A Greek salad with fresh feta. Grilled lamb chops with bright sprigs of mint. Mussels sautéed with flavorful tomatoes and garlic, partnered with earthy olives and potatoes. Now, picture these Mediterranean diet dishes served against a setting as delicious as the meals themselves: a farm-to-table restaurant overlooking rolling vineyards, a cozy neighborhood trattoria, the dining room of a rustic B&B.

A Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, olive oil and spices, and red wine, has long been credited for heart health, longevity of years, and overall health and wellness. (And the key foods taste pretty amazing, too.) Travel, too, gets kudos for stress reduction, real-world learning opportunities, and the opportunity to forge new connections and relationships.

Which got me to thinking: The Mediterranean diet is local to some of the most beautiful and desirable locations around the world. Why not plan a vacation specifically around these places for an incredibly memorable—and delicious—vacation?

If you’re looking to live more healthfully, consider these destinations for your next vacation, where eating in the Mediterranean fashion is simply the way of life.

1. Bodrum, Turkey

One hallmark of a Mediterranean diet is using spice in place of salt. If you’re looking for a destination that’s full of savory goodness, consider Bodrum in southwest Turkey. Stop by the local market, held every Friday, to shop for fresh fruits, vegetables, and spices, or head to the marina for the catch of the day. And be sure to save some spices to take as souvenirs – in doing so, you’ll import a little bit of the authentic Mediterranean diet to your home kitchen.

2. Napa Valley, California

If you can’t take a vacation to the Mediterranean region itself, do the next best thing and head to California’s Napa Valley. With its comparable climate and agricultural production, Napa Valley vacations offer a delicious way to have the Mediterranean diet on American soil. And while everyone knows Napa for its wine, be sure to try a vintage of locally produced olive oil, which gives Italy a run for its money.

3. Ravello, Italy

Italy’s pedigree as a delicious destination is well established; the challenge is simply choosing which region to visit as part of your Mediterranean diet vacation. Consider the Amalfi Coast for just-caught seafood, lemons right off the vine, and crisp wines harvested from a local vineyard. Make Ravello your home base – it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, and has no shortage of craggy cliffs, gorgeous architecture, boutique hotels, and fine restaurants.

4. Santorini, Greece

Seafood is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, and the options here range way beyond fish. When in Greece, for example, try the octopus. In Santorini, there’s no shortage of places offering this regional specialty – try it grilled with local vegetables, tossed in a salad, or part of a meze plate. Finish your meal with a glass of vinsanto, a dessert wine produced right on the island.

5. Split, Croatia

Split, Croatia’s second-largest city, is home to the lively Green Market, a daily market with the freshest fruit, vegetables, and meats (and souvenirs, too). Beyond the market, be sure to seek out a konoba, a no-frills restaurant serving regional delicacies such as squid-ink pasta or risotto, grilled lobster, octopus salad, and other delights from the sea.

Which types of cuisine do you seek out when you travel? Share your recommendations and leave a comment below!

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Main photo courtesy Meal Makeover Moms via Flickr Creative Commons

Turkish spice market/bazaar, Bodrum, Turkey photo courtesy Alex Berger via Flickr Creative Commons

Napa Valley olives photo courtesy Nagarjun Kandukuru via Flickr Creative Commons

Ravello, Italy photo courtesy Nate Gray via Flickr Creative Commons

Grilled octopus, Santorini (Photo from Mario Restaurant at Monolithos of Santorini) photo courtesy Klearchos Kapoutsis via Flickr Creative Commons

Croatian cherries from Split, Croatia photo courtesy Josefine Stenudd via Flickr Creative Commons

The post Nourish Your Body and Soul: Plan a Mediterranean Diet Vacation appeared first on EcoSalon.

Europe is so much more than the touristy destinations that get so much annual traffic. In the same way that New York and Los Angeles alone are not representations of the U.S., Paris, London, and Venice, while gorgeous and memorable, are not the only places to see in Europe. Next time you plan a trip, consider one of these lesser known, secretly stunning European destinations.

6 Secretly Stunning European Destinations Definitely Worth a Visit

1. Trier, Germany

Image: 55Laney69

It’s the oldest city in Germany, founded in 16 BC, with a crazy collection of architecture to show for it. Check out the 11th century St. Peter’s Cathedral and the ancient Imperial Baths–the ruins have stood for over 2,000 years. This is one of my favorite European destinations.

2. Peniche, Portugal

Image: SayLuisss

It’s a seaside gem and a hotspot for surfers. It’s famous for the Peniche Surf Camp, a week long experience where you eat, sleep, and surf. The accommodations, public or private, are included and the camp even has a restaurant and bar.

3. Leuven, Belgium

Image: Eddy Van 3000

Located about 20 minutes east of Brussels in the Flemish Region, Leuven is a brewing hub and one of the country’s oldest university towns. This vibrant little town is bubbling with activity and creativity. Take a tour of Stadhuis, the town hall and explore the old market square.

4. Riga, Latvia

Image: Graham

Riga is the capitol and largest city in Latvia that sits on the Gulf of Riga on the Baltic. Visit the Riga Castle, which dates back to 1440s. Founded in 1201 as a base for the Northern Crusades, the city has today emerged as the capitol of a new independent Latvia.

5. Thessaloniki, Greece

Image: Ioannis N. Athanasiadis

It’s an ancient masterpiece with a cosmopolitan streak. Thessaloniki boasts an ancient forum which dates back to the 2nd century AD as well as the palace complex of Galerius Maximianus (4th c. AD). There are also a number of Byzantine sites like a Byzantine bathhouse from the late thirteenth century.

6. Wengen, Switzerland

Image: edwin.11

A tiny village located in the heart of the Alps–it’s hard to imagine more impressive views. Enjoy 365 degree views on the Wengen Mannlichen Aerial Cableway and then start your hike to Kleine Scheidegg. It’s definitely worth the trip.

top image: Loenerrr

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How I learned about the true value of travel: We got to the field late, an hour or so before the sun was to go down, and the expanse filled with golden-hour light. I could see the tomb in the distance, its jagged rocks slanting toward the earth, a Pi-like edifice of ancient rock. We walked a bit closer, cautious, quiet.

There were only two other people nearby when I visited the historic Poulnabrone Dolmen tomb in the Burren in western Ireland, in County Clare. Thousands of years ago, this farmland had in fact been a seabed, and remnants of this history lay under each step: Limestone slabs jutted up from the ground in a pell-mell grid, small flowers peeking up from the grass shoots between the gaps in stone. The tomb itself dates back to 3800 B.C. My husband and I stepped gingerly across the stones as we approached it. 

Years ago, my ancestors had left from this very same county to make their way to America and a new, unknown adventure. I gazed around the field, wondering if they had also been here. It seemed almost certain that they, too, would have been drawn to this sacred, awe-inspiring place.

I stood before the monolith, feeling at once incredibly small in the world, and simultaneously deeply connected to my forebears, the land, and our shared history. I pictured a great-great-great aunt or uncle stepping across the field to take in Poulnabrone from the same vantage point from where I now stood. I gazed all around me, tried to imagine their lives. If I turned away from the parking lot, away from the paved yet winding road, I could imagine myself at any point in time, really. A gentle breeze rustled the grasses, lifting the hair off my brow. It was intensely still, cows lowing in the field the only sound.

A few days earlier, I had a similar experience in Cobh, a port town in County Cork from where more than a million people had emigrated in the 1800s, during the potato famine and times of economic hardship. Most likely, this town had been the final glimpse of the homeland my ancestors had seen as they departed for New York. I pictured them entering the cathedral at the top of the hill, as I did, taking in the gorgeous vistas overlooking the town and sea. I wondered if the church had been their final stopping place before boarding the boat, the last stop to say a few prayers for a safe journey.  Being in that place, walking its streets and taking in its vistas, offered an unparalleled connection with those who came before me.

In America is No Vacation Nation, Alternet reporter Jodie Gummow notes that “the majority of Americans hold the view that taking a vacation is just not practical, affordable, or realistic … Work culture prevents us from taking long vacations abroad and instills within us a sense of guilt for seeking the simple pleasure of time away from the office.”

It’s true that travel isn’t exactly practical. It can be pricey and disruptive. I’m reminded of the old adage of travel being expensive, but that it is also not a frivolous expenditure. And as for a disruption – for me, at least, that’s part of the appeal: The thrill of travel is precisely the shaking up of the routine, the ability to see things anew, and to escape (albeit temporarily) the confines of a cubicle. It is the joy of discovery, especially in the connections made among the unfamiliar.

We have the bulk of our lives to work, but our leisure time, and our time to explore – regardless of where we visit – is precious. Whether we use our travel dollars to reconnect with old friends, visit with long-unseen relatives, return to our ancestral lands, or strike out for someplace entirely new, the potential for knowledge—both self- and globally oriented—is immense.

On our last night in Ireland, we chatted with several friendly locals over pints of Guinness at a small pub in northern Dublin. They wanted to know about our trip, what we had seen, what we enjoyed, and we swapped stories about our favorite experiences, both home and abroad. Our new Irish friends then expressed dismay that we had to leave the next day, after only a week in country.

“Yes, we would have loved to have stayed longer,” I explained. “But unfortunately we can’t take a lot of time off—extended time off, especially—in America.”

Our new friend clucked his tongue. “Tis a shame,” he said, downing his pint and signaling to the bartender for another. He leaned over on his elbows, as if to share a secret. “You know, if you really want to see Ireland properly, you need eight to 10 weeks.”

We started to laugh at first—long-term travel seemed like such an impossibility, unfathomable to my American husband and me—but quickly stopped when we saw our new friend was absolutely serious. I thought of how I had felt in the Burren and in Cobh, how I usually feel on any new trip, for that matter–how travel was like nothing else, always reintroducing me to awe, wonder, and appreciation. It was an interesting and unexpected cultural lesson: Why not try to achieve what the rest of the world seems to inherently already understand? Travel is good for us, and good for others.

We raised our glasses as a toast to our friend’s words of wisdom, as a vow to come back, and as a promise to devote more time to the value of travel.

Photo courtesy Sarah Pascarella

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The post Take Those Vacation Days: The Incredible Value of Travel appeared first on EcoSalon.

Geothermal hot springs and mineral baths. Northern Lights. All-night parties and cozy cafes. Any and all of these experiences can be had with a visit to Reykjavik, just a short flight from both Boston and New York (and an easy connection for other U.S. cities).

Where to Stay

A Green Getaway

The Grand Hotel, Iceland’s largest, is a certified Nordic Ecolabel hotel, and has conservation policies in place for energy and water consumption, as well as continuous recycling and waste reduction efforts. Management chooses environmentally friendly and organic products and services “whenever possible”; the hotel’s restaurant offers a daily organic breakfast.

A Sleek Retreat

Designed by local architect Gulla Jonsdottir, Centerhotel Thingvolt celebrates modern Icelandic architecture, with an emphasis on clean lines, neutral hues, and natural materials. Sky Lounge and Bar, located on the top floor, offers fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and fun cocktails (try the only-in-Reykjavik “Sex on a Glacier” – vodka, Curacao blue, and Sprite). And should you venture out, the hotel is situated right downtown, so if you take advantage of Reykjavik’s legendary nightlife, you’ll never be too far from your home base.

Where to Eat

Lobster + Soup = Bliss

Located on the waterfront, the Sea Baron features the freshest seafood, served in a casual and friendly setting. I rarely visit a restaurant more than once during a vacation – with such limited time, I try to sample as many places as possible. I broke this rule for the Sea Baron, visiting it three times in a week, each time to get a bowl of their incredible lobster soup. It comes in a generous mug, with bread to dip. The broth is creamy yet light; the lobster rich; the vegetables crisp and tender. Just writing this makes me want to book another flight, just so I can have another taste.

An Artful Breakfast

The Grey Cat Café serves a fantastic breakfast in a cozy setting that doubles as a bookstore. The American-style offerings include generous portions of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and other staples; the coffee is brisk and satisfying. Guests are welcome to browse the books while they wait. Across the street from the National Theater, it’s a great place to brush elbows with the arts- and theater crowd.

Only In Reykjavik

Night Hiking

The first rays of what photographers called “the golden hour”, that amazing time just before sunset, kicked in just after 9 p.m. My new friends and I sat in a geothermal riverbed in Iceland’s “Smoky Valley”, about a 45-minute drive outside of Reykjavik. We were about halfway through our White Night hike, a four-hour trek that didn’t get going until late in the day – but still enjoyed full sun for most of the journey. I’d never started a hike so late – but then again, I also never sat in a river that was a balmy 80 degrees. Sveinn, our guide, poured us a few glasses of wine and passed out sandwiches and mugs of soup (heated, of course, in the river). I leaned back into the warm creek bed and took in the view of the surrounding mountains.

Music from the Source

The reputation of Reykjavik’s music scene—a haven for indie rock, sweeping orchestral pop, and electronica—has been growing in buzz, and I had heard 12 Tonar, a downtown music store/indie record label, was the place to check out new bands. I browsed the staff/publisher recommendations, and requested five albums to sample. The clerk directed me to a cozy lounge with multiple portable players and coffee tables with the newest weekly arts and entertainment papers – but first, he offered me an espresso. I sipped my coffee and listened to the music, delightfully unhurried. Even better – once I found a few bands I liked, I cross-referenced them against the local arts listings to see if any would be performing during my vacation dates. (Sadly, they weren’t – but my album purchases became the soundtrack of our trip, and are still cherished souvenirs.)

Why I’ll Go Back…

Iceland’s land-based wonders are perhaps only slightly less famous than the celestial ones. The Northern Lights, typically visible from September through early April, paint the sky in brilliant colors, and are visible from most parts of the country. On my recent visit, the conditions weren’t quite right to see them – so this is just an excuse to return!

Have you visited Reykjavik? Leave a comment and share your best travel tips!

Image: Visit Reykjavik

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