On ITALY, March ’05. . .

• Hotel Villa Schuler (Piazzetta Bastione, Via Roma I, 98039 Taormina, Messina, Sicily, Italy; phone +39 0942 23481, fax +39 0942 23522, e-mail schuler@tao.it or visit www.villaschuler.com) — in a convenient, central location but quiet as the villa sits in its own private gated grounds.

We stayed at this hotel for seven nights and highly recommend it. Family owned and operated — a welcoming, helpful family who treated us as guests in their home.

...

From Brugge, BELGIUM, Jan. 16, ’05. . .

• There is no cash machine or currency exchange at the Brugge train station. There’s an ATM at the post office on Market Square. Money exchange and other ATMs are on Steenstraat off the Markt.

• Hotel Ensor (Speelmansrei 10, Brugge; phone 050/342589 or visit www.ensorhotel.be) — in a charming location on a quiet street overlooking the canal. Just a 5-minute walk from Market Square or a 10-minute walk from the rail station. Large, clean...

From Paris, FRANCE, Oct. 16, ’04. . . • Le Navigator (63 rue Galande, 75005 Paris; phone 01 43 54 35 86) — in the fifth arrondissement. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Reservations advised. English spoken. First course, main dish, dessert and house wine, €20 (near $25.50); for example, moules mariniere, coq au vin and mousse au chocolat. Escargots and soles meuniere are on more expensive menus. — J.P. Williams, Brigadoon, U.K.

From Ulaan Baatar, MONGOLIA, Oct. 8, ’04...