In his article on Trifter, Vassilis Manoussos offers up some very sound advice for folks who would like to experience the "real Greece." Manoussos is Greek, but he's evidently been living amongst some beach-going revelers in the UK for the last 8 years--resulting in an interesting point of view:

It is amazing to believe that people pay a good sum of money to go to a place like Greece (or any other Mediterranean destination for that matter) and come back without having visited a small village tavern, with some house wine, fresh olive oil made from the tavern owner’s own olive trees, and fresh fruits picked up from the trees a few hours ago.

My experience in rural Italy puts me in the same boat as Vassillis. I have to remind myself constantly that loads of people actually want to do nothing more than spend beach time with a culturally identical crowd and eat cheap food just to stay alive until happy hour.

And I also have to face the disturbing fact that most of the simple things he recommends give me goosebumps:

"In the morning you can go to the harbour and wait for the fishing boats to arrive. Then you can select the fishes you want to have for lunch. Take a few more, go to the nearest tavern, and ask the owner to cook them for you. Instead of paying him, he will accept some fishes for himself. He will through in a salad, bread and some wine, and everybody will be happy. Who said that barter is dead?" ~ Visit the Real Greece: Why So Many Tourists Miss Out on the Real Holiday Experience (Read the article, it's got many good ideas for a "real" holiday)

So, just for a reality check (mine, not yours) and to have a good time while we're not on a secluded beach in Greece, how about flaunting your expected level of vacation "realness" in our poll?

Fountain, Brescia © 2009 by James Martin, licensed to About.com

Hold on to your hats! They're calling it "Wild Wednesday", you'll get an extra 20% OFF many bags at eBags.com through Wednesday, July 8, 2009 only (buy direct).

Looking for some bag suggestions? How about my faves: Top Carry-On Bags.

Eating low off the hog: there's no better experience for the Rome, Italy fanatic than heading over to Testaccio for some offal, at least for those who have the guts for such endeavors. If you need a serious half-day tour, I recommend Katie Parla's La Cucina Povera: Offal in Rome and Testaccio. Don't turn up your nose, especially you who have downed way too many hot dogs this holiday weekend or have assumed the risk of death from eating raw cookie dough made in US factories.

Night at the Museum: if you happen to be in Rome on the July 24th, the Vatican Museums will be open to visitors from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm (last entrance at 9:30 pm). You can get tickets online.

If you can't seem to sleep on those transcontinental flights, maybe you would if you stayed in The Hostel in a 747 Jumbo Jet. Yes, there's an upmarket hostel inside a gutted 747 jumbo parked at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm, Sweden. Good for early morning flights, it's minutes from the check-in desks. You can even rent the Cockpit Suite. And just think, get a double and you'd be a cinch for membership in the Inches High Club.

And finally, although it's not about Europe travel, you photographers might want to consider putting together an entry for the 2009 Worldnomads.com Travel Photography Scholarship. The winner will get an assignment in Antarctica "with renowned wildlife photographer Jason Edwards."

I'm @wanderingitaly, and I learned all this from my twitter buddies this morning.

Hallstatt, Austria is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that can make for a very romantic lakeside vacation--yet there are plenty of things for kids to do, too. The family can zip up a mountain on a cable car to salt mines that have been in operation since the iron age, see an ancient burial ground, see less-ancient sculls and femurs in a local chapel, and perhaps take in a summer concert inside an ice cave.

Read all about Hallstatt in our Hallstatt, Austria Travel Guide or see some pictures in our Hallstatt Picture Gallery.

Statue detail, Lago del Torre Puccini © James Martin, licensed to About.com

For those of you who dream about a canoe or kayak trip on one of Switzerland's scenic lakes, Lake Lucerne has just finished phase one of a project to make the scenery in central Switzerland available to paddlers of all skill levels. Our map will show you where you can rent canoes and kayaks, and a little about the project: Canoe Route Map - Lake Lucerne

For more on canoes and kayaks and how to use them, see the About.com Paddling site.

In case you've missed it, Judy Witts Francini's cookbook, Secrets from My Tuscan Kitchen, is out. If you happen to be in Florence, you can find it in select bookstores like the paperback exchange. If not, you can get an autographed copy sent to you. (They tell me Christmas is "just around the corner" but I'm not buying any of it.)

In any case, if you've been to Tuscany and have fallen in love with the food, you probably can't do much better than this compendium of Tuscan Recipes perfected during Judy's 20 years of teaching cooking classes at Divina Cucina in Florence. See our Review of Secrets From My Tuscan Kitchen. You might also be interested in the video I made of the book signing at that famous Tuscan butcher shop: Inside the Antica Macelleria Cecchini. Watch out for that killer Tuscan butter.

While Americans slap all manner of steakage onto flaming barbecues and fireworks light the night for fourth of July celebrations, Leeds will be celebrating Leeds Loves Food, a food lovers’ festival.

The secret ingredient according to the Yorkshire Evening Post is James Martin. No, not me. The other, handsomer one:

The Saturday Kitchen presenter, originally from Malton, is the star attraction of the first day of the Leeds Loves Food festival next Thursday.

The housewives' favourite will host a live cookery demonstration in the heart of the city as well as judging a cook-off between a host of eateries as part of the festival activities, which run until July 5.

Of course, if food isn't your thing, you could do a Leeds Pub Crawl.

More: Leeds, England Travel Guide

I really enjoy "living like an Italian" when I'm at home in rural Italy, especially now that I know the ropes. I shop, have dinner with the neighbors, and make linguistic mistakes a three year old Italian child wouldn't think of making. To me it's way better than a hotel-box vacation.

It looks like the Kraft Family was thinking along the same lines when they started Live Like a German, a full service vacation home and apartment renting service--which means they'll help you plan a 7-10 day itinerary based on your choice of rental home location. That'll take the worry out of doing something different, eh? Check 'em out.

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I don't know why I didn't think of Man Tripping. You've got your vacation bars, your bowling and your sharks (the real kind I mean; the ones with the big teeth). They've found some extraordinarily hairy adventures:

What happens when you combine a golf driving range with the social aspect of bowling and throw in a full bar menu and waitresses who never let your beer go empty?

If you answered "bliss" then this might be the travel site for you.