Eternal Summer in Rome

Italians may never fully embrace the American custom of trick or treating on Halloween, but who needs it anyway? The city of Rome is rife with enough creepy traditions and eerie venues for a delightfully ominous three-day spook fest starting with the neo-pagan Sabbath on Oct 31 and ending with the Day of the Dead on Nov 2. Halloween Perhaps the best way to gear up for a frightful Halloween is a stroll down the via Appia Antica which is closed to traffic each Sunday. The ancient cobbled street is lined with tombs and monuments honoring the dead. From here you can access the Catacombs of San Callisto, (Via Appia Antica, 110, catacombe.roma.it), part of a massive 375 mile multi-tiered network of dark, tomb-lined tunnels, sometimes five levels below ground. The eerie ambiance--not to mention the human remains in some wall tombs--are scary any time of the year, but on Halloween the tour guides often play up the fear factor. In the afternoon, join the local dead poet's society at the Protestant Cemetery (via Caio Cestio just left of the giant pyramid near the Piramade metro stop). The entrance is free, but the grounds keeper will appreciate a donation and will likely be standing by the box as you enter. Wander the non-Catholic cemetery for foreigners to see the famous graves of the poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats. But look at the other headstones, too, to see the mix of foreigners whose lives ended in Rome. Beside John Keats' grave in the far corner, local poets will gather for red wine and an afternoon Halloween poetry reading. Spend the evening on nearby Monte Testaccio, a 115-foot hill made of broken terracotta urns which is home to a series of hot spots for the party crowd. Here you'll find the city's best adult Halloween parties at any one of the many supper clubs and all-night discos. Don't forget to come in costume, but be warned that Italians don't dress as popular culture icons, they stick to witches, ghosts, goblins and ghouls. Tours: If you'll be in Rome on the Saturday before Halloween, check out the Angels and Demons: Secrets and Symbolism tour which meets at 9:30 on October 30 in the middle of Piazza del Popolo. +39 06 700 9336 througheternity.com All Soul's Day Heading across the Tiber River just after the Ponte Sisto, check out the church of Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte (Our Lady of Eulogies and of the Dead, via Giulia at the via del Mascerone). The facade of this church built in 1576 is decorated with skulls and a winged skeleton. The interior is decorated with similar images of death. The church once housed the tombs of over 8,000 bodies until they were destroyed in a construction project in the 1800s. You can still see one remaining tomb decorated with the bones of its inhabitant including an intricate candelabra made from the vertebrae and hand and toe bones. Check out the water clock of death above the entrance door. From here it is an easy walk to Piazza Navona to visit the church of St. Agnes in Agony (via di Santa Maria dell'Anima, 30 on Piazza Navona) just behind Bernini's Fountain of Rivers. Inside, behind a hidden door marked "Sacra Testa di Sant'Agnese" you'll find the sacred head of Saint Agnes who was decapitated on the grounds. The head is now a religious relic that thousands of believers pray to each year and is a special draw on all Soul's Day. It is a long shot, but definitely worth it if you can get a sneak tour of the Crypt of the Cappuccini Monks (via Veneto, 27 tel) +39-06-487-1185), in Santa Maria della Concezione near Piazza Barberini. Closed for cleaning for over a year now, this is by far Rome's creepiest crypt. Sneak around the back to see if the attendant will let you in for a peak. The bones of over 4,000 monks have been used to carefully decorate the crypt ceiling and walls. Intricate designs that at first look like carvings are really leg bones and rib cages. Stacks of skulls line the narrow hallways and vases decorated with finger bones and knuckles are scattered throughout the crypt. Day of the Dead November 2 is the Day of the Dead and many Romans will be tending the final resting places of their dearly departed. Why not do the tourist version and check out Hadrian's Mausoleum at Castel Sant' Angelo (Ponte Sant' Angelo near Vatican City tel) +39-06-3996-7600) where Roman emperors were buried for nearly a century ending in 217 A.D. The giant round structure then became a prison and a fortress for popes. Take a light lunch or at least a coffee on the terrace overlooking St. Peter's. The Day of the Dead is also a perfect day to visit the Basilica of San Clemente (via di San Giovanni in Laterano tel)+39- 06-7045-1018) near San Giovanni in Laterano. The modern church (built in 1100) sits on top of two levels of ancient Roman history. Go down a level to see the remains of the 4th century church that marks the transition from pagan to Christian Rome. The sound of an underground stream and the dank smell of this deep cavern add to the eerie feel. Here you'll see a tombstone inscribed with pagan graffiti on one side and Christian propaganda on the other. This ultra-creepy crypt was once the secret worship place for clandestine Christians (who also practiced the rites of paganism by day). Go down yet another level to the Temple of Mithras to see a 2nd century spot where cults met to worship this pagan God. Look for carvings of scorpions and spiders all vying to defeat Mithras. Explore this area fully and you'll see ancient Corinthian columns behind a protective metal gate.

The sport of swells doesn't have to be. A top golf specialist reveals how you, too, can tee off at acceptable costs, and yet at famous clubs and courses. In Scotland, the birthplace of golf, the sport is still infused with the character of its humble origins, a game invented by working class shepherds, played first with sticks and rocks, later balls and clubs. Modern day residents and students in St. Andrews, the town synonymous with the game, can play the legendary courses of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club for an entire season for what Americans pay for a single round at Pebble Beach. But golf in this country has strayed from its egalitarian beginnings and for more than a hundred years has been perceived as a sport for the idle rich. If the golf media, with its "best of" and "must play" lists were to be believed, no round under $100 would be satisfactory, and a week-long golf vacation would be the sole province of Fortune 500 executives. Golf for everyone America is awash in first-rate, bargain-priced golf, and you can actually play and stay for a week for less than what one round on the nation's most expensive layouts would cost. Not only is cheap golf out there, but there is great cheap golf. So whether you want a week of warm-weather golf, a long weekend away from home, or a chance to hone your skills at a golf school, we'll be naming the very best deals. First, a summary: there are several reasons golf can be cheap. One is competition in areas where so many courses are found that prices have to be low. Nowhere is this more the case than in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a budget golf mecca. Off-season weather also brings cheap golf, and summer heat wilts prices in Florida, Arizona, and desert regions. Next, "municipal courses," a loosely used term for government-subsidized facilities, can also be great bargains whether they are affiliated with a municipality or not. While many are individual courses not worth traveling to, others, like the excellent string of facilities throughout Alabama, are destinations in their own right. More reasons: Golf courses are increasingly being built to encourage summer traffic at winter destinations such as ski resorts, and some, like those we've found in Canada, offer off-season deals in prime golf season. Throw in the strong exchange rate of the U.S. dollar vs. Canada's, and these are some of the best deals going. Finally, there are courses in areas subsidized by casino gambling, where greens fees, like meals and entertainment, are kept artificially low to lure bettors. In this case, Las Vegas is the exception, as a shortage of courses keeps prices high, but areas like Reno, Nevada, and the gulf coast of Alabama offer great golf bargains. Because of the success of the first U.S. Open ever held on an affordable course, Torrey Pines (outside San Diego), another high-quality municipal course, was just selected as the 2008 Open venue. This is a great trend, but in both these cases, the difficulty of getting a tee time offsets the bargain-at Bethpage, for example, golfers have been known to sleep in their cars to get tee times for the next day.Read further for information on North America's best (and most affordable) golf towns, schools, resorts and tours. Golf towns Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: It may be old hat, but Golf City, USA, remains the nation's perennial bargain destination, and things are even better these days. At last count, some 120 18-hole public layouts were competing for visitors (with more on the way), as were a formidable array of budget accommodations. Myrtle Beach, an established destination, is all about packages that offer a smorgasbord of golf and lodging choices for unbelievably low prices. The second most heavily visited beach resort in America for persons traveling by car, Myrtle Beach in the '90s became a travel phenomenon, a destination for millions each year, some of them attracted by a growing number of country music theatres and other evening performance venues, and others by golf. Though the golfing here hasn't much "cachet," and you might not want to boast about the stay to your friends, it is certainly a center for affordable golf vacations, and totally unpretentious in atmosphere and facilities. The big player is Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday (800/845-GOLF, golfholiday.com/), which offers a free and comprehensive handbook detailing every course, hotel, motel, and resort, along with package pricing. For more detailed information and hotel brochures, find the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce at myrtlebeachlive.com/. Palm Springs, California: As a runner-up to Myrtle Beach, golfing here is of the highest quality, and widely available on numerous courses, but frightfully expensive (both for lodgings and greens fees) in winter and early spring. Go, instead, in off-season (June 1 to December 31) and you'll enjoy remarkably low rates for golf and accommodations at hotels ranging from the upscale Palm Springs Hilton Resort to the Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel (using the Tahquitz Creek Legends Course) to the moderately-priced Holiday Inn Palm Mountain Resort (using the Mesquite Country Club.) For a mouth-watering brochure of all the low-cost opportunities available to you during the blisteringly-hot summer months (it does cool down in fall and early winter), write to the City of Palm Springs Tourism Division, 777 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 201, Palm Springs, California, 92262, or access palm-springs.org/. A Tale of Two Floridas: Florida is one of the most golf-crazed states in the Union, and off-season it offers great bargains. But unlike Arizona, Nevada, or other hot-weather locales, off-season varies greatly throughout the state. For instance, southern and eastern Florida turn into golf ghost towns when summer's high temperatures and humidity arrive. But Orlando, which revolves around school holidays, is jammed all summer long, as is the Panhandle. There, winter is off-season, although to golfers from the rest of the country, even then it's a fine getaway from the cold. The premier golf resort in the Panhandle is Sandestin (800/622-1038, sandestin.com/) in Destin, famed for some of the world's best beaches. A few years ago, Sandestin was purchased by Intrawest, the Canadian ski-resort operator that pioneered the pedestrian resort village concept at Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, and Mont Tremblant, Quebec. Things have only improved at Sandestin with the addition of a new hotel, a new high-end course, and a village full of shops, restaurants, and nightlife. In the winter off-season (November to February), when it's fine golf weather here, packages are $190 per person, double occupancy, with lodging and golf on either at one of four courses. On the Atlantic Coast, near Jacksonville, the largest golf resort is Palm Coast Golf Resort, with four courses by big-name designers Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. Palm Coast changed hands, and the new owners built a marquee fifth layout, Ocean Hammock (800/654-6538, oceanhammock.com/), a Jack Nicklaus Signature course with a luxury hotel to go with it. It's priced out of reach of bargain hunters, but stay at Palm Harbor for a steal. Unlimited-play packages, which easily allow for two rounds per day with late-summer daylight, plus a room at the on-site resort hotel and discounts on meals, starts at $45 per person, per night weekdays, from May to October. Reno, Nevada: Reno features many of the same big-name hotel/casino operators found in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, plus access to numerous golf courses in the Reno/Sparks area, as well as those in nearby Lake Tahoe and Carson City. Throw in plentiful cheap dining and entertainment, as well as great weather, and these gambling-subsidized golf packages are great buys. There are about a dozen good courses in the immediate Reno vicinity. Most hotel packages include the same courses, so price, hotel choice, and included features are the main distinctions. Atlantis Casino Resort currently offers a package for $89 per person, consisting of two nights' lodging, two breakfasts, and one round of golf at the better courses (800/723-6500, atlantiscasino.com/). Harrah's Sweet Tee package includes two night's lodging, a round of golf at one of the better courses, for $79 per person (800/HARRAHS, harrahs.com/). The Reno airport is an inexpensive destination served by both major airlines and low-cost carriers, notably Southwest. Details of golf packages from 14 casino hotels are available at http://golf.renolaketahoe.com/. Primm, Nevada: Anyone who tells you great golf courses are expensive is dead wrong. Primm is proof. Drive just 40 miles south from the Vegas Strip on I-15 to Primm. You won't find Primm on most maps. It's not really a town, just an exit near the California border with three casino resort hotels, a huge factory-outlet mall, a gas station, and the two-course Primm Valley Golf Club (primmvalleyresorts.com/). The whole shebang is owned by MGM Mirage, which also owns Las Vegas's Shadow Creek, the nation's most expensive golf course, with greens fees of $500. (Yes, $500.) Locals call Primm Valley "the poor man's Shadow Creek," and they aren't far off. Like its cousin, Primm's courses were designed by Tom Fazio, widely considered the greatest living designer. Primm's 36 holes feature the same ornate landscaping as Shadow Creek: flower beds, elaborate water features, boulder-lined creeks, and waterfalls. In fact, all three courses have been ranked in Golf Magazine's "Top 100 You Can Play." Rack rates for Primm packages are $80 per person, per night in the off-season (June to October) and $125-155 in peak season, but specials are often available. Second-round replays are also discounted to as low as $50 in summer. You can often add room and a round on both excellent courses for about $100 a day. Bear Trace/Tennessee Golf Trail, Tennessee: To compete with Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Sr. designs, Tennessee went to Jack Nicklaus, the most famous golfer in history, now a world-class course designer. Nicklaus offers several "brands" of courses, and the more a developer spends, the more of Nicklaus's hands-on input he gets. The most prestigious level is the Jack Nicklaus Signature course, which adds $1 million to the tab. These are typically found at private, high-end country clubs and at a handful of luxury resorts such as the Four Seasons chain, and playing them will usually set you back over $200 a round. But in Tennessee, Nicklaus reduced his million-dollar fee and built five excellent courses across the state. Each Bear Trace (866/770-2327, beartrace.com/) destination is unique, built to fit its surroundings, allowing the traveling golfer to experience variety along the way. There are two major booking agencies that offer custom packages along the trail, combining rounds at one or more courses with a choice of nearby lodging: Tucker Golf (888/826-1714, tuckergolf.com/) and Fairways Golf Travel (fairwaysgolftravel.com/). Golf rates start at $39 for Mondays and Tuesdays, $49 for Wednesdays and Thursdays, and $59 for Fridays through Sunday. But the Bear Trace is not the only golf to be found in Tennessee's state parks. Five of its parks, also located across the state, contain 18-hole courses and resort hotels. In order to keep up with the "trail" phenomenon (in which golfers travel from course to course in a particular region), these five have been rebranded the Tennessee Golf Trail (866/836-6757, tnstateparks.com/), and since the parks department owns both the courses and the hotels, packages are simple and cheap. Flat rates are $45 per person, per day off-season, and $56 (weekday) or $65 (weekend) high season, including double-occupancy lodging and unlimited golf (including cart for the first 18 holes, after which the cart is additional). Especially on weekdays, when smaller crowds allow you to play 36 holes, it's an unbeatable deal. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Alabama: Over ten years ago, the state of Alabama looked at various options to increase both tourism and the state's status as a retirement destination. Studies concluded the solution was golf, golf, and more golf, all of it bargain priced. In perhaps the most ambitious golf infrastructure project of all time, Alabama commissioned acclaimed golf course designer Robert Trent Jones, Sr., who planned seven different facilities with a total of 324 holes, spread throughout the state. That is equal to eighteen 18-hole courses. The facilities were designed to be convenient for motorists, so that no complex is far from an interstate highway or more than two hours from another facility. The name "golf trail" is taken seriously, and golfers can combine two, three, or more trail stops in a bargain-priced driving tour. Courses extend from the Gulf Coast to Tennessee, west to Mississippi and east to Georgia. Two more courses were later added, for even more holes of golf. Save one, each stop has either three full-size nine-hole layouts and a nine-hole par-three course (36 holes), or else two full-size eighteens and an eighteen-hole short course (54 holes). Unlike pitch and putt, these consist of true par-three holes like one would encounter on any course, with island greens and holes stretching over 200 yards. Pricing is confusing, as there are separate greens fees for different complexes, varying by month or season, creating dozens of different prices. However, they are almost all bargains. The maximum rate, at the priciest facility in high season (April, May, June) is $7. The lowest high-season rate is $37. June through September, the rates range from $37-$75. Additional rounds on the same day are half price most of the year, but summer (June-August) rates include unlimited play. All the par-three courses cost just $15 for 18 holes, a great option for families with young golfers. Lodging along the trail is inexpensive, and the courses are surrounded by the likes of La Quinta, Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, and many independent properties, whose rural locations and low rates reflect the same seasonality as the golf courses. Most include breakfast, and inexpensive dining abounds. But like so many other vacations, packages are the way to go here. Two companies, SunBelt Golf (800/949-4444, rtjgolf.com/), which administers the trail, and Fairways Golf (800/647-2447, fairways.com/), offer a multitude of packages that are hard to beat. The Big Fore Package, Mt. Tremblant/Gray Rocks, Quebec: Mt. Tremblant, 90 minutes from Montreal, is the premier ski resort in eastern North America, and understandably so. At its base sits Tremblant Village, a carefully planned pedestrian-only hamlet comprised of interconnected plazas and cobblestone streets, lined with cafes, bakeries, shops, and restaurants. In the heart of French Canada, the feel is more French than some parts of France. The village is also home to a luxury hotel (the Chateau Mt. Tremblant, a member of the upscale Canadian Pacific chain), several other hotels, and several condominium complexes. A few miles away sits Gray Rocks, an older, traditional, family mountain resort on a lake. Each of these resorts has two golf courses, and cooperates to promote a package combining all four layouts with numerous lodging choices. Rates vary annually with exchange rates, which have been very good for Americans lately. This is strictly a late spring, summer, and early fall golf destination, and last year, the lowest-priced packages began at US $111 per person for two nights' lodging and two rounds of golf, including carts. At Gray Rocks,  prices start at $129 mid-week in June, and climb to $191 for a weekend in July and August for two nights of double occupancy. The two courses at Tremblant are both new, fully featured resort courses, with included amenities like yardage books, and excellent maintenance throughout. At Gray Rocks, La Bete (The Beast) is a new course designed to look like an old one and has a truly exceptional layout that could command greens fees of $175 in many parts of the country. The old course, La Belle (The Beauty), is not so good, but most of the packages allow you to choose any four rounds you want, so playing each Tremblant course and La Bete twice gives you great golf for the money. All the Tremblant Packages can be booked at 800/461-8711, and Gray Rocks at 800/567-6767 or visit the website at grayrocks.com/. Golf camps and schools The John Jacobs Golf Schools The largest chain of American golf schools is that of English golf star and coach John Jacobs-the John Jacobs Golf Schools-at 32 resort hotels in 15 states; it is now in its 31st year. Reason for its success? Affordable prices for high quality instruction at good resort and hotels. It's an excellent value, and you'll want to obtain the free, 72-page brochure outlining the program in all of its locations and seasons. John Jacobs also has an in-house travel department offering complete packages with airfare, foreign programs, and, for larger groups or families, condos at many locations in lieu of hotel rooms. A 10 percent discount is available to seniors much of the year. Write to Jacobs Golf Group at 6210 E. McKellips Rd., Mesa, AZ, 85215, or phone 800/511-1639, or access jacobsgolf.com/. The Golf School: The Original Golf School, debuting 26 years ago at Mount Snow, Vermont (Grand Summit Resort Hotel) is operated from May until October at Mount Snow, from in the winter months at Crystal River, Florida (Plantation Inn) and Beach Club Golf Link (Ocean City, MD), and during the summer and early fall at Sugarloaf, Maine (Grand Summit Resort Hotel). Participants receive hotel lodgings (double occupancy,) for two days from $469. There's one pro teacher for each four students. There is a program for women-only at Mount Snow. Call 800/240-2555, or access thegolfschool.com/. In the field of individual golf schools, limited to one location per school, I find two establishments to be especially impressive. The Golf Academy of Hilton Head Island7 Office Park Road, Suite 105Hilton Head, SC 29928843/785-4540golfacademy.net/A far more expensive golf school than those we've 'arlier named, whose students make their own arrangements for accommodations in any of the many upscale hotels and lodgings of the popular, mild-weather, offshore Hilton Head Island. Here, of course, you are in one of the nation's o'tstanding golf locations, and the Golf Academy was founded in 1994 to take advantage of Hilton Head's e'inence in the sport. Instruction is by "Class A" PGA professionals, and is "meant to be non-intimidating," ac"ording to the Academy. It has programs for golfers of every level and welcomes singles, couples, seniors and the young. Accommodations can range from villas in Sea Pines (the island's f'remost golf area) to beachfront hotels, to cozy B&Bs. Instruction packages? They are for either three or four days. Each day typically begins with instruction from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by lunch, with a round of golf afterwards at 2 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are included in the rates, which are $1,395 for three days of instruction, $1,695 for four days of instruction. Add the cost of lodgings and dinner. The Academy of Golf at PGA National1000 Avenue of the ChampionsPalm Beach Gardens, FL 33418800/243-6121golfdigestschool.com/Offers three-day programs of instruction for beginners and advanced golfers alike, in classes that always include the partial participation, at least, of director of instruction Mike Adams. With a 3:1 student:teacher ratio, one-on-one attention is virtually guaranteed. More than 1,200 golfers a year come to these four championship courses, on which the fundamentals are stressed and every latest advance in technology is used. A three-day package, not including lodging, is $1,195, which includes breakfast, and six hours of instruction daily, followed by a round of golf. Complete computer analysis and personalized video are also included. Hotel packages are also available. Golf resorts Desert Deluxe Golf & Vacation Properties8707 E. Vista Bonita Dr.Scottsdale, AZ 85251800/231-3660az4golf.com/Desert Deluxe will first make the recommendation, and upon your agreement sell you a package that combines accommodations with greens fees and car rental. The firm chooses from many championship courses at different resorts, and offers mid-season (October to December, April and May) rates of $149 per person per night, including seven nights and six rounds for four golfers. Arrangements are for the serious golfer, most of them booking from four to seven days. In the golf-happy state of Florida, a great many golfers make use of the Saddlebrook Resort, and its well-known school of golf instruction: Arnold Palmer Golf Academy at Saddlebrook Resort TampaSaddlebrook Resort5700 Saddlebrook WayWesley Chapel, FL 33543813/907-4653800/729-8383 x4300saddlebrook.com/apga.html Designed to improve "both fundamentals and attitude." The Arnold Palmer Golf Academy offers programs for adults and juniors on all skill levels, and bases its teachings on Arnold Palmer's classics of golf instruction: "Mastering the Fundamentals," "The Scoring Zone," "Practice Like a Pro" and "Course Strategy" program. Three months and six months after "graduating" from the school, the player mails in a videotape of his or her swing and receives back an in-depth analysis from the staff, meant "to keep them on track." Located in a "four diamond" resort with four-star restaurant, Saddlebrook has two 18 hole golf courses, 45 tennis courts (har-tru, Laykold, red clay and even Wimbledon-style grass,) a 500,000 gallon "Superpool," and unique "Walking Village." Three and five-day programs include accommodations, breakfast, daily instruction, video analysis, 18 holes of golf daily, cart and greens fees, and Fitness Center admission. Golf tours Value Golf Vacationsvaluegolfvacations.com/Golf enthusiast David Brice founded Value Golf Vacations, he says, to cater to the value-conscious "middle market,"the person of normal or modest income who nevertheless dreams of playing the renowned courses of Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland. The business is targeted at those golfers who travel extensively in the United States to various courses, but believe that Europe is beyond their financial means. (In fact, says Brice, 44 percent of their clients have never been outside the country before traveling with Value Golf.)   Value Golf offers a package that includes six rounds, four nights in Scotland for $1,823. Brice claims that at these courses the golfer experiences a new and more exalted kind of golf. But to keep costs down, guests stay at inexpensive bed and breakfasts, all personally inspected by Brice or his staff. (The B&Bs are often owned and operated by local golfers.) Wide World of GolfP.O. Box 5217 4th Avenue at MissionCarmel , CA 93921800/214-4653wideworldofgolf.com/Michael C. Roseto founded Wide World of Golf in 1957, the first-he claims-to introduce American golfers to the renowned courses of Scotland and Ireland. He has now extended his reach to include trips to Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Among other things, Wide World is the official golf operator of Seabourn/Cunard Cruises, making arrangements for passengers to play upon disembarking at various ports. Clients of the firm are every sort of golfer, from beginner to advanced; and tours are also organized to major PGA tournaments, where passengers play golf in between events.

Last spring, Latvia joined both the European Union and NATO, turning its back on its giant eastern neighbor, Russia. But don't be fooled. The small country on the Baltic Sea--275 miles from Stockholm and just 300 miles from St. Petersburg--is still full of the kind of shopping and lodging bargains that can't be found anymore in Western Europe. Riga, Latvia's 800-year-old capital, is the largest and most lively of the cities in the breakaway Baltic republics. For $11 A double room with a private bath in Riga's RPRA Hostel is perhaps the city's best lodging deal. In the 13 years since the break from the Soviet Union, as tourists from northern Europe began visiting, hotel options have ballooned. Prices are only likely to increase with Latvia's new E.U. membership. 26 Nicgales, 011-371/754-9012. For 35¢ Riga's frequent trolleybuses ply the streets from dawn till about midnight. Even though most of the attractions are in and around the Old Town, the No. 23 goes to the newer Purvciems neighborhood, dominated by block after block of Soviet-built high-rise apartment buildings. It's like commuting to the Brezhnev era. For $10 At the Staburags theme restaurant, a miniature waterfall gurgles as waitstaff in frilly native costumes serve up traditional Latvian dishes, including smoke-fried pork with bacon and forest berry juice. Latvian cuisine reflects both regional elements and the influences of the Germans, Swedes, and Russians who successively occupied and shaped the country. 55 Caka, 011-371/729-9787. For $3.25 Kiploku Krogs, a pub in the Old Town, slips heavy doses of garlic into every dish--even the ice cream. Shots of garlic-infused vodka are $1.45. Explore the historic neighborhood's pedestrian-only alleys and courtyards for similarly priced food and drink. 3/5 Jekaba St., 011-371/721-1451. For free The Occupation Museum, open daily, with English-speaking tour guides, is deeply informative but can be harrowing. One exhibit re-creates a Soviet labor camp, complete with an iron vat used as a common indoor toilet. Curators keep alive the memories of what Latvia endured--mass arrests, deportations to Siberia--during Moscow's half-century rule. Strelnieku laukums 1, 011-371/721-2715, occupationmuseum.lv. For $12 Amber (fossilized tree resin), collected from the shores of the nearby Baltic Sea, is sold as jewelry by street vendors on Livu Square and throughout the Old Town. Laipa handicrafts store has a good variety and fair prices; it also sells handsome, locally made wool sweaters starting at $60. 2/4 Laipu St., 011-371/722-9962. For $25.50 Latvia is the size of West Virginia and can be traversed in less than a day by car. Rent one from Car4rent. The 20 miles of clean, white-sand beach near Jurmala, a 30-minute drive west from Riga, is an excellent place to start exploring. 52-14 A. Caka, 011-371/731-6185, car4rent.lv. For $10 Once an exclusive resort for the Soviet elite, Jurmala has a network of pedestrian paths lined with boutiques and restaurants--like the Orient-Sultan, serving traditional meals with Latvian beers, such as Zelta (33 Jomas St., 011-371/776-2082). After dinner, stroll the waterfront promenade for local handicrafts, especially leather goods and jewelry. For $27 Jurmala's Zvaigzne Hotel is located just 150 feet from the Baltic Sea, right next to the Latvian president's summer residence. 23/4 Meierovica Prospect, 011-371/776-4681, jurmalainfo@mail.bkc.lv

Just admit it. When you think "Spain," you probably conjure up sultry flamenco dancers clackety-clacking in swirly polka-dot dresses and darkly handsome matadors in tight sequin-spangled outfits sparring with big, black, ticked-off bulls, no? Thought so. For various reasons (including accounts like gringo Washington Irving's 1832 The Alhambra), these are high on the list of outsiders' cliches of Espana. There's muchisimo more to this diverse 40-million-person collection of nationalities, of course, but it's true that its arid south (just a tad bigger than South Carolina) has helped define Spain's identity in the outside world in part because of its remarkable history and monuments. And because it's poorer than other parts of the country, with a lower cost of living, it also yields some unforgettable travel bargains, from a tasty, less-than-$10 repast based on millennium-old Mozarabic recipes and served in a twelfth-century Moorish bathhouse, to $40/night lodgings in a comfily converted gypsy cave. And fall is a wonderful time to visit, after the heat and the tourist hordes of summer have ebbed. Ruled by Moorish caliphs and sultans (Muslim conquerors from North Africa) between 712 and 1492, the region they called Al-Andalus nurtured a sophisticated civilization generally more tolerant of different religions and lifestyles than Christian Europe. During the Inquisition, Spain's holy warriors spared no expense to drive out the cursed heathen, yet six centuries later (a full century less than Islamic rule lasted) their descendants milk the Moorish mystique for all it's worth. Which is a lot; nowhere else in Europe can you take in such wonders, and for as few euros a week (remember, the peseta will be passé as of January 1, 2002). Andalusia ("Andalucia" in Spanish) is made up of eight provinces-Granada, Seville, Cordoba, Malaga, Huelva, Cadiz, Jaen, and Almeria - with landscapes ranging from dry, olive-tree-dotted plains to wildlife-rich wetlands, and glorious beaches to green hills and snowy peaks. But here I'll concentrate on the first three, which hold most of the spectacular cultural highlights that visitors flock to see; in a later issue of Budget Travel, we'll be covering Malaga and the resort-heavy Costa del Sol separately. Getting there Andalusia's major cities are served by air from Madrid and dozens of other Spanish gateways (Malaga even gets international service from Europe, as well as direct from the States via Air Europa), and by an extensive rail network (including the marvelous high-speed AVE-Madrid to Seville in about two-and-a-half hours for $81). But if you have the time, the drive down from Madrid makes for an interesting and not overlong cruise - 260 miles to Granada or Cordoba, 340 to Seville - through the fascinating likes of medieval Toledo (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the region of La Mancha (of windmill and Don Quixote fame). Once you finally arrive down south, though, be prepared for some of the most memorable experiences of your life. Granada: Gypsy passion & the awesome Alhambra The last holdout of Muslim rule on the Iberian peninsula (finally ended in 1492 by the minions of those dour royals Ferdinand and Isabella), this city of 265,000 magnificently set at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is a place whose age-old traditions and culture are still very much alive and flavored by the presence of communities like the Roma (a.k.a. gypsies) and Muslims (especially since the 1990s wave of immigration from Morocco, Algeria, and other North African countries). An intriguing maze of cobblestone streets and squares anchored by the Plaza Nueva, the old Moorish Albaicin (or Albayzin) quarter is home to lots of spots for eating, drinking, and souvenir shopping, including exotic teahouses and restaurants where you'd swear you were in the Casbah of Fez, right down to the muezzin's call to prayer. Try the sweet, 250-peseta ($1.30) mint tea and 200-peseta ($1) pastries at Teteria As-Sirat on Calle Caldereria Nueva. Farther up the hill, Sacromonte is a warren of whitewashed caves that has been home to the Roma for hundreds of years; some are open to the public today as eateries, lodgings, and flamenco tablaos (budget for a 3,500-peseta/$18 splurge in one of the more authentic shows, such as Los Tarantos, 22-45-25; tickets include one drink and are sold at hotels and at a booth on Calle Reyes Catolicos, on the east side of Plaza Nueva). Speaking of flamenco, other local options include a two-week beginner's course for 24,000 ptas ($122); contact Escuela Carmen de las Cuevas at 22-10-62, fax 22-04-76, or access its Web site (carmencuevas.com). What Granada's best known for, however, is on the hill across from all this: a pair of palace complexes called the Alhambra and Generalife (admission to both 1,000 ptas/$5; go early). Originally dating from the ninth century, the Alhambra was built for over half a millennium by powerful caliphs into a Thousand and One Nights fantasyland of courtyards, porticos, patios, and fountains, all sumptuously decorated with intricate stone-and-plasterwork vaults, tracery, tilework, and carved inlaid ceilings. Not far off, the Generalife was their summer retreat, heavy on greenery and water. Wander at will - and be utterly awed. There are plenty of other local sights worth making time for, too, including the cathedral's Royal Chapel (carved tomb of monarchs Ferdie and Liz; more) and La Cartuja Monastery, with a uniquely over-the-top baroque interior (both 350 ptas/$1.80). Lodgings If the neo-Moorishly ornate Alhambra Palace (up near the historic palaces) is too rich for your blood at $145 a night, stop in for a sangria with a great view of town, but stay elsewhere. My pick at the bottom of the scale, located just off Plaza Nueva on the street leading up to the Alhambra, is the four-story, 22-room Pension Britz (Cuesta de Gomerez 1, tel./fax 22-36-52), which offers very attractive though fairly amenity-sparse doubles with bath for 5,724 ptas ($30), without for 4,134 ($21). Just one unit, it's not for everybody - but a hands-down winner for unique ambience - is the Cueva de los Canasteros (Vereda del Enmedio, tel./fax 22-90-90, canastera@granadainfo.com), a former gypsy cave in Sacromonte converted into a three-roomer sleeping up to four; no TV or phone, but there is a kitchen and CD player; for two, it's 8,560 ptas (about $40) daily. Just below the old town, on a lovely square with the Renaissance cathedral tower looming above, the five-story Los Tilos (Plaza Bib-Rambla 4, 26-67-12, fax 26-68-01) has 34 slightly dated but comfortable rooms with bath, color TV, phone, and A/C; doubles run 8,132 ptas ($42). A little fresher, and certainly impeccably central, the Hotel Macia (Pl. Nueva 4, 22-75-36, fax 22-75-33), on Plaza Nueva right across from the street leading up to the Alhambra, is a modest jewel, with 44 stylish, fully decked-out rooms; doubles go for 10,700 ptas ($55); BT readers are offered another 10 percent off. For very designer-mod and upscale, the marble-clad, 85-room Gran Via (Gran Via de Colon 25, 28-54-64, fax 28-55-91), just outside the old town, is an impressive value at 13,268 ptas ($68) per double. Dining Thanks not just to backpackers but also the considerable student population, Granada (including the old town) is full of budget options, including multicourse menus for as little as 749 ptas ($3.80). That's what you'll pay, for example, for pasta, salad, a wedge of potato omelette, bread, and flan at Boabdil (Calle Hospital de Peregrinos at Calle Elvira); named after Granada's last Muslim ruler and awash in Moorish-motif tiles, it's located in the lower Albaicin. For simple but ample and good-quality platters for 950 ptas ($4.80) and a front-row seat to the action on Plaza Nueva, check out La Boqueria (Pl. Nueva 2). Farther up the hill, the very homey Cuevas del Albayzin (Placeta de San Gregorio at Caldereria Nueva), is a hangout for students and locals next to a sixteenth-century church; entrees with a side dish start at 650 ptas ($3.30) and a house specialty is roscas, bagel-like (but crustier) rolls ten inches in diameter and loaded up sandwich-style, from 425 ptas ($2.15). For real-deal Moorish ambience, at Arrayanes (Cuesta Maranas 4, just above Caldereria Nueva), Mustafa Bougrine from Casablanca serves up classic Moroccan fare (entrees from 400 ptas/$2) amid richly ornamented arches and banquettes. Finally, up near where the Albaicin becomes Sacromonte, a splurge at Mirador de Morayma (Calle Pianista Garcia Carillo 2) yields not just local treats such as fish-and-lamb stew for 1,400 ptas ($7), but the run of an exquisite seventeenth-century Granadine villa with a heartstopping view of the Alhambra. Seville: Carmen, toros, & fragrant orange trees Seville, Andalusia's capital (pop. 714,000), is one of the great cities of Europe - and was when Madrid was still a cow town - with more than enough to keep you hopping for at least a week: Europe's third largest cathedral (adults 800 ptas/$4, students/seniors 250 ptas/$1.25), with its climbable twelfth-century Giralda bell tower (formerly a mosque minaret); the Alcazar (700 ptas/$3.50, students free), a huge Muslim-Christian complex that echoes the Alhambra; the eighteenth-century Real Fabrica de Tabacos, the world's first tobacco factory (now part of the university; free) and setting for Bizet's opera Carmen; La Cartuja island in the Guadalquivir River, site of the 1992 Universal Exposition and a famous fifteenth-century monastery; the ornate 1929 Expo grounds; and Spain's oldest and most famous bullring, the Real Maestranza (season: Easter through October, tickets from about 1,500 ptas/$7.60). Then, of course, just wander the superb Barrio de Santa Cruz, the former Jewish quarter of cobblestone lanes and orange-tree-shaded plazas. Easter week and April's Feria de Abril are the high points of the year - when rates rocket up and room availability plummets. Even in normal times Seville's considered pricey by Andalusian standards - but read on, and save. Lodgings Of low-end nonhostel options, an excellent choice at 6,400 ptas ($33) per double from September to April (7,500 ptas/$38 at other times) is the 16-room Hostal Paris (Calle San Pedro Martir 14, 422-98-61, fax 421-96-45), not far north of the Maestranza bullring and near the Fine Arts Museum, with very fresh, whitewashed rooms including baths, A/C, TV, and phone. Right in the Barrio Santa Cruz, for 7,000 ptas ($36) per double, the Almagro-family-run Hostal Cordoba (Calle Farnesio 12, 421-53-35, franalmagro@inicia.es) has 12 immaculate rooms (amenities limited to bath and cable TV) set up around a classily simple jewel of an eighteenth-century courtyard. (One drawback of being family-run: a 3 a.m. curfew!) Close to the river, the Maestranza, and a ten-minute stroll to Santa Cruz, La R bida (Calle Castelar 24, 422-09-60, fax 422-43-75) is a gracious and distinguished old building with loads of antique touches-marble, paintings, tapestries, fountains, rich tilework, and carved wood-and 100 rooms that are slightly dated but fully decked out, amenities-wise. Doubles run 9,300 ptas ($48) November through February, 10,379 ptas ($50) the rest of the year (except Easter and Feria de Abril). Back in Santa Cruz, on the lovely little Plaza de los Venerables, is an atmospheric but slightly expensive eatery whose attached Hosteria del Laurel (422-02-95, fax 421-04-50, eintec.es/hostlaurel) is an inn-as charming yet modestly priced-that supposedly inspired the story of Don Juan back in 1844. Its 21 white-stucco rooms are clean, cheerful, modern, and well equipped; doubles run 8,025 ptas ($41) in January-February and July-August, 10,165 ptas ($52) in November-December, and 13,375 ptas ($68) otherwise. Dining Those yummy little tapas are quite the thing here, and good deals in countless bars and eateries; one of the more popular is the Cervecer¡a Giralda (Calle Mateos Gago 1), in the shadow of the cathedral, where under white vaulted ceilings or at outside tables locals chow down on a huge selection of tapas from 300 ptas ($1.55) apiece or their entree-size analogues from 1,200 ptas ($6.10). Nearby, Seville's single most atmospheric budget-priced don't-miss has to be the San Marco (Calle Meson del Moro 6/10, san-marco.net) in Santa Cruz, set amid the twelfth-century stone arches of an Arab bathhouse and tasteful "updated Moorish" decor; among the pizzas, pastas, and other Italian staples you'll find resurrected recipes of Al-Andalus such as lamb in honey sauce with scalloped potatoes (1,500 ptas/$7.60). Less dramatic but awash in country-flavored charm is El Rincon de Pepe (Calle Gloria 6, between Plazas Elvira and Los Venerables), where the four-course, 975-peseta ($5) formulas (set menus) are the way to go. At 850 ptas ($4.30), the set menus are also the star at Meson Serranito, a chain whose service is gruff but whose Calle Antonia Diaz 4 location is in total tune with the Maestranza bullring around the corner: full of stuffed bulls' heads and taurine tchotchkes. Finally, for a touch of something different, Hang Zhou (Calle Mateos Gago 5, next to Cerveceria Giralda) is a nicely decorated spot with a selection of pretty creditable-tasting 825-peseta ($4.20) Chinese f¢rmulas. Nightlife Andalusia's hottest partying apart from the Costa del Sol kicks off low-key, with a 600-peseta ($3) agua de Sevilla (champagne, pineapple juice, egg liqueur) at Cafe Bar Abades, a classy eighteenth-century covered courtyard in Santa Cruz (Calle Abades 13, sol.com/abades). Continue to the high-quality, twice-nightly flamenco at Los Gallos (Pl. de Santa Cruz 11, 421-69-81, tablaolosgallos.com; 3,500 ptas/$18, including one drink). Then head across the river to the Triana district, where along the riverfront Calle Betis sevillanos party in clubs like Div n, Alambique, Rejoneo, and El Descansillo. A top choice for young 'uns: Mo d'Aqui (No. 55), with 200-peseta ($1) beers, 600-peseta ($3) cocktails, and occasional live music; for a more mixed-age crowd, try Lo Nuestro (No. 31A), with just slightly higher prices. Cordoba: Narrow cobbled lanes & a magical mosque Usually relegated to a two-hour tour-bus stopover or a day trip from Seville - two hours west by road, 41 minutes/round-trip 4,500 ptas ($23) via AVE train - the most important city in Al-Andalus (home to legendary figures like Maimonides and Averroas) is one of my favorite spots in Spain, an undersung UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Guadalquivir where folks are even friendlier than in Seville and the atmosphere even more magical. Now home to a little over 300,000 souls, Cordoba has a Juderia (old Jewish quarter) with a still-existing section of twelfth-century crenellated walls and a mini-universe of the Moorish, Jewish, and Christian Middle Ages-cobblestone lanes like Calleja del Pa¤uelo ("Hankie Lane," dubbed in honor of its width); courtyards (in early May, the Concurso de Patios Cordobeses judges the fairest of them all); and sumptuous little moments even better savored in the calm of the evening, when the day-trippers are gone. There are synagogues, fascinating museums, even Roman ruins - but the old town's crowning glory is the Mezquita (1,000 ptas/$5), an eighth-century mosque partly deformed into a cathedral by the kill-a-Muslim-for-Christ crowd, yet still preserving its fairy-tale interior-six acres of splendid striped arches and gorgeously adorned prayer corners. Five miles out of town is another showstopper: the grandiose three-acre Moorish palace complex of Medina Azahara (600 ptas/$3); more ruined than, say, the Alhambra, it's still an incredible stroll back into tenth-century Al-Andalus. Lodgings Open to all ages, the three-story, modernized Albergue Juvenil C¢rdoba (Plaza Jud Levi, 29-01-66, fax 29-05-00, inturjoven.com), in the Juder¡a several streets west of the Mezquita, is one of the most attractive hostels of Andalusia's larger cities, with immaculate whitewashed doubles from 2,541 ptas ($13) per person - 2,862 ptas ($15) from April through October - that are simple but clean, and bath- and A/C-equipped. Full meals start at 750 ptas ($3.80). For more in the way of amenities, check out the Bueno-family-run Hotel Los Patios (Calle Cardenal Herrero 14, 47-83-40, fax 48-69-66), opened in September 2000 right near the entrance to the Mezquita. Its 24 rooms sport not only satellite TV, A/C, phones, and private baths, but neat little details such as Mozarabic-style fixtures; doubles run 9,095 ptas ($46) in high season and 7,223 ptas ($37) in low. Or, a short stroll east of the great mosque, maximize your options at the nine-year-old Hostal Maestre (Calle Romero Barros 4/6, at Calle San Fernando, 47-24-10, fax 47-53-95), whose two rambling, homey, but spick-and-span town houses offer 24 plainish hostel rooms (double 5,000 ptas/$25); 26 slightly more elaborate, marble-tiled hotel rooms (6,000 ptas/$31 in low season, 7,000 ptas/$36 in high); and seven kitchen-equipped apartments (7,500 ptas/$39 for two people, 8,500 ptas/$44 for four). Throughout, you generally get TVs, air-conditioning, and private baths, but no phones. Overall, the Maestre's a sweet find-truly close to staying in a local's home. Dining For a down-home round of tapas (from 225 ptas/$1.15 or entree-size portions from 650 ptas/$3.35), start at the 144-year-old Taberna Séneca (Calle San Eulogio 4, behind the fascinating archeological museum), currently run by José and Salva, a young gay couple (yep, smack in conservative ol' Cordoba). Amid its battered white walls, ancient wood sherry barrels, old black-and-white photos of the city, and intensely local crowd, try local specialties like salmorejo cordobes (a delectable mix of bread crumbs, garlic, tomato, and olive oil, topped with hard-boiled egg slices and Serrano ham). At Los Patios, attached to the eponymous hotel, with seating in a plant-bedecked courtyard or inside under centuries-old arches, breakfast starts at 345 ptas ($1.75) with multicourse lunchtime or dinner menus, including drink and dessert, costing upwards of 1,275 ptas ($6.50). Even more atmospheric: the Meson de la Luna (Calleja de la Luna), a former cockfighting ring inside the old city walls, with menus from 1,600 ptas ($8.15), and the Meson Muralla right across "Moon Street" (menus 900 ptas/$4.60). East of the Mezquita, the rather more upscale Bodegas Campos (Calle de los Lineros 32) nonetheless offers reasonably priced tapas (775 ptas/$4) and a bargain lunchtime menu for 1,000 ptas ($5.15) weekdays and 1,500 ptas ($7.75) weekends; it might feature the house specialty, patatas guisadas, a savory potato stew. Finally, the Caballo Rojo (Calle Cardenal Herrero 28), across from the Mezquita, is considered another of the best eateries in town, with lots of local specialties - including resurrections from Moorish times - and a simpatico selection of entree choices under $10. More information Info: The Spanish National Tourist Office has branches in Chicago (312/642-1992), Los Angeles (323/658-7188), Miami (305/358-1992), and New York (212/265-8822), which provide helpful advice and literature; visit online at okspain.org. Other good Web sites devoted to the region: andalucia.org/enghomepage.jsp, andalucia.com/home.htm, and altur.com/eng. Individual city sites worth checking out include sevilla.org, sevilla5.com, http://granada.spain.trip tool.com, aboutgranada.com, and http://cordoba.travelnow-spain.com. Packages: For an alternative to doing it on your own, consider the pack of possibilities - escorted and not, in all price ranges - from tour operators such as Abreu (800/223-1580, abreu-tours.com), Central Holidays (800/935-5000, centralholidays.com), Gate1 (800/682-3333, gate1travel.com), the Internet-only go-today.com, seniors-oriented Grand Circle Travel (800/248-3737, gct.com), and Petrabax (800/634-1188, petrabax.com). Also, from May through December, California-based Adventure Center (800/228-8747, adventurecenter.com) sells hiking itineraries (including most meals and all accommodations) through Andalusia; one week from $550, two from $690, land-only. Notes: Dollar amounts based on exchange rate of 197 pesetas/1.18 euros to US$1; prices include 7 percent IVA tax. Phone codes for the numbers in this article: Granada 958, Seville 95, Cordoba 957; to call from U.S., first dial 011-34; from elsewhere in Spain, first dial 0.