Seeing a city that’s cut straight out of a storybook

A cultural eating experience in Spain

How to step off the plane looking (and feeling) like a jet-setting celeb

SAN JUAN — Even the beer tastes better in the tropics

Blast visits a city overflowing with history that broadens your horizons

Since the last Index was published nearly six months ago, New York and London have lost fewer points than both Singapore and Hong Kong. Some Asian cities have taken a large hit, namely Tokyo, which fell from a seven ranking to a 15 and lost 31 points, the largest drop in the top 20. Some cities, like Boston, Dublin, Toronto and Guernsey, have even capitalized on the losses of others, rising in the rankings despite losing points.

LISBON, Portugal — If London and Paris are the Grand Dames of Europe, then Lisbon, Portugal is the unruly, prettier stepsister who deserves all of the attention. Similar to Dorothy’s Oz, with its pale yellowish cobblestone streets, the “city of the seven hills” is a winding stretch of neighborhoods that have as much character as [...]

LEIRIA, PORTUGAL — Portugal is the land of light. You step off of the plane and cannot help but to be engulfed by its healing, energizing, centering properties. No matter what region of the country you are visiting, this will be what you take away.
Like California, Portugal runs the gamut on landscape boasting beaches, wine [...]

BALTIMORE — It’s March and that means that Easter eggs are soon on their way and that pints o’ beer and allergies are here! We all love spring, St. Patrick’s Day and holiday feasts, and one of the best places to celebrate all three is the Baltimore-Annapolis, Maryland area on the Chesapeake Bay. Rich in [...]

BIG SUR, Calif. — I’m broke. You’re broke. We’re all broke.
Sometimes the best medicine comes in the form of a pretty distraction, and I’m not talking about Pamela Anderson here. If you live in (insert city name — really, any one will do), it’s time for you to GET OUT. No doomsday warnings here, [...]

ARTESIA, Calif. — We landed in beautiful Long Beach at 11:45 a.m., and despite disaster with the rental car and a slightly questionable hotel room, we’ve made it!
First things first. E3 technically starts Tuesday, but tomorrow we’ll be hearing from Electronic Arts and Microsoft, so expect big things there.
For now, we’re relaxing after a [...]

Dear EarthTalk: My old computer finally bit the dust and I am in the market for a replacement. Are there any particularly “green” computers for sale these days? — Brian Smith, Nashua, NH
Thanks in part to pressure from non-profits like Greenpeace International-which has published quarterly versions of its landmark “Guide to Greener Electronics” since 2006-computer [...]

Imagine a New England winter—the air is cold, crisp and clear. It’s a perfect evening to slide back the moon roof and watch the stars with that special someone. Imagine a Florida spring—temperate and green—with weather that makes you want to slide open the sunroof. Imagine a California summer—hot and bright—a convertible paradise.
Picture a car [...]