Foodie Fun - Brussels
European cultures take their cured meat very seriously, with Belgium being no exception. Similar to black pudding in Great Britain and blutwurst in Germany,  Boudin is a well-seasoned sausage usually made of minced pork, fried onions, rice and a variety of spice, which takes on many variations. Brussels-based writer Alison Cornford-Matheson of www.cheeseweb.eu digs into this traditional meaty delight that she say is "part of the fabric of food culture here and love it, or hate it, everyone has on opinion on it."
http://cheeseweb.eu/2011/11/boudin-taste-belgium/

Artistic Diversion - London
A microphone, TV screen with a red dot bopping along a line of lyrics and a bar full of people nursing a pint of beer can only mean one thing - It's karaoke time! Even though it doesn't reach the levels of popularity it enjoys in East Asia, karaoke has carved out a unique place in the national pastime arena of London. London-based Sophie Carville hunts down the best karaoke joints in her hometown where you can sing along to your favourite songs.
http://www.europe-cities.com/en/1033/uk_england/london/2123_karaoke_bars/

A Quick Stop - Karlovy Vary
Besides it's well-known film festival held during summertime, the historic Czech town of Karlovy Vary has plenty to offer visitors in the cooler months. Visit the town's medieval sites or ride the funicular railway with the wee ones, or if you fancy a more relaxed vacation, relax in one of the hot-water havens or kick back with some Becherovka, a fierce local liquor made of herbs.  
http://www.jaywaytravel.com/blog/2011/karlovy-vary/

Building History - Warsaw
Poland's 40-year Soviet domination left a heavy imprint on Warsaw's cityscape. The most robust and unmissable vestige of that era is the Palace of Culture and Science (abbreviated in Polish as ‘PKiN’), a 42-storey monolith sitting slap-bang in the centre of town.  Built as a gift from Stalin in the early 1950s, this cake-shaped palace is a bizarre hybrid of Stalinist and Manhattanist architectural styles, peppered with a few Polish design features from the Krakow's Royal Wawel Castle and renaissance houses in Chelmno and Zamosc. Australian writer Jay Martin explores Warsaw's iconic symbol, the so-called "Elephant in Lingerie".
http://en.poland.gov.pl/Warsaws,landmark,the,Palace,of,Culture,and,Science,11068.html

City Break - Manchester
January is the best time of year for bagging a bargain, which makes Manchester - a well-known shopping destination - particularly attractive for frugal fashionistas and budget-minded travellers. From fashion to food, here's a list of markets to explore in Britain's second city.  
http://blightytraveller.com/shopping-in-manchester-a-look-at-five-of-the-best-markets-in-the-city/

Travel Advice - Berlin  
Budget airlines in Europe have opened the doors to the wonders of international travel to a wide group of people. Most take advantage of the lower air fare to explore foreign cities for their cultural, historic of culinary merits, but some, go for the late-night-booze-fest appeal. Berliners may be known for their tourist-friendly ways, but they highly dislike 'bad tourist' (aka "Easy Jet Set") who visit the city only for the 'cool' factory: nightclubs, cheap bear and stag nights. In this short piece we look at Berliners vs. the Easy Jet set.
http://www.europe-cities.com/en/1033/germany/berlin/2122_be_cool_in_berlin/

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