9 Cities, 9 Parties for World Cup Soccer

Unlike other French icons that have fallen by the wayside—the beret, the cigarette, Brigitte Bardot—the baguette remains a celebrated part of France's national culture. That's especially true in Paris, the birthplace of the baguette, which hosts an annual competition to identify the city's finest loaf. The Grand Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de Paris (the best baguette in Paris) contest has been making headlines every year since it began in 1993. That's the same year the government passed a law to distinguish an authentic baguette de tradition from the frozen imposters that had become a bane on the city. How can you tell which is which? Authentic loaves have a deep golden-yellow hue, a crust that smells nutty or grilled, and an interior texture that is elastic and tender, containing holes of uneven size. If your baguette is fluffy and uniform, you've probably been had. A record number of authentic baguettes were entered into the annual competition on March 22. After ploughing through a pile of 141 loaves and rating each on appearance, aroma, crumb, and taste (no word on the swimsuit part of the competition), the jury handed down the 2010 prize. THE 2010 WINNER LE GRENIER À PAIN ABBESSES 38 rue des Abbesses, 18th arr. Nearest Métro stop: Abbesses (line 12) or Blanche (line 2). Open 7:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Thursday to Monday; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Baker Djibril Bodian from Le Grenier à Pain bakery, which placed fourth in the 2007 competition and fifth in 2009, snagged a cash prize of $5,400 (€4,000) and a contract to keep French President Nicolas Sarkozy in bread throughout the coming year. Bodian's baguette, which attracts long lines outside the Montmartre bakery, has a crispy and flavorful crust with hints of roasted hazelnut. Its chewy interior is marked by the irregular holes that are a sign of long and traditional fermentation. Beyond the baguette: Bodian's pain de trois—a dark, crusty, and intensely flavored loaf—is fantastic. As the name suggests, it's composed of three flours, including sourdough, and keeps well for several days. The bakery also makes gorgeous glazed breads stuffed with dried fruit and candied nuts. In the 'hood: Climb a few hundred stairs to reach the Sacré-Coeur cathedral, or take a rest while gazing at the nearby "I love you" wall. >> Slide show: See photos of 5 of Paris' best bakeries >> Baguette Protocol: Is there a best way to eat them? How long do they last? How do you ask for one properly? 9 MORE STANDOUTS LE GRENIER DE FÉLIX, baker Franck Tombarel 64 ave. Félix Faure, 15th arr. Nearest Métro stop: Boucicaut (line 8). Open from 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m.–1:30 p.m. on Saturdays; closed Sundays. Baguette awards: First place in 2009 and fourth place in 2008. Beyond the baguette: Tombarel's pain Allemand is a darker German bread studded with sunflower seeds. The salty-sweet combination of hazelnut, walnut, and raisin in the céréales aux fruits secs is delicious, as well. In the 'hood: The futuristic Parc André Citroën is far off and makes a nice spot for a Seine-side picnic. For those who are attending a fair or festival, like the Salon International de l'Agriculture, the Paris Expo center is in the same arrondissement. LA PARISIENNE, baker Daniel Pouphary 28 rue Monge, 5th arr. Nearest Métro stop: Cardinal Lemoine (line 10) or Jussieu (line 7). Open 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Friday; closed Saturdays and Sundays. Baguette awards: Second place in 2010. Beyond the baguette: Don't miss Pouphary's unusual variety of croissants, including noix de coco (coconut) and chocolat lait noisette (milk chocolate and hazelnut). Substantial sandwiches like ham and chèvre on a poppyseed baguette are packaged into a daily lunch special with a drink and dessert for €3.30 ($4.50). In the 'hood: In the heart of the Latin Quarter, La Parisienne is near the sprawling gardens of the Jardin des Plantes and the mosaic-tiled tearoom of the Paris Mosque. The market street of Mouffetard is just a few minutes away by foot. BOULANGERIE 134 RDT, baker Benjamin Turquier 134 rue de Turenne, 3rd arr. Nearest Métro stop: République (lines 3, 5, 8, 9, 11). Open 7:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. on Saturdays; closed Sundays. Baguette awards: Second place in 2009. Beyond the baguette: The addictive Schwarzbrot (black bread) from this bakery is a standout and is especially nice paired with cheese or salmon. The pavé des près, dotted with flaxseed and sunflower seeds, is a lovely alternative. In the 'hood: The northern Marais is filled with independent designer shops, especially on rue Charlot. Chocolate junkies should be sure to hit the Jacques Genin boutique and tasting salon—it's directly across the street from the bakery. LA BOULANG'EURY, baker Stéphane Eury 98 rue de Meaux, 19th arr. Nearest Métro stop: Laumière (line 5). Open 7:15 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sundays and Mondays. Baguette awards: Third place in 2009 and Ninth place in 2008. Beyond the baguette: The round loaves stuffed with figs and nuts are the perfect accompaniment for cheese. Eury's apple tart, which won third place in the Meilleure Tarte aux Pommes-de d'Ile de France apple tart competition, is a treat nobody should miss. In the 'hood: This bakery is perfectly situated between two prime picnic spots: the Parc des Buttes Chaumont and the Bassin de la Villette. It's also a short walk from the Parc de la Villette, where you'll find an open-air film festival in July and August. BOULANGERIE RÉGIS COLIN, baker Régis Colin 53 rue de Montmartre, 2nd arr. Nearest Métro stop: Sentier (line 3) and Étienne Marcel (line 4). Open 6:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Friday; closed Saturdays and Sundays. Baguette awards: Seventh place in 2008 and second place in 2007. Beyond the baguette: Colin has picked up a pile of awards for his croissants beurre, or plain butter croissants. The bakery's galette des Rois—a traditional tart with almond frangipane—is arguably the best in the city. In the 'hood: The Palais Royal, with its secluded interior garden, is just a short stroll away. You can reach this bakery from the Louvre in less than 10 minutes. BOULANGERIE ALEXINE, baker Alexandre Planchais 40 rue Lepic, 18th arr. Nearest Métro stop: Abbesses (line 12) or Blanche (line 2). Open 7 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sundays. Closes at 8 p.m. on Saturdays. Baguette awards: 10th place in 2008 and eighth place in 2007. Beyond the baguette: This bakery's famous baguette aux céréales is a delicious departure from the traditional white baguette. The whole-grain loaf is decorated with a confetti of seeds—a sort of long and lean "everything" baguette. In the 'hood: A few doors down from Le Grenier à Pain, this second top bakery in Abbesses allows you to compare and choose your favorite baguette. Alexine is near the spectacular Montmartre cemetery, as well. ARNAUD DELMONTEL, baker Arnaud Delmontel 39 rue des Martyrs, 9th arr. Nearest Métro stop: Saint-Georges (line 12) or Pigalle (lines 2, 12). Open 7 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Monday; closed Tuesdays. Baguette awards: First place in 2007. Beyond the baguette: Try Delmontel's pure-rye round loaf called tourte auvergnate or his Kougelhopf, a sort of Alsatian coffee cake. You can celebrate the neighborhood by ordering the SoPi (named after the South of Pigalle district): a towering red and black cake erected from chocolate and piment d'Espelette (hot peppers). In the 'hood: SoPi is a trendy stretch along the rue des Martyrs and includes a good number of boutiques, cafés, and restaurants. It's a great area for exploring on foot and only a 10-minute walk from Montmartre. GOSSELIN, baker Philippe Gosselin 258 blvd. St.-Germain, 7th arr. Nearest Métro stop: Solférino (line 12). Open 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. on Saturdays; closed Sundays. Baguette awards: Fifth place in 2010. Beyond the baguette: Desserts like the Everest—a small mountain of cake topped with bright-red gooseberries—are even more tasty when taken and nibbled at one of the nearby monuments. The pain au levain, or sourdough bread, is a simple but delicious option. In the 'hood: The Musée d'Orsay is just around the corner, and the Esplanade des Invalides and the Seine River are only a few minutes away by foot. LA PRAIRIE DE COQUELICOT, baker Thierry Racoillet 50 rue de Douai, 9th arr. Nearest Métro stop: Blanche (line 2) or Place de Clichy (lines 2, 13). Open 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m on Saturdays; closed Sundays. Baguette awards: Seventh place in 2009 and sixth place in 2007. Beyond the baguette: Racoillet's baguette de tradition is the one that takes home the ribbons, but locals also adore his Picolla baguette. This hand-worked loaf has a denser and chewier crumb than the fluffy traditional baguette. A second location in Montmartre, called simply Coquelicot, features an upstairs dining room where you can pair the baguette with eggs and bacon. In the 'hood: The prize-winning location in the 9th is just around the corner from the Moulin Rouge.

The City by the Bay's locals know what makes it special: row after row of colorful Victorian houses, a famous bridge that gleams bright orange, the clang of a historic cable car bell, fog that rolls in as if it's part of a film noir, and a food-and-drink culture that borders on cult. Think you know San Francisco like the back of your hand? Take this quiz to find out. If you score a 9 to 12, you deserve an Irish coffee or sourdough bread loaf. Get between 5 and 8 right, and you'll need to do additional research at City Lights Bookstore, a favorite Beat poet hangout. Score any lower, and you'll need to keep visiting until you get the quiz right. More on San Francisco: - 20 Photos: San Francisco, My Cut - Japantown, San Francisco - Napa's Top Secrets - The Most Beautiful Ferry Rides in the U.S.

Some 1,300 dogs work for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Just how good are they at sniffing out drugs, money, food, and other items not allowed entry into our country? "The dog's nose is very sophisticated, thousands of times better than the human nose," says Clark Larson, director of the CBP's canine program. A CBP officer working with a dog can perform a full inspection of an incoming vehicle in about five minutes. An officer working alone might need 20 minutes to conduct even a cursory review—taking significantly longer to achieve a lot less. Beagles and other dogs are hardwired to sniff out trouble. Larson uses beef stew as an example to explain the exquisite sensitivity of a dog's nose. Most people know what beef stew smells like. But a dog that's been trained to detect spices will immediately be able to sniff out the presence of the tiniest pinch of basil and differentiate it from oregano or other spices. "That's why even when smugglers pack marijuana in several layers of cellophane, surround it with onions in sealed packages, and then immerse it in tanks full of gasoline, the dogs are still able to sniff out the drugs," he says. The dogs usually come into the CBP's possession by way of animal shelters and humane societies in the eastern and midwestern U.S. Most of the dogs are trained at the CBP center in El Paso, Tex., where they undergo a rigorous 10-week training—punctuated, of course, with many doggie treats. The dogs specialize in detecting either organic (fruits, meat, hidden animals) or some combination of currency, firearms, narcotics, and humans trying to sneak into the U.S. illegally. They're fast learners: Within two or three days of training, a dog knows the scents it's after. The rest of the training is devoted to fine-tuning its abilities and teaching it to pursue those smells anywhere. And yes, that means anywhere. The dogs go through exercise after exercise in which they're instructed to find banned items hidden inside suitcases, fanny packs, bicycle tires, baby sippy cups, car trunks, SpongeBob SquarePants backpacks, cowboy hats, or household objects like vases with hollowed-out bottoms, just to name a few. The CBP uses several dog breeds, including beagles, golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, and Belgian Malinois. So why is it that beagles are used so often at airports? For one thing, because they're adorable. "Who doesn't love a beagle?" says Larson, describing the droopy-eared breed as "a massive nose on four little legs." Beagles are also lovers of food and are highly interested in other animals (their scents especially), making them the perfect foil for travelers toting banned meats, cheeses, and fruits, or prospective new pets like fish, birds, or snakes from abroad. Even when the offending item is stashed away in what appears to be an airtight container, the beagle's nose knows. Last fall at Chicago O'Hare airport, for example, a superstar CBP beagle named Shelby barked up a storm after sniffing the presence of live snails, which were sealed in plastic containers hidden inside a bag arriving on a flight from London. So while you're at the airport petting or making googly eyes at the cute little pooch at your ankles, you can be sure it's busy sniffing out the mango at the bottom of the bag held by the woman behind you. Or the wheel of unpasteurized cheese you shouldn't have stowed in yours.

SEEK OUT NATURE AT ITS WILDEST For such a small island, Ireland is blessed with a wide variety of untamed landscapes. In a three-hour drive from Kerry to Connemara, for example, you pass from pristine white beach, through a craggy mountain pass, and on to lake land and silent bog. About halfway along the drive, near the village of Liscannor, the iconic Cliffs of Moher stand a thrilling 700 feet over the swelling Atlantic below. The visitors center offers daily guided tours along the cliff side. If you time your outing to a clear, windy day, you can see past the Aran Islands to the valleys and hills of Connemara and hear the waves heaving against the shale and sandstone cliffs ($8 per car). Tide and weather will decide when you can get out to Skellig Michael, a proud rock rising 714 feet straight up from the sea off the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry; it's an hour-long, rough-water boat ride from Valentia Island. Make the dizzying climb up 650 small steps cut out of the rock face to reach the summit and the remains of a spartan, early-Christian monastery built in the 7th century. The peninsula itself is home to the famed Ring of Kerry drive, as well as the Kerry Way walk, which winds for 125 miles through some of the most isolated and dramatic countryside in Europe. The Maamturk Mountains in Galway are perfect for a short cycling tour, thanks to gentle climbs and exhilarating falls amid untouched lakes and rolling bogs. The climax of any ride is the windswept, freewheeling descent into the tiny hamlet of Leenane, located where the Atlantic Ocean juts 10 miles inland to form stunning Killary Harbour, Ireland's only fjord. Bike Hire Ireland in Galway City is the best place to rent a bike (from $8); it also organizes guided and self-guided tours. Farther north is Ireland's most isolated and untouched landscape, County Donegal, and Glenveagh National Park, where red deer roam and falcons coast over the moors and hills. This quiet park lends itself to a leisurely 1.25-mile hike along the Derrylahan Trail and the starkly beautiful five-mile Glen Walk through the Derryveagh Mountains, which yields spectacular views over Lough Veagh lake and the surrounding woodlands. CONNECT WITH IRISH CULTURE The isolated, Gaelic-speaking villages of the west coast and the sophisticated city of Dublin best epitomize Ireland's rich cultural heritage. Both prize music and words, with the treasured local pub as the gathering place. (A simple rule to find the best, traditional pubs: If it has a television, go elsewhere.) In a wild and beautiful nowhere called the Renvyle Peninsula in County Galway, Paddy Coyne's Public House is a hot spot for authentic Irish music, set dancing, and old-school storytelling nights. The village of Clifden, about 12 miles south on a plateau overlooking the ocean, fiercely guards the local traditions of Celtic music. On long summer evenings, the sounds of flute, banjo, bodhrán (Irish hand drum), and fiddle waft from every bar along Main Street; mid-September brings the Clifden Arts Festival. A short boat ride ($34 roundtrip) will take you to the Aran Islands, where Irish is still spoken in dulcet tones as the day-to-day language. Make the extra effort to get to Inisheer, the smallest of the islands; this tiny patchwork of fields divided by stone walls is a vision of an older Ireland frozen in time. The Hotel Inisheer is famed for its wild, impromptu sessions of craic agus ceol, or music and merriment. Each year on June 16, the day during which James Joyce's Ulysses unfolds, Dubliners dress up and follow in the footsteps of Joyce's everyman hero, Leopold Bloom. The James Joyce Centre ($7) is the hub of the festivities, but it's in the still-existing pubs mentioned in the book, like the stately Davy Byrnes on Duke Street, where you'll get a chance to sample some of that famed Dublin wit at the heart of Joyce's work. A DART trip along Dublin Bay will bring you to the picturesque seaside village of Sandycove and the Martello (a.k.a. Joyce) Tower where the book begins. The tower, which contains a little museum ($8) to Joyce's life, is next to the Forty Foot swimming hole, where generations of Dubliners have come for a bracing dive off the rocks. Back in central Dublin, the Abbey Theatre can rightly claim to be the treasure-house of Irish literary culture, from Yeats, through Synge and Beckett, up to the present day. After a show ($17–$51), follow the actors to a favorite nearby haunt, the Flowing Tide, for pints of draught Guinness (9 Lower Abbey St., $6). If you'd like some help wrapping your head around Dublin culture, the free Dublin Tourism iWalk tours are brilliant podcasts by the hugely entertaining author, historian, and artist Pat Liddy. The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, led by professional actors, takes in the city's more famous cultural bars, with some great music and storytelling thrown in ($16). WONDER AT THE SITES OF PAST CIVILIZATIONS Ireland's history is a series of invasions, and each wave brought newcomers eager to build monuments to the glory of their own civilization. The prehistoric wonder of Newgrange in County Meath, about 30 miles northwest of Dublin off the N2, makes a good starting point (from $4). Built in the 4th millennium B.C., 1,000 years before Stonehenge, this spectacular passage tomb (a narrow passage made of large stones with a covered burial chamber) was so carefully constructed that during the winter solstice, the rays of the rising sun still strike a small opening above the doorway and illuminate the sacred chamber within. The stunning lunar landscape of The Burren in County Clare held a strong mystical attraction for the ancient Irish, who left more than 80 Neolithic tombs, numerous portal dolmens (Stone Age tombs with giant stones making a doorway to a single burial chamber), a Celtic high cross in Kilfenora village, and more than 500 ring forts, including the one at Cahercommaun. Pick up a guide at the visitors center. When early Christian monks came to Ireland, they sought out the most isolated and serene places to set up their monasteries. Glendalough was the choice of Saint Kevin, who lived as a hermit in a tiny cave in the rock face above a lake. Arrive in the early morning before the tourist onslaught to get a feel for the stillness and natural solitude that drew the monk to this scenic spot back in the 6th century. A hundred years before Kevin dreamed up Glendalough, Saint Declan founded his own monastic site in Ardmore, County Waterford. St. Declan's well stands on the site of the original monastery, and the ruins of the 12th-century Round Tower Cathedral contain ogham stones and strikingly modern, almost abstract-looking carvings of biblical scenes on the west gable. Castles symbolize the power and ruthlessness of the Norman conquerors, who made their headquarters at Kilkenny City. With its battlements and arrow slits, imposing Kilkenny Castle, on 50 acres beside the River Nore, recalls the days of knights at arms and constantly warring dukes ($8). The largest Norman castle, built on the banks of the River Boyne near the town of Trim, has a huge keep with turrets flanked by impregnable towers. Trim Castle made such an impression on the makers of Braveheart that they chose it as a backdrop for their hit movie (from $4). Ireland enjoyed something of an economic boom in the 18th century, and the local aristocrats asserted themselves by trying to outdo their English rivals in the extravagance of their stately homes. In 1722, famed Florentine architect Alessandro Galilei was brought in by the original owner to design Castletown House ($6), County Kildare, in the trendiest neoclassical fashion. Russborough House ($13) in Wicklow was built in 1741, thanks to a fortune the owner made from brewing beer. A mile-long, beech-lined avenue leads to the 700-foot-long façade of silver-gray Wicklow granite. 7 INSIDER TIPS 1. A glut of hotels were built during the Celtic Tiger years (mid-90s to 2007), so it pays to haggle when booking a room anywhere in Ireland. Set your budget and then phone places in a higher price range to try wrangling a great deal. 2. If you fly into Shannon Airport, a cruise on the underappreciated Shannon River is a serene and handy way to travel through the heart of Ireland. You can hire easy-to-handle cruising boats and choose your layover spots along the route; there's usually a good gathering of fellow boaters with whom to enjoy a pint. 3. Cork City and the surrounding countryside produce their own brands of stout (black, malted beer), which is slightly sweeter and lighter than Dublin's famous Guinness brand. When in Cork, impress the natives by ordering a Beamish or Murphy's. 4. Ireland is small and perfect for driving around. You'll discover the best sites and scenery by getting offtrack and exploring the many boreens ("little roads"). Road signs are generally in Irish and English, but around Dingle and Connemara, they may be in Irish only, so get a good map. Distances are in kilometers on the new green road signs, although a few old, white ones still display miles. Check to see if your credit card company covers damages to rental cars in Ireland; if not, avail yourself of the rental company's collision insurance. 5. Dooley Vacations, Sceptre Tours, and BMIT are among the companies that specialize in Ireland deals combining flights, a rental car, and vouchers good at more than 1,100 B&Bs in the Town and Country Homes Association. These packages let you change your itinerary as you go, selecting a different B&B every night, or settling in if you find one that suits your style. 6. Ireland is still not the easiest place for vegetarians, but a lot more options have appeared in the past few years. Cafe Paradiso in Cork is a groundbreaking vegetarian eatery that is inventive enough to keep even the carnivores coming back for more. 7. Galway City is Ireland's seafood capital, and locals swear McDonagh's makes the finest fish-and-chips in the known world; try the unusual option of chips with deep-fried mackerel that still hints of the nearby briny Atlantic Ocean ($11). TIMING Tourists and Irish families jam the most popular sites in the summer high season, when daylight lasts until 10 p.m. or later. The shoulder seasons of September and May are two of the driest months and give you a chance to mingle with the locals in a more normal, day-to-day mode. The winter is often wet and cold, but there's a great vibe leading up to Christmas, and many cultural highlights are clustered in fall and winter. PRICE INDEX • A full Irish breakfast (a huge, traditional morning fry of bacon, sausage, black and white pudding, and eggs): $11 (€8) • A standard bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey: $33 (€24) • Dublin City Bus and DART (train) one-day combination ticket: $14 (€10) • Average rate for a two-star hotel in Dublin: $109 (€80) • A genuine, handmade Galway Aran sweater: $204 (€150) • An average ticket to a symphony at the National Concert Hall, Dublin: $33 (€25)