If you're a follower of underrated destinations in Europe, Utrecht might be one of those places. Holland's fourth largest city is a transportation hub, Catholic spiritual center, and fortified city with canals. See our latest destination guide to Utrecht, Holland.

I love maps. I like making them. The interactive ones get complicated pretty fast, so when I see one that seems to provide endless ways of extracting travel information, I feel a deep respect for the developers.

I quickly got this feeling shortly after I started poking around YogoGuide Paris. This thing has potential, going far beyond the regular Google Map mash-ups we're used to seeing in travel.

Check it out: YogoGuide Paris. More cities coming, they tell me.

Sure, you sleep in hotels--and maybe even eat in them, but in Portugal you can have the opportunity to stroll through history as you explore your hotel. The picture shows a small part of the interior of a Pousada called Pousada de Amares - Santa Maria do Bouro (book direct or check current prices), a restored 12th century Cistercian monastery in Portugal's Minho region. The pousada's restaurant features fine local cuisine and wine, enthusiastically explained if you ask for more information. A visit is highly recommended;  pousadas (historic inns) in Portugal can cost about the same as a standard hotel room in Italy.

Picture of the Pousada de Amares © 2010 by James Martin, licensed to About.com

Are you creative? Do you like to learn things on your vacation? Why not go to a mosaic foundry in Venice and learn the craft of making mosaics while staying in a Bed and Breakfast decorated with examples?

Ok, so the problem is,  you don't want to make, for example, a whole mosaic floor, mainly because it would be difficult to transport. So, Orsoni has thought to offer a class in Micro Mosaics. You'll get lots of work in and you'll come up with a tiny work of art you can tuck into your suitcase (or purse, if you carry one). Check out the Orsoni Facebook Page for more.

Check out our pictures of Orsoni Smalti Veneziana, or learn more about the Domus Orsoni Guest House.