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If you're a gourmet cook or just a food lover, you'll love this month's suggestions!

Take a Cooking Class (or just eat really well) on Vacation

If you love food (cooking it or just eating it), you'll love a cooking trip.

• You'll find a half-day cooking or food appreciation class in almost any city you visit. So, if you're planning a trip to Paris, for example, you can enjoy a Chocolate and Pastry Food Tour - I can't think of anything more delicious! There are similar walking-and-tasting tours in Barcelona, New York City, Boston, and Chicago.

• For a more complete course in cooking the local cuisine, there are

week-long cooking trips in Italy, France, and Spain. Some include language classes, too, and most take you to the local markets to shop and choose the food you'll be cooking. It's a much more intimate experience than a bus tour of the country! (and look for the trip to Poland, too - if you're of Polish heritage, wouldn't that be a great trip to take with your mom, sisters, or daughter?)

• For a really elegant trip with fine food and wine, consider a river cruise that focuses on local cuisine. Uniworld Boutique River Cruises offers several cruises along European rivers that include gourmet meals and wine provided by local suppliers. There are cooking demonstrations on board, and trips to the homes of local vintners for private wine tastings. A river cruise is a more relaxed and elegant way of exploring Europe - why not choose one with good food, too?

Next month, we'll talk more about river cruises - specifically, Christmas market river cruises!

Until next time - Happy Travels!