Christmas is simply across the nook and it’s not too late to seek out him one thing actually particular with our carefully-curated stocking filler concepts. Right here you’ll discover some luxurious however sensible items which might be excellent for the person who likes to journey in fashion.

Fly into Bologna or Milan to take an epic highway journey alongside the traditional By way of Emilia that hosts a string of lovely Italian cities. Within the coronary heart of Emilia Romagna lies Italy’s Meals Valley. Just remember to cease alongside the best way for dishes and wines which have acquired worldwide acclaim.

Scorching, scorching summers and chilly winters, with moisture trapped by the Apennine mountains, coalesce for good rising situations for meals that has turn into legendary: globally.

Michelin-starred eating places

Such is Emilia Romagna’s prominence in Italy’s gastronomic scene that Modena just lately hosted the Michelin Information 2025 Awards: primarily Italy’s foodie Oscars. As well as, Emilia Romagna may also host the awards for 2026 and 2027.

Amongst the culinary rock stars on the awards, Massimo Bottura is a God of the business. The success of his three Michelin star Osteria Francescana in Modena, typically lauded because the World’s Greatest Restaurant, offers Massimo a platform to talk for Emilia Romagna and for the restaurant business as an entire.

Awards granted by the 2025 Italy Michelin Information elevated the variety of Bib Gourmand eating places inside Emilia Romagna to 33. Excellent news for these touring the area searching for eating places recognised by Michelin as offering high quality with distinctive worth.

A spectacular panorama

Create your personal connoisseur path by means of Emilia Romagna which runs from Piacenza within the west, alongside the traditional route of the By way of Emilia by means of Bologna, Modena, Parma and thru to Rimini sat on the Adriatic.

Primarily, the route of the River Po, backed by the Apennine mountains to the north, is a mild panorama the place cows are milked to create huge wheels of Parmigiana Reggiano cheese.  That is Italy’s bread basket, packing the markets with vibrant recent produce. A land of gradual meals, these wheels of cheese mature for years, and quick automobiles. Modena is the house of Ferrari and the Ferrari Museum. 

Pavarotti’s home and restaurant

Emilia Romagna calls for an operatic sound monitor. Name in on the previous house of Luciano Pavarotti, close to Modena, to make these long-held tenor notes a actuality. A mural, emblazoned on the mansion’s wall, even bigger than the nice man’s character, indicators that you’ve arrived. 

Now a shrine to the nice tenor, the museum shows letters of admiration from Sinatra, Bono, Sting, Hillary Clinton, Springsteen and Princess Diana, testifying to Pavarotti’s common enchantment. 

Pavarotti labored laborious for his fame, saving his voice for performances, all the time scouring levels for a bent nail that introduced good luck and dropping three kilograms each time he carried out. Past music, Pavarotti loved portray and his cookbook exhibits his love of meals. Guide a desk within the neighbouring restaurant for the entire Pavarotti expertise. 

Mercato Albinelli, Modena

Name in on the wrought iron Liberty model market in Modena for an artisan introduction to the meals and produce of Emilia Romagna. Stalls overflow with the produce of Italy’s bounteous bread basket.

Artisan eating places across the fringes of the market, with humble trestle desk seating provide a chalked-up intro to regional specialities. 

In addition to dishes which have now turn into world favourites, for example bolognaise and lasagne, that is the place to strive native dishes akin to tortellini in broth. 

Parma

Allegedly, Bologna is the gastronomic capital of the world or so the locals say as they sit with an intense expresso explosion of espresso. Or look into one another’s eyes as they offer a toast with a knock of their glass on the desk, echoing “Chin-chin” earlier than sipping one in every of Emilia Romagna’s 24 DOC wines. 

But, it’s Parma that UNESCO has given the award of a gastronomic capital: in all probability for the gastronomic virtuosity of its manufacturing of Parma ham, Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, plump tomatoes and a few of these DOC wines. 

Verdi Corale

You’ll be able to’t escape from opera in Emilia Romagna, the Verdi Corale is an opera college for Verdi aficionados. Lunch to arpeggios and ascending scales of Verdi lovers from all around the world loosening their vocal cords for his or her favorite arias. 

Amongst the darkish wooden and eating tables of the restaurant a grand piano sits on the stage for extra tributes to the nice opera composer born in Parma. 

Trattoria Amerigo 1934

Until you’re a licensed truffle hunter, with a keen-nosed Lagotta Romagna canine, appreciable expertise and a slice of fine luck, you might be unlikely to seek out your personal truffles. The following most suitable choice within the truffle nation round Savigno, within the foothills of the Apennine mountains, for tasting truffles, is to dine on the Trattoria Amerigo. 

Since 1934, the Bettini household has run this rustic-styled trattoria, the place the decor nonetheless pays homage to the 1930s, with adverts from the period extolling Campari and Cinzano life. 

The trattoria has simply been awarded a Michelin star for the 28th consecutive 12 months. These within the know ebook into one of many adjoining inn’s rooms, significantly when Savigno’s annual truffle competition comes round in late autumn.

Disclosure: Our keep was sponsored by Emilia Romagna Turismo.

With Christmas simply across the nook, it’s not too late to purchase the proper reward for the traveler in your life. Whether or not he travels for enterprise or pleasure, or just appreciates just a few residence comforts when he’s not on the highway, you’ll discover our information is brimming with concepts to make this festive season actually matter!

Take your gift-giving to the following degree this Christmas with inspiration from our rigorously curated choice of luxurious journey gadgets. Get able to wrap up one thing extraordinary this yr – one thing that blends sophistication, sustainability and performance, while additionally inspiring exploration for the particular man in your life.

Holland America Line continues to construct an immersive program that showcases Alaska in all its splendor and majesty. Six of their ships discover Alaska, every providing completely different voyages and onboard facilities. All their ships are created uniquely! Analysis is required to choose the very best ship and itinerary in your timeframe and pockets. However you’ll be able to’t go mistaken! All of them deliver Alaska to your balcony.

I boarded the Eurodam in September, towards the tip of the season. It was a seven-day Alaska Explorer cruise that docked from and returned to Seattle, Washington. Highlights included Stephens Passage and Glacier Bay Nationwide Park—spectacular! 

Right here is my to-do record onboard the Eurodam. Take observe–there are such a lot of methods to craft your expertise that your record might be totally completely different. That makes HAL (Holland America) a wonderful cruise line: you can also make your cruise… your personal. 

Do meet up on the Rolling Stone Lounge

HAL is thought for its excellent dwell music. Its Pinnacle Class ships function the “Music Stroll,” which incorporates B.B. King’s Blues Membership, amongst others. The Eurodam had favorites just like the Rolling Stone Lounge and Billboard Onboard.  

I met my husband within the Rolling Stone Lounge on the primary night time, and we went each night time after that. The band had a terrific vary. They might play every part from Gladis Night time and the Pips to Jimmy Hendrix (my hubby’s favourite) to Corridor and Oats (my favourite) to Jimmy Buffet.

What cruisers lacked in rhythm, they made up for in enthusiasm! Nightly, the Rolling Stone Lounge rocked the ship. The dance ground was a judgment-free zone the place everybody was all in to have a very good time. 

Don’t miss the Alaska Port Profiles

Go to the Alaska Port Profiles on the primary day on the World Stage. For those who miss that, watch them on TV in your room. We watched the Port Profiles for every port as we approached the port. Seeing them directly on the large display screen the primary day is a greater strategy. 

Do or don’t? The limitless class cross

The limitless class cross provides you entry to all of the train lessons on the fitness center. The worth of this relies on the health employees on every boat. On this cruise, I discovered the lessons to be fundamental and boring. Nonetheless, I’ve performed this on different Holland cruises and located it was fairly the alternative. I like to recommend making an attempt a number of free lessons earlier than opting in for the cross. 

Moreover, when you favor doing your personal factor with weights and machines, the fitness center is fabulous—the view is even higher! 

Do benefit from studying alternatives

My husband dipped into the Thai Chi class a number of instances throughout the journey. Whereas he isn’t a newbie, a number of cruisers had been, and the trainer did a terrific job of catering to a category with blended skills. 

Holland has an official partnership with the Pickle Ball Affiliation. I realized how you can serve, rating, and usually play whereas on board. It’s an effective way to satisfy different cruisers and revel in a sport when you float previous jaw-dropping surroundings. 

The choices are virtually limitless. Take a Fashionable Brush Lettering class within the Artwork Studio, meet up for a Mah Jongg sport within the Crows Nest, see how you can make a Barbeque Salmon Bowl from the ship’s chef, study artists Peter Max or Thomas Kinkade, get your groove on in a line dancing class.

Do: It’s a should! Go to “We Love Alaska” spotlights

Every day aboard the Eurodam, there was a We Love (within the form of a coronary heart) Alaska providing. These typically came about on the World Stage, and in below an hour, you realized one thing about Alaska, its heritage, historical past, meals, wildlife, ports, and native individuals. Benefiting from “We Love Alaska” experiences breathes depth into your journey and offers you a way of place that’s past the ship.

Do join specialty eating that speaks to your palette

We love inventive Asian meals, so we made certain to eat at Tamarind, identified for its Pan-Asian Delicacies. The meal was a mixture of artisanally plated dishes, colourful and vibrant. Fancy cocktails from Grasp Mixologist Dale Degroff kicked off a rare eating expertise.  

The worth of the onboard eating places is phenomenal. For an affordable upcharge, you get a eating expertise exterior of the principle eating room, which regularly options extra attention-grabbing meals and bespoke service. It’s value it! 

Room service? Sure, please!

At the start of your cruise, let your steward know that you simply’d like flip down service. Having a nightly turndown is a five-star luxurious expertise, and it may be yours at no further cost, so why not?! 

The identical goes for room service. Fill out your preferences card for breakfast, and a stunning tray might be dropped at you the subsequent morning. Sip your espresso whereas Alaska’s magnificence passes by. 

Music, dance, comedy: Do see a present on the World Stage

Hyperion Knight (sure, his actual identify) was onthe World Stage a number of nights throughout our cruise. His acerbic supply was amusing, and his present was academic and entertaining. Hyperion defined how completely different musical genres join and overlap. I didn’t know that Rachmaninoff was thought-about essentially the most tough composer to play or that he had fled Russia to Hollywood. With generally disjointed and amusing background slides of far-off locations accompanying his world-class piano taking part in (suppose Liberace), I used to be educated, tickled, and charmed. And that’s simply mentioning one performer. The World Stage had track, dance, and comedy reveals nightly. 

Want extra time in your to-do record? Holland America gives 14-day and 28-day cruises as nicely

That is only a smattering of what a Holland America Alaskan cruise has to supply. For those who’re a foodie, there are such a lot of eating experiences to dig into–Dutch Tea to Nami Sushi to Alaska Sea Boil. For those who dream of successful a ping pong match, get to the Lido deck and have some enjoyable whereas seeing whales spout alongside the boat.

For the needs of this text, I centered on the Eurodam ship. However extraordinary excursions from all of the HAL ships abound, and making the most of these allows you to dwell your Alaska explorers’ fantasy. 

“We proceed to construct an Alaska program that’s in contrast to another within the business, that’s deeply immersive, placing a highlight on all of the splendor that brings cruisers to Alaska,” mentioned Dan Tough, vice chairman of income administration for Holland America Line. “Whether or not it’s speaking to a park ranger whereas observing a glacier calve in Glacier Bay, becoming a member of a whale-watching tour or having fun with the freshest native fish that was simply introduced on board, we wish our visitors to return house from trip feeling impressed.”  

We returned from our Alaska Explorer cruise with 1000’s of photographs. It doesn’t matter what we had been doing on the ship, there was at all times the view past–the dawn by means of the islands, the moon on the water, the huge wake of the boat as we left glaciers within the distance, the glaciers, whales, sea otters, bald eagles. Sure, we felt impressed… and humbled by Alaska’s magnificence and Mom Nature.