High on the view as much as the cocktails
From swanky Midtown to the hip Lower East Side, a guide to imbibing in (and on) the city's rooftop hotel bars.

Eric Asimov: Red wine, give it to me cold!
It may be hot, but - repeat after me - we want red wine. And how are we going to drink this red wine? Chilled! Cold, cool, brisk, whatever you want to call it.

Booking online tickets around the world
When booking an around-the-world ticket you should compare fares and route and airline combinations offered by the two major airline alliances: Oneworld (www.oneworld.com) and Star Alliance (www.staralliance.com).

A new museum puts a Thai imprint on Angkor
The new Angkor National Museum in Siem Reap, which was opened by a Thai company, has stirred controversy in the country.

101 20-minute dishes for inspired picnics
Picnic foods need not be boring. With a little shopping, a little effort, and 20 minutes or less for assembly, you can easily vary the menu a bit.

Sweet heat: For Jamaicans, it's about jerk
Done right, jerk is one of the great barbecue traditions of the world, up there with Texas brisket and Chinese char siu.

Massage, not work, on the kibbutz in Israel
Once socialist collective farms, the kibbutz is being transformed into vacation retreats with flat-screen TVs, swimming pools and yoga classes.

On Martha's Vineyard on a budget. Seriously.
The Massachusetts island, a fabled retreat for the upper classes, has plenty to offer those on a more modest budget.

Playing markets that trade miles
New online services have quietly begun testing ways for travelers to leverage unused miles.

36 hours in Bangkok
Leafy temple complexes, graceful neighborhoods and inviting restaurants offer surprising pockets of tranquillity in the city's mesmerizing chaos.

'Premium economy' offers more comfortable ride
A new class of service is emerging in the aircraft cabin that fits between economy and business class.

A carry-on bag will help laptop pass airport security
The Transportation Security Administration will let passengers use newly designed carry-on bags so they can pass through security without taking their laptops out for the X-ray inspection.
- 'Premium economy' offers more comfortable ride

Oooooh, Canada
In Montreal, a city known for its festivals, thousands are enjoying the annual international fireworks competition that runs for two months every summer and draws millions of viewers.

In London, fine dining that's both inspired and, mostly, British
Three London restaurants - Le Café Anglais, Great Queen Street and Hereford Road - hint that the days when good food in Britain was foreign are over.

U.S. travelers face deep flight cuts by summer's end
Analysts say cuts by the airlines will reduce U.S. flights this year by almost 10 percent, with deeper cuts in store.

Roger Collis: Assigning the blame for airport woes
Airlines blame airport authorities or air traffic congestion, along with civil aviation policy; airport management blames customs, immigration and security staff; and travelers are as likely to blame an airline as an airport, or anyone else in range, when things go awry.

Hidden gardens of Paris
The city has hundreds of gardens, many of them out-of-the-way corners of tranquil beauty. Finding them is half the fun.

Let the Games (and the tourism) begin!
For seven years, Beijing has spent lavishly to prepare its "coming out party" for the 2.5 million guests, among them 500,000 visitors from overseas, who are expected during the Olympic Games in August.
- Out and About in Beijing; some tips for Olympic visitors

Foraging in Berlin, where the art elite meets to eat
You could go to art galleries in Berlin for a solid week and find yourself not halfway through a master list. You could also make your way into the glamorous heart of a city that has borne witness to horror and majesty alike, to eat.

'Brunello di Montalcino': A long-fermenting scandal in Italy
The scandal in which the Tuscan authorities accused well-known producers of violating laws that let them use the prestigious "Brunello di Montalcino" appellation, mainly by using unapproved grapes continues to drag on.

Roger Collis: Multi-city flying in the United States
Options on travel to multi-cities.

Crisis and renewal in Argentina
An American writer who moved to Argentina finds it takes a while to settle down in an eternally unsettled place.

How to save on summer travel to Europe
Ten luxurious ways to visit the Continent without going broke.

Expo Zaragoza puts its best eco-step forward
Expo Zaragoza 2008, an international exposition on water and sustainable development, is putting a spotlight on the ancient Spanish city of Zaragoza.

A garlic festival without a single clove
My family's worship of garlic inspired a celebration — a vampire-repelling repast showcasing garlic in its many incarnations.
- Chai-spiced chicken wings with green garlic aioli
- Double garlic soup
- White bean and garlic scapes dip
- Penne with roasted garlic, pancetta and arugula
- Green garlic and chive soufflé with Gruyère

You still fly commercial? That's so down-market
Business aviation has grown in the last few years, at the expense of the premium categories of the commercial airline industry.

Retracing the steps of German colonizers in Namibia
The writer takes a journey through landmarks of a forgotten era: the 30 years, from 1884 to 1914, when Germany ruled Deutsche Sudwest Afrika, a vast, sparsely populated protectorate bordered on the west by the Atlantic, on the east by the Kalahari Desert.

Putting meat back in its place
If you've decided to eat less meat, or are considering it for whatever reason, here are some suggestions to ease your path.

United to charge travelers to check a bag
United joins American Airlines in assessing a $15 luggage fee for passengers flying on the cheapest tickets.

The rewards of drinking on the cheap
If you can dodge the minefields of oak substitutes and other winemaking tricks that are intended to imitate expensive wines, you just might find some inexpensive wines in which you can taste simple essences rather than fancy mock-ups.

What's bad for airlines might be good for you
The credit crunch and the concomitant soaring price of oil, which is sending world airlines into a tailspin, may perversely turn out to be good news for travelers.

Carving out underground niche of one's own
In Sicily and in parts of Italy, ancient caves, some of which were used as burial sites, are being upgraded as living quarters, from homes and small hotels to restaurants and bars.

As skiers depart Aspen, chowhounds take their place
Bordered by fertile agricultural land, the city is becoming emblematic of the organic farm-to-table movement that's blossoming throughout Colorado.

In Utah, rafting through prehistory
Rafting along the San Juan River in southeastern Utah is one of the most intimate ways to see a region rich with history and prehistory.

U.S. transportation agency experiments with new airport checkpoint system
The Transportation Security Administration is trying to speed up airport screening by asking passengers to choose a line based on their checkpoint skills.