed useless and thrown away. Traditional restores the blocks and now uses them and sells them in its store. Actual color prints can be seen at the shop, but due to their rarity, they are not for sale.

Traditional also has locally handmade textiles, corn husk dolls, candles, and ceramics, so even if you're not looking for printing blocks, the store is worth a stop. Check out Traveler's Shopping Guide for more places to find Czech handicrafts on your next visit to Central Europe.

Photo: Traditional

The Genuine Article: Catalan Ceramics

Traveler's Genuine Article columnist Laura Morelli is back this month with a buyers guide to selecting traditional Catalan ceramics. Here's a peek at where you won't find the most authentic urns, bowls and plates (and where you actually will).

Barcelona—despite its reputation as one of the world's greatest shopping cities—is not the place to buy Catalan ceramics. At the pottery shops on the streets surrounding the cathedral, you will not find the best selection or prices, nor will you get the chance to see the wares being made. When you're ready to buy, arrange a trip to one of the regional towns known for pottery, including Argentona, outside of Barcelona; La Bisbal d'Empordà, near Girona; and La Galera, near Tarragona. These rural villages contrast sharply with the stylish Catalan capital, offering a more authentic experience, as well as a better value on traditional Catalan pottery. The best part: few of these towns figure in a guidebook, so it's a great way to experience Catalan life outside the tourist mainstream.

You can find the rest of the column here, as well as last month's tips for seeking out saris from Rajasthan.

Photo: Ingolf Pompe 26/Alamy

Thrifty Souvenirs

Obviously, IT loves a good shopping spree for authentic crafts when we're traveling. But there's also something to be said for scoping out the local thrift stores for some fabulous finds. Our friends over at Gadling and Gridskipper reminded us of the satisfaction that comes from scoring a great item for next to nothing while you're wandering, and we asked the Traveler staffers to tell us their favorite thrifty souvenirs.

Assistant Editor Janelle Nanos: I found my all-time favorite sweater in a thrift store near Covent Garden in London—a white cardigan with tiny blue flowers that I wear year round. It's girly and cozy and generally perfect in every way.

"Wandering around Maui, my brother and I tired of the endless rows of Hawaiian shirts that cluttered the shops, so we ducked into the Salvation Army store to find some more authentic duds (35 Halekuai St., Kihei, Maui). He found a vintage terry-cloth polo with Maui stitched on the pocket, and I snagged a super-soft "Hang Loose" T-shirt that's perfect for sleeping in. Thankfully, this year I went to Kauai, so the shirt actually makes sense now."

Biking (and eating) Providence

Many people visit Providence, Rhode Island, to tour the local colleges or make a pit stop on their way to Boston. But for those who live there, P-town is a diverse, laid-back city full of restaurants with character, Victorian architecture, peaceful hiking trails, and aspiring artists. Plus, it also happens to be an extremely pedestrian- and bike-friendly place. Here's a bike tour that gives you a real feel for the Renaissance City.

Start your morning by bicycling through Swan Point Cemetery, 200 acres of trees, flowers and headstones dating back to the 1840s. Look through the trees on the eastern edge to catch glimpses of the Seekonk River. Science fiction guru H.P. Lovecraft, one of Providence's strangest sons, is buried here.

After working up an appetite, bike north on tree-lined Blackstone Boulevard and make a left on North Avenue, then another left down Hope Street and head to Seven Stars Bakery (820 Hope Street) for locally roasted coffee, a super-moist ginger muffin or warm sticky roll, handmade daily with organic flour.

Pop in at Frog and Toad (795 Hope Street) for Danish paper-cut mobiles, bird feeders carved from colored gourds, handmade notebooks, unique totes, and cute cards.

Introducing: The Genuine Article

Today marks the launch of National Geographic Traveler's newest Web column, "The Genuine Article," written by Laura Morelli, an art historian with a passion for the world's artisanal traditions. Her first piece offers tips on purchasing the delicate saris, skirts, and other fabric items mentioned in our October story, "My Big Fat Indian Wedding." In it, she writes:

Indian textiles count among the richest craft legacies on Earth, encompassing literally thousands of local styles and techniques. Textiles from Rajasthan represent an entire tradition with many sub-specialties, from wood-block prints to tie-dyed cottons and a litany of embroidery techniques long enough to fill a glossary of their own. Through the centuries these rich regional fabrics have constituted a valuable part of women's wedding trousseaus and dowries, identified social status and class, and—through elaborate color symbolism—even conveyed details about the wearer like her hometown and if she is the mother of a boy.

Check out the full column here, and visit our Authentic Shopping Guide for more recommendations on where to find native artisanal crafts. Look forward to Laura's columns on the site each month.

Photo: Palani Mohan/Getty Images

Find Your Way Home

We recently came across these bags, perfect for map-loving, eco-conscious editors like us. The collaborative effort of a cartographer and fashion stylist, the bags feature cities like San Francisco, London, our own stomping grounds in D.C., and many more. Each tote maps out the city's neighborhoods, city icons, and landmarks and are large enough to hold a bag of groceries or library books. Plus, they cost around 15 bucks. Check out Maptote's listing of stores carrying the bags all over the country.

And before visiting any of these cities, be sure to visit Traveler's Authentic Shopping Guide for suggestions on things to fill up your tote!

Peruvian Knitting Quest

As the East Coast temperatures begin to drop, IT staffers want nothing more than to sip hot tea by a roaring fire and bundle up with warm wool sweaters and scarves. Our yearning for yarn sparked an interest in one knitting blogger who recently traveled to Peru to learn more about the country’s ancient textile traditions.

Lauren “Lolly” Weinhold (pictured) author of Lolly Knitting Around, blogs about her recent Peruvian adventure in “A Way of Life.” She writes,

"Before traveling to Peru, I did not completely understand how the fiber arts could play such a large role in a culture—not as a hobby—but more as a livelihood and a deep-rooted tradition. I knew about the Peruvian weaving techniques, the knits and the crochet, and a little about the spinning. Reading about these things in glossy travel magazines is one thing; yet seeing the fiber arts in action is definitely another thing all together."

Pike Place Perfection

Seattle's Pike Place Market celebrated its 100th Anniversary this August. While it takes a lifetime to explore all nine acres of this Pacific Northwest attraction, one of our Seattle staffers shares her list of must-sees (and must-eats) for the traveler who’s only got an hour or two:

Pike Place Fish (pictured): Look for a big crowd and follow the sound of rowdy fishmongers to get to the market’s most popular attraction. Since 1986, with the help of a now-famous business philosophy, these guys have set the standard for fish market operation. Order fresh Dungeness crab or wild coho salmon, and watch the fishmongers do what they do best—just be sure to watch out for low-flying fish. Can’t eat a 20-pound salmon fillet before you leave Seattle? No problem. The boys will put it on ice and ship it anywhere in the world.

Pigs on Parade: Make sure to visit Rachel (she’s a neighbor to the fishmongers), the market’s bronze piggy bank and Seattle’s original pig on parade. In 2001, the Market Foundation auctioned off 170 Pigs on Parade (each decorated by local artists) to raise money for the market’s social services. This year, in celebration of the market’s 100th anniversary and in the Chinese year of the pig, 100 more pigs can be seen all around Seattle.

Parisian Markets

While checking out travel blogs on the Blog Carnival, IT came across this list of ten recommended street markets in Paris. The writer of The Paris Traveler blog, expat Lynn Rodriguez, picks a street market to suit almost every taste, from organic produce to flea markets to flowers to art; markets that specialize in fresh pastries, antiques, cheese; those that deal only in books; and even one for stamp and postcard collectors. The photos and descriptions are pretty enticing.

A related list from travel blog Gridskipper touts some of the best street food in Paris, and conveniently maps the locations of each, mostly on the Rue des Rosiers in the Marais. If you’re hungering for the perfect pastrami sandwich, Gridskipper recommends Sacha Finkelsztajn, a deli that's been serving "la gastronomie Yiddish" in its little yellow building since 1946.

And, plucking from our own archives, National Geographic Traveler published an interview in September 2006 with Susan Winkler, the author of the Paris Shopping Companion. She spoke mostly about local clothing and home furnishing shops, but she also raved about the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, the largest flea market in the world, where you can find "old trunks from Vuitton, Napoleonic objects, and other innumerable antiques."

And, as a side note: if you happen to be craving Parisian pleasures while in Washington, D.C., IT suggests visiting Bonaparte Bakery's food stall at the Dupont Circle farmer's market: "Their chocolate almond croissant is the best pastry I've tasted outside of Paris," says Emily, "in fact, they're so good, I eat one every Sunday. Sometimes I get a palmier too." Also try crespelle, a crepe-filled lasagna and many-flavored quiches.

Anchorage Away!

IT asked former Traveler staffer Meghan Aftosmis (who currently works in PR) to ask her Alaskan colleagues for their favorite wintry things to do in Big Wild Life  (a.k.a. Anchorage) besides watching the start of the Iditarod or viewing the Northern Lights. Here's what she came up with:

The Chugach Mountains tower over the Anchorage skyline and are hardly a secret. In winter, trailheads are accessible, views are unbelievable and options are limitless. Try the multi-purpose Powerline Pass trail from the Glen Alps Trailhead high above Anchorage. It leads to views of the city and the seemingly never-ending Chugach Range. Enjoy the trail and surroundings on Nordic skis or snowshoes.

It's never too cold to go ice skating in the city's outdoor rink on Town Square with its beautifully colored and lit ice sculptures. Or try the ice on Westchester Lagoon, a pond known to attract local skaters.

IT's Dirty

Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans will soon be in as full swing as before Hurricane Katrina. However, Katie Howell won't be eating king cake with Taylor Hicks and James Gandolfini this Fat Tuesday (February 20); instead, she'll be wearing some Big Easy-themed apparel to bring a little piece of the Carnival celebration to D.C. Here, she writes about her favorite witty T-shirts:

Dirty Coast Press, one of the greatest things to come out of New Orleans post-Katrina, has been plastering the world since January 2006 with their 'Be a New Orleanian. Wherever you are.' stickers. The stickers have cropped up everywhere from the Big Apple to the Berlin World Cup to Brad Pitt's script folders. And their T-shirts have become wildly popular as well. Not your average, cheesy three-for-$10 French Quarter rags, Dirty Coast's shirts boast messages to 'keep NOLA on folks' minds.'

Brussels and Mussels and Beer, Oh My!

National Geographic Traveler intern and sometime Foreign Service brat Amy McKeever shares some tips from a recent stay with her Belgium-based folks:

The greatest thing about being an expat—even if just for a few months at a time, like I usually am—is learning insider tips about both the tourist and local scenes. Below are a few of my favorites from Brussels.

Shopping—The Marolles district is the best place in Brussels to shop for antiques, vintage clothing, and unusual gifts. There's an excellent antiques market at the Place du Jeu de Balle, but if the weather is looking gloomy (as it often does in Brussels) you may want to check out the shops along Rue Blaes or Rue Haute. Among these is the eclectic New De Wolf (Rue Haute 91/Rue Blaes 40; +32 [0]2 503 3836). The two-level store stocks home decor and furnishings, which are sometimes classy and mostly kitschy.

Away in a Market: European Christmas Shopping

Locals and tourists alike love Europe's year-round open-air markets for their fresh produce. In December, many European cities (especially in Germany) take the concept to the next level with the opulence of their annual Christmas markets. IT asked part-time Belgium resident Amy McKeever to round up three of her favorites:

Nuremberg, Germany, describes itself as a "true Christmas city" and proves it with its formidable market, from December 1 to 23. You can browse for tree ornaments and buy "Nuremberg Plum People"—figures made from prunes and walnuts—at any of the over 150 tastefully decorated red-and-white stalls. The city, which frowns on use of plastic fir garlands as decor, presents the most beautiful stalls with gold, silver, and bronze "Plum People" awards. The Christmas Angel, with her long golden curls and dress, opens the market each year and makes many charitable appearances in the run-up to Christmas.

Sleep Easy: Introducing the DreamSack

IT contributor Anne Marie Johnson is an avid traveler who struggles with a compulsion to be clean. Beyond always carrying Purell in her purse, she has one product she simply can't travel without:

Amongst other things, traveling is a departure from familiarity. This leap into the unknown is usually rewarding: the crunchy feel of salt from the Dead Sea, the taste of Burgundy in Burgundy, the vision of a sunset over the savanna. Yes, these are memories that remain visceral long after the end of a voyage. However, on the way to these magic moments of wanderlust, one can also be confronted with some less-than-savory realities. For this germophobe, a night or longer in a sketchy hostel, ratty roadside motel, or bedraggled B&B can take the lust right out of wandering.

Happily, there is a solution in the aptly named DreamSack. The original DreamSack is a portable silk sack, sewn on three sides, ensuring that you will never spend another sleepless night stiff with panic trying to avoid contact with a set of yellowed, less-than-hygienic sheets. It can also be used as a sleeping bag liner to add warmth on a cold night. The DreamSack is 34 inches (86 cm)wide, weighs less than a pound, and folds to fit into its six-by-three-and-a-half-inch (15 by nine cm) stuff-bag. Although made of silk, it's machine washable. The good people at DreamSack have also started to make pillow cases, because if the sheets don't seem clean…well, you get the idea. A DreamSack costs $62, which will probably end up saving you money; just think of all those $2-a-night hostels you can stay in—lice-free.

IT Travels with Meghan Aftosmis

Meghan Aftosmis, who used to have Emily's job, wrote to tell IT about how she's putting her Traveler experience to use, by traveling! She offers tips for Italian shopping (and eating):

Venetian glass—Once you get to Venice, everyone says to go to Murano, the island that hosts most of the glass-blowing studios and workshops. Great. So you get there and there are so many stores. My friend and I spent four hours wandering in and out of them.