Italy

Wen: They don't call Bologna 'la Grassa' (the fat one) for nothing. Many of Italy's belt-busting classics call this city home, from mortadella and tortellini to its trademark tagliatelle al ragù (pasta with meat sauce). Shop the deli-packed Quadrilatero, and side-trip to the city of Modena for world-famous aged balsamic vinegar. Just leave room for a trip to Parma, hometown of parmigiano reggiano cheese and the incomparable prosciutto di Parma. Wherever you plunge your fork, toast with a glass or three of the region's renowned Lambrusco or sauvignon blanc.

Wen: Neapolitan Street Life Nowhere else in Italy are people as conscious of their role in the theatre of everyday life as in Naples (Click here). And in no other Italian city does daily life radiate such drama and intensity. Naples' ancient streets are a stage, cast with boisterous matriarchs, bellowing baristi (bartenders) and tongue-knotted lovers. To savour the flavour, dive into the city's rough-and-tumble Porta Nolana market, a loud, lavish opera of hawking fruit vendors, wriggling seafood and the irresistible aroma of just-baked sfogliatelle (sweetened ricotta pastries).

Wen: Asolo This cosy, elegant hilltop town in Veneto is home to one of the region's best-loved antiques markets.