Meersburg, an evocative village on the shores of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) is known for its medieval atmosphere and its fine wine. In summer and fall, wine is the focus of several festivals.

Coming up is the Vineyard festival, 7-8 July 2012, which features a water fountain that runs with wine for the duration of the festival, according to the Meersburg tourist bureau.

Brigitte's Bed and Breakfast keeps track of the other Meersburg Wine Festivals.

Find out more about: Lake Constance | Meersburg

Venice is an expensive city for refueling your museum-ravaged body. After all, you must consider the transport of raw materials, high rents, and great demand for food in one of the world's most interesting cities.

You can mitigate the expense by eating in a Bacaro or two, where you'll get your Venetian cuisine in small bites.

That's what we did last night with Monica Cesarato, who gives tours, language lessons and cooking classes in Venice and the Veneto. She spills her secrets on  how to plan a proper Bacaro crawl in: Bacaro Tour of Venice.

In a prime position on every "top ten how to save money when visiting Europe" list is advice to purchase pizza by the slice and make it a complete meal, thus saving 14 euros on your 5,000 euro vacation. Well, here in Venice there has been an explosion in pizza arrotolata, a sort of compromise between a wrap and a pizza, a wrap made out of a pizza.

You have to admit, it makes eating pizza on the run a bit easier.

More on Venice: Venice Pictures| Venice Hotels | Venice Secrets

We had a great day in Bologna yesterday. The sun was shining, the skies a deep blue. We had some fanastic gelato and granite at a place called  Cremeria Funivia. The ice cream in the cones had such vivid colors I had to restrain myself from sticking my camera in people's faces as they left the shop with their treasures. The grapefruit granite was just what the doctor ordered for a hot day, brilliant in its clean flavors.

Bologna's famed porticoes donated a fine, diffused light to many pictures, as in the picture of a fruit and vegetable market above.

But this morning the temperature plummeted and a light rain has begun to fall. Porticoes to the rescue!

More on Bologna: Bologna Travel Guide | Bologna Pictures