Bath, England

• Place to Stay: Lavender House B&B
  This place, unfortunately, doesn't get much mention in tour books, since it's not technically in the city center. Instead, it's a 15 minute walk from the local attractions. Very unfortunate, since Bill and Carol Huxley are great! They took us in gently after our very jet-lagged arrival from California. Down a quiet residential street. Breakfast is great, looking out into their scenic back garden.
• PlPlaces to Visit: Roman Baths, Costume Museum
  These get a mention in the same listing, since you can buy a two-for-one ticket. My recommendation is to tour the baths in the morning, take a break for lunch or a snack, then hit the Costume Museum. The baths are accompanied by an informative, if campy, audiotour. The Costume Museum is much more than the name suggests; it shows clothing starting back from the 1500's to current times. An interesting sociological study!
• Thing to Do: The Bizarre Bath Walk
  This walking tour involves no history at all, blatantly so. Rather, it's an irreverent walk around town complete with humor and practical joking. What a way to spend an evening!
• Best Acoustics: the Circus
  On the north end of downtown is a circular park, where the acoustics are great. I would love to sing some a cappella here.

• Place to Eat: King's Head Tavern
  We came in here on a whim, not quite knowing what to expect. Rather than the traditional pub food, the menu was much more international. As I recall, I had something Thai, and my husband had something Indian. A pleasant surprise!

• Thing to Do: York Ghost Walk
  Meet on The Brambles in the evening for a hilarious tour through a stranger-than-fiction haunted past. The guys they get to leaad these things are great.

Zermatt, Switzerland

• Thing to Do: hike the Matterhorn
  Yes, you can take a trail to the top of the Matterhorn. Less serious folk (like us) will take the less dramatic route, walking upwards for a few hours, getting tired, and turning around. It's fun, though, to be partway up the "hill" and realize you're above the gondola lines.
• Thing to Do: Eat Fondue
  Fondue is a Swiss stronghold. Many places in Zermatt serve it. Try it, authentic Swiss-style, hot cheese (with alcohol!!) in which to dunk chunks of bread.

Milan, Italy

• Thing to Do: Climb the Church
  In the middle of fashion-centric Milan stands one of the biggest churches on the continent. For about $3, you may climb stairs up to the top of the church... and walk all over the roof! It's great fun, being able to look at the architecture up close, getting a view of northern Italy, and getting a nice perch to look down on the city.
• Place to Shop: Streetside Stands
  Do look at some of the streetside stands. Great bargains on souvenir items. They're a bit touristy, but hey, you're a tourist!

Vernazza, Italy (Cinque Terre)

• Thing to do: Laze Around!
  The Cinque Terre seems behind the times, in a good way! A few of the towns (Vernazza is our favorite) don't let cars into the town. There are also regulations against hotels in all but one of the Cinque Terre towns, so when you visit these places, you're really part of the town. You will need to find a room in a house somewhere, adding to the experience, in my opinion!
• Thing to do: hike the Cinque Terre paths
  As the name suggests, the Cinque Terre is made up of five towns. Each is on the slendidly blue Mediterranean sea. There are walking paths that link the five towns together, some more challenging than others. (Hint: the easiest as Manarola to Riomaggiore, and Corniglia to Manarola. The others, going north and south from Vernazza, are challenging!) One day while staying in Vernazza, we hiked the trail north to Monterosso, where there is a good size public beach. We wore swimming gear under shorts, which allowed us to hop into the cool water when we finished the long, hot hike!
• Place to eat: Trattoria Gianni
  The BEST pesto I have ever had! The Genoa area is the home of pesto, and the Cinque Terre is no exception. Try the traditional Italian dish of homemade pasta, steamed green beans and potatoes, and homemade pesto. GREAT stuff! And try to get Valerio as a waiter; very friendly (and popular with the women! heh!) He also helped us find a room.