A spice market in India.

One of the best ways to experience a country’s culture is to eat its food. And, of course, explore its food markets. But what are the best places in the world to experience some of these culinary delights? There are the usual suspects, of course, but Gadling recently decided to come up with a list of 20 of the world’s greatest food cities that are not named Paris or New York. It’s a diverse and interesting group, stretching from Australia to Argentina and from Italy to India. Here is a sample of their selections:

Melbourne, Australia- The Botanical, the Koko, the Vue de Monde… some argue that Melbourne is the food capital of Australia, and for good reason. Melbourne is host to some of the most fantastic dining establishments in the world, and might just have more restaurants than any other city on the continent. Its strong fashion sense and sharp clientele demand a classy dining experience and only the tastiest cuisine can last in a city with such competition. Award winners abound in central Melbourne, so any visit here is unlikely to disappoint.

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA- If you love gumbo and jambalaya, take a trip to New Orleans for a traditional delight. In addition to the cajun food, make sure you try the fried pastries (beignets) paired with a cup of coffee while you’re in town. If you like to bar-hop and need a bit of liquor to cool your mouth from the jambalaya, try the French Quarter to move between establishments.

Buenos Aires, Argentina- Argentina’s capital is awash with cafes and shops, many specializing in just a quick bite to eat and many others capable of bringing the full bodied Argentinian flair to your plate (a new experience for many, a regrettable one for none). What really makes Buenos Aires’ kitchens worthwhile is their infusion of Spanish and Italian influences that form unique nuances derived from both, but brought to full potency only here, in Argentina.

Mumbai, India- Any foodie looking for a taste of truly authentic India will be satisfied (and stuffed!) here. No matter what variety you’re looking for, be it coastal cuisine or seafood, a good kebab, or just some hot tandoori, it doesn’t get any better than this. The unique spices and flavors native to India offer a festival for the palate you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. Stop in to any one of the “innumerable restaurants” in the area and be prepared for something spicy! You won’t be able to say “naan” to these choices!

Check out Gadling’s 16 other food cities in the full article. What would you add to the list?

Photo credit: Deepak via Wikimedia Commons.

La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Barcelona, Spain- Any visitor to Barcelona cannot miss the spectacular work and influence of architect Antoni Gaudi. With its bright colors, tiled mosaic patterns, and nature-inspired forms, Gaudi’s architecture was dramatically different than that of his contemporaries. Gaudi not only designed breathtaking work, but also is the architect who best captured Modernisme, or the Catalan modernism movement in Barcelona. This movement sought to elevate the status of Catalan thought, art, literature and philosophy to the same level of European ideas and art. In Gaudi’s work, this meant predominance of curves over straight lines, heavy decoration and detail, shapes and asymmetry, and experimentation with new materials like iron, stained glass, and stone.

Istanbul, Turkey – Istanbul is located on both the continents of Europe and Asia. Most citizens practice Islam, but the city also claims strong Christian and Jewish communities. Istanbul is thus known as a cultural melting pot, and the city’s architecture certainly lives up to that reputation. Visitors to Istanbul will find more than 2,000 mosques, 100 churches and 20 synagogues. Over time, Istanbul has served as a capital for Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires, and is now Turkey’s capital. Each period built a new architectural layer on top of the old, and many of these monuments remain intact.

The Ancient Romans and Greeks left their aqueducts and the Walls of Constantine. The Byzantines and Genoese left their domed churched with arches. The Ottoman Empire left its castles, palaces and mosques. And the European Baroque styles and Art Nouveau palaces and mansions that followed add more to the eclectic landscape of Istanbul.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Although Chicago gave birth to the skyscraper, in recent years Dubai has been the city to master constructing these tall and extravagant buildings. Dubai’s economy was initially built on oil, but its oil reserves have already been significantly depleted and only account for a small percentage of the economy. So the government recently decided to reinvent its image as a major international hub of commerce. A wide-scale real estate boom followed, which completely changed the city’s landscape in a short period of time. Dubai now houses some of the tallest and most contemporary and ambitious architecture in the world.

The full story has much more, not only information on such other cities as Rome, Chicago, Beijing and Athens, but also overviews on some of the more spectacular structures in each place.

Photo credit: Marek Holub via Wikimedia Commons.

Part photo opportunity, part political theater, the spectacle was the centerpiece of a fake funeral for the city of Venice. A group of prankster-provocateurs organized it to protest the fact that the number of residents in Venice’s historic center has dropped below 60,000, down from 74,000 in 1993, as rising rents and hordes of tourists have pushed thousands to the mainland.

As a result, locals feel like an endangered species. “We’re going to turn into a city of ghosts if something isn’t done soon,” said Matteo Secchi, a local hotelier and a spokesman for Venessia, the group that organized the funeral. “In 30 years there might be zero Venetians left.” …

Real estate prices are steep in the historic center, and many property owners can command far more with short-term rentals to foreigners than with long-term rentals to residents.

As more people move to the mainland, many protest a decline in services in Venice proper, including medical offices, child care facilities, food shops and even cobblers. Many Venetians see the closing of a vast hospital complex on the Lido, which the city has put up for sale to developers, as the ultimate symbol of tourism over local interests.

“The city doesn’t do anything for us,” said Matteo Matteazzi, who came to watch the fake funeral. “They do more for tourists and students. We want to live here with our families. We want it to be a living city the way it was when we grew up here.”

We all love to travel, but it’s also a sad fact that tourism affects local life, sometimes in good ways and sometimes in detrimental ways. Venice is fast becoming more of a museum piece than a vibrant city, as locals are driven away by the high cost of real estate. It’s an issue for everyone who cares about that travel to be aware of, just as much as we care about the affect that tourism has on ancient ruins around the world.

Damascus, Syria - Damascus, the current capital of Syria, has a long and colorful history that stretches back nearly 12,000 years. Located in a fertile region well-watered by the Barada river, Damascus was a prime target of numerous kings and conquerors – and often wound up on the losing side. Over 4 million people live in metropolitan Damascus today and, partly due to a skilfully constructed network of canals built nearly 3,500 years ago, boasts a multitude of parks and green spaces. Since 1979 Damascus has been UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jerusalem, Israel - Holy to a number of the world’s leading religions, 5,000-year-old Jerusalem was already settled centuries before any of them had their tenets put to paper, papyrus or pre-fired clay. According to the entry on Jerusalem in Wikipedia, “In the course of its history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.” Sadly, those numbers are likely not the final score for this exceptional city 747,600 people call Jerusalem, Yerushalayim, Al-Quds and… home.

Varanasi, India- The city of Varanasi, formerly known to English-speakers as Benares, has been a religious and cultural center for at least 3,000 years. Over one million pilgrims from across the Hindu world visit Varanasi each year to participate in ceremonies and swim in the sacred Ganges river. Varanasi is as close to being a true “living city” as one could imagine. Every bit of space is utilized, every disused building is re-worked into a new purpose and over centuries of conflict and conquest, the city heals itself through the power of human conviction and devotion to a greater glory.

There are seven more cities on the WebUrbanist list. Can you guess any of the others?

This particular writer selected five top options: Boston, Washington, Seattle, San Francisco, and Austin. Here is an excerpt:

Boston – Dubbed the ‘Athens of America’, Boston has rich history, grand architecture and some of the best universities in the world to its name. But this mid-sized city can still let its hair down, with a packed cultural calender, and a cool student scene spawning countless clubs, hip bars, arts and music scenes and bizarrely, Irish pubs! Beautiful in bloom in the Spring, and covered in russet leaves in the Fall, Boston is a gateway to the rest of New England’s glorious scenery, historic towns and bargain shopping.

Seattle – Seattle may be known as America’s wettest city, but the city embodies laid-back cool; this creative powerhouse is the home of Microsoft, Starbucks and grunge music. One of the most scenic cities in the US, Seattle is surrounded by an attractive waterfront, countless parks, forested beaches and open green spaces. Go shopping in Pike Place Market, ride to the top of the Space Needle, and then walk through Discovery Park when you’ve had enough of the city bustle.

Austin – We couldn’t do a round up of American cities without including somewhere from the southern states, and Austin is the surprisingly eccentric capital of Texas, the ‘Lone Star State’. All the hallmarks of the south are here – cowboys, country music and home-cooking, but Austin has its own quirky take on Texas – the home of the South by Southwest festival, the live music scene here is legendary, with countless bars and venues blasting out anything from jazz-funk to alt country. Austin’s edgy cool has drawn more and more businessmen to move in, but the city should keep its character a little while longer -  check out the locals wearing bumper stickers saying ‘Keep Austin Weird’!

What do you think? What would you add to or subtract from this list?

The study ranked the cities on 30 measures, ranging from the cardiovascular disease death rate to the percent of residents who bike or walk to work. Forbes.com published an overview of the results.

According to the index, Washington, D.C., residents are healthier than other Americans for a number of reasons. They have increased access to farmers’ markets, at 13 per 1 million residents, compared to a national average of 11. Fewer residents smoke and have diabetes, and nearly 90% have health insurance compared to a national average of 86%.

Still, Thompson was surprised to see the city rank first for the second consecutive year. “[It] is not mentioned in discussions of cities that have a strong fitness orientation,” he says. But the data demonstrated only a handful of weaknesses, most of them having to do with the limited number of recreational facilities.

Well, if Washington, D.C., was an unexpected contender, some of the other top cities are not as much of a surprise. The rest of the top 10 are: Minneapolis, Denver, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Austin and Virginia Beach. You can check out the entire list of 45 ranked metropolitan areas, or see a Forbes slide show of the cities.

What does it all mean in the end? Well, obviously, you can be fit anywhere. It’s a personal lifestyle choice. But this list does give you an idea of which regions care more about issues of health and lifestyle and thereby provide access to a more fitness friendly infrastructure. Just as with the list of bike-friendly cities that I recently covered, it’s one more piece of information if you’re looking to live in a place that shares some of your lifestyle values.

Hoi An, Vietnam – The Old Town, with its narrow cobblestone streets, low tile-roofed houses and ancient wells, is a spicy wok-full of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese styles. Cars are banned, pedestrians rule and conical hats are the order of the day.

Hoi An was relatively untouched during the Vietnam war and the old buildings, with their wooden fronts and unique “yin” and “yang” roof tiles, are now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The faded houses are ageing gracefully, old ladies carry their produce across their shoulders in cane baskets and the damp smell of the river lingers in the air.

Lisbon, Portugal – Lisbon, the city of seven hills, is one of the most enchanting cities in Europe. Its sense of weathered grandeur set within a natural amphitheatre of hills, together with its breathtaking views across the River Tagus is hard to match.

The old Arab quarter, also known as the Alfama, is located on the south-east slope of the hill crowned by Castelo de Sao Jorge. Moors, Christians and Jews have all lived here. The Alfama retains its medieval layout, with winding alleys, steep steps and wrought iron balconies. Bright washing flaps in front of colourful house fronts, Fado music drifts from bars and blood-red geraniums drip down whitewashed walls.

Shanghai, China - As Shanghai races to reinvent itself before hosting the 2010 World Expo, Old China Town, with its colourful street stalls, traditional shops and teahouses, is an unexpected surprise…Old China Town, surely, is Shanghai’s attic. It’s where this modern metropolis stores its trash and treasure.

Chinatown includes the Old Town Bazaar, Yu Garden, Shanghai’s old city wall and the famous Confucian temple. The red lacquered buildings, the curved roof tiles, the old men playing mahjong are all present and accounted for in this exciting theatre on the street.

Check out the article for the entire list of favorite Old Towns.

Not surprisingly, Amsterdam and several other European cities are near the top of the list. He also includes such places as Cape Town, South Africa, and Perth, Australia, as well as a half dozen North American entries. Here is a sampling of his “pedal heavens:”

Amsterdam, Netherlands – The “bicycling capital of Europe” tops many lists—including this one, it seems—as the most bike friendly city anywhere. Safe and extensive route networks, serious governmental promotion, and a bike culture that transcends class boundaries are all reasons why 40% of the city’s traffic moves on two wheels.

Copenhagen, Denmark – In the Danish capital, nearly a third of the workforce gets to the office by bike. By some estimates, that’s more than 1 million kilometers pedaled every day!

Portland, Oregon - … Most people consider the bike capital of the U.S. The only thing as impressive as Portland’s bicycle infrastructure (including a 260-mile network) and commuter stats (almost 10%, the highest in the country) is the camaraderie of its cyclist community.

Boulder, Colorado- Denver’s little hippy bro to the north dedicates 15% of its transportation budget to improving and promoting bicycle travel. Nearly every major roadway has a designated cycling area, and they’ve even instituted a pilot program to get kids biking to school.

See the entire article for descriptions of 11 other bike friendly cities.

As a result, 70 percent of Vauban’s families do not own cars, and 57 percent sold a car to move here. “When I had a car I was always tense. I’m much happier this way,” said Heidrun Walter, a media trainer and mother of two, as she walked verdant streets where the swish of bicycles and the chatter of wandering children drown out the occasional distant motor.

Vauban, completed in 2006, is an example of a growing trend in Europe, the United States and elsewhere to separate suburban life from auto use, as a component of a movement called “smart planning.” …

While there have been efforts in the past two decades to make cities denser, and better for walking, planners are now taking the concept to the suburbs and focusing specifically on environmental benefits like reducing emissions. Vauban, home to 5,500 residents within a rectangular square mile, may be the most advanced experiment in low-car suburban life. But its basic precepts are being adopted around the world in attempts to make suburbs more compact and more accessible to public transportation, with less space for parking. In this new approach, stores are placed a walk away, on a main street, rather than in malls along some distant highway.

I’m as guilty of anyone of living in a place where I need to drive my car for most errands, but I do love the thought of living somewhere more walkable and not being chained to an automobile. However, for an entire community to go without cars is certainly a big step. What do you think about it?

Manarola, Italy – The uber-colorful Italian village of Manarola is not the most precariously placed cliff-side settlement of the five in this review. This is fortunate considering the amount of wine produced—and consumed—here. The local specialty is Sciacchetrà, a sweet dessert wine that tastes of honey and apricots. Manarola is one of five villages in the Cinque Terre area of the Italian Riviera. The other four villages, not incidentally, have rather cool cliff-side locations as well.

Al Hajjarah, Yemen – Yemen is one of Spot Cool Stuff’s favorite travel countries (though, sadly, these days the security situation there for travelers is spotty). In the western part of the country lie the Haraz mountains and the village of Al Hajjarah. The fortified clifftop center of the village was originally built by the Ottomans in the 11th century, partly for military purposes and partly to serve as a Muslim enclave for what was then a mostly Jewish village. Today, Al Hajjarah makes for a striking trekking destination. Or you can travel here from San’a in about 3 hours by shared taxi via Manakhan.

The town of Manarola, Italy.

Photo: Casey Muller, Wikimedia Commons.