Paris.
Its character is an art capital where romance and order coexist, and the Seine strings the bookshops and cafés of the Left Bank and the palace avenues of the Right Bank into a single walking corridor. Keywords: the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, museums, cafés. The signature experience is to enter the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay early in the morning, walk the bouquinistes second-hand book stalls along the river in the afternoon, and climb the Montmartre hill at dusk to look over the city's rooftops. The signature foods are the croissant, confit de canard (duck leg confit) and escargots (baked snails); the butter smell of the bakeries is the Parisian's unshakeable daily dignity.
London.
Its character is a restrained and diverse global metropolis, and the two banks of the Thames pack royal tradition, the financial new city and the everyday warmth of its immigrant communities into a single frame. Keywords: the Thames, museums, theatres, markets. The signature experience is a free day in the British Museum or the National Gallery, an evening musical in the West End, and then the street food of every country at Borough Market. The signature foods are fish and chips, the Sunday roast and the full English breakfast; afternoon tea must come with scones and clotted cream to be complete.
Rome.
Its character is an eternal city that is an open-air museum, where more than two thousand years of remains share the same streets as contemporary life, and history is round every corner. Keywords: the Colosseum, the Vatican, fountains, the trattoria. The signature experience is to see the Colosseum and the Roman Forum early, while the crowds are thin, enter the Vatican Museums at midday to see the Sistine ceiling, and dine and stroll in the old lanes of Trastevere after dark. The signature foods are pasta alla carbonara, cacio e pepe (pasta with black pepper and cheese) and supplì (fried rice balls); Romans insist that pasta be al dente, with a bite to it.
Venice.
Its character is a maze of a water city floating on its lagoon, with no cars at all — only canals, stone bridges and the slowness measured out on foot. Keywords: the Grand Canal, gondolas, St Mark's, masks. The signature experience is to ride a vaporetto water bus the length of the Grand Canal, enter St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, and then deliberately get lost in the lanes to hunt out the bacari wine bars. The signature foods are cicchetti, the Venetian small dishes; risotto al nero di seppia, cuttlefish-ink risotto; and sarde in saor, sweet-and-sour sardines; eating small dishes standing up, with a glass of local white wine, is the most authentic way in.
Florence.
Its character is the heart of the Renaissance, where between the Arno and the red-tiled domes the density of galleries is so high that you have to slow down to digest it. Keywords: the Renaissance, the Uffizi, Florence Cathedral, leather goods. The signature experience is to reserve the Uffizi for Botticelli and Leonardo, climb the cathedral dome to look over the whole city, and watch the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo. The signature foods are bistecca alla fiorentina, the thick-cut Florentine steak; lampredotto, the tripe sandwich; and ribollita, the thick vegetable-and-bread soup; the steak is charged by the kilogram and eaten rare only — an old local rule; prices are for reference only, so confirm before ordering.
Barcelona.
Its character is a sunny, outward Mediterranean city of creativity, where Gaudí's curved buildings, the beaches and the markets make up a Catalan warmth. Keywords: Gaudí, the Sagrada Família, La Rambla, the beach. The signature experience is to reserve the Sagrada Família and Casa Batlló in advance, get lost in the Gothic Quarter and then eat freshly cut ham at the Boqueria market, and walk the seafront at dusk. The signature foods are paella, tapas and crema catalana, with vermut to drink; a paella is cooked to order and takes a long while, and it cannot be hurried — that is the consensus of the local table.
Prague.
Its character is a fairy-tale quiet old city of Bohemia, where the Vltava, Charles Bridge and a skyline of spires are at their most moving in the morning mist. Keywords: Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, the castle, beer. The signature experience is to cross Charles Bridge early to avoid the crowds, climb to the castle district to see St Vitus Cathedral, and wait on Old Town Square for the astronomical clock to strike the hour. The signature foods are svíčková, beef in cream sauce with bread dumplings; guláš; and trdelník, the chimney cake; a glass of Czech pilsner beside them balances the richness with freshness exactly, and the local dining prices are for reference only.
Vienna.
Its character is a city of music and cafés amid the afterglow of empire, with a stately rhythm in which dessert is as daily a necessity as the sound of music. Keywords: the city of music, cafés, the Ringstrasse, Schönbrunn. The signature experience is a day at Schönbrunn and the Kunsthistorisches Museum, an evening concert in the Golden Hall, and, in between, reading the newspaper and eating cake in a century-old café. The signature foods are Wiener Schnitzel, the veal escalope; Sachertorte; and Apfelstrudel; a true Schnitzel must be veal, so read the label carefully when ordering — that is where the Viennese are serious.
Budapest.
Its character is a twin city divided by the Danube: the Castle Hill of Buda is quiet, the ruin bars of Pest are lively, and the thermal baths stitch the two together. Keywords: the Danube, Parliament, the baths, ruin bars. The signature experience is to climb Fisherman's Bastion at dusk to watch Parliament light up, take a boat at night to see the lamps on both banks, and then soak in the outdoor pools of the Széchenyi Baths. The signature foods are gulyás, the Hungarian beef soup; lángos, the fried flatbread; and chimney cake; paprika is the soul, so when buying it as a souvenir look for the grade on the label — prices are for reference only.
Amsterdam.
Its character is a free and transparent canal city, where bicycles have more right of way than cars and the gabled façades of the 17th century are reflected in the water. Keywords: the canal belt, bicycles, museums, tulips. The signature experience is to cycle or take a boat along the Prinsengracht, enter the Rijksmuseum to see The Night Watch, and then browse the independent shops and Saturday markets of the Jordaan. The signature foods are stroopwafel, the caramel waffle; haring, raw herring; and erwtensoep, the thick pea soup; the herring is eaten by holding its tail and tipping your head back, and the waffle is warmed soft over the rim of a hot coffee cup — the local textbook way to eat them.
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