Vienna exhibits its design smarts

Italy and France are Europe's darlings, so Spain doesn't always get the coverage it deserves. We've picked 18 fantastic reader photos that do justice to the country's cities and varied landscapes, from rolling olive groves to palm-fringed beaches. See the slide show! MORE READER SLIDE SHOWS France | Italy | Ireland STILL IN SEARCH OF... We're now collecting your compelling portraits of locals around the globe. Upload the photos through myBudgetTravel, tag them, and check back in the coming weeks for a slide show of the best submissions.

Northern California is famous for fresh, delicious oysters, and the Bay Area is home to a plethora of oyster farms, mostly near Tomales Bay, north of the city. Just like varietals of wine from different vineyards, oysters will have a range of taste depending on where you buy them—but the universal rule is the fresher, the better. Kick off oyster season with San Francisco's annual outdoor Oyster Fest this Saturday at Fort Mason, which has views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. The festival features live music by Cake and the Raveonettes, as well as cooking demos, shuck-and-suck competitions, and of course, lots of oysters and beer (the perfect drink to wash down the molluscs). Fair warning, though—the $30 entrance fee makes this activity more of a splurge. But, in honor of the season, we've rounded up some more wallet-friendly ways to enjoy oysters in San Francisco. The Freshest: The Ferry Building's waterfront Hog Island Oyster Company serves oysters fresh from Hog Island farm. Monday and Thursday happy hours feature $1 oysters and $3.50 pints of beer (5-7p.m.) Come early to beat the crowds, particularly on sunny days. Even better: Take a day trip to the 160-acre working farm on Tomales Bay, where you can purchase oysters fresh from the source and grill your quarry on the BBQ for a picnic by the bay. The farm provides the picnic table, shucking tools, and even shucking lessons. (Reservations required on weekends and holidays). Call 415/663-9218 ext. 255 for more info. The Classic: Ever since 1912, the Swan Oyster Depot has been serving fresh oysters and other seafood to devoted customers at a long marble bar. San Francisco Chronicle critic Michael Bauer has called the 20 seats at the bar "some of the most coveted seats in San Francisco," drawing people from around the world for a taste of the succulent oysters. Watch the servers shuck from behind the bar (get a half-dozen oysters for $7.95), but don't expect any frills: Menu items are served plainly, with nothing to distract from the natural flavor of the seafood. There's always a long line at Swan, but this classic experience is worth the wait. Cash only. 1517 Polk St, 415/673-1101. More Happy Hours: There are no shortage of bars around the city that offer $1 oysters during happy hour; check out San Francisco Weekly's ever-updated list. Our favorite is Michelin Guide notable restaurant Yabbies, which stands out for an oyster "flight" option where you can try one of six different kinds from places like Prince Edward Island and Point Reyes California ($11). Late Night: For a late-night option, hit the award-winning Cafe Maritime in the preppie Marina district, for $3.50 beers and a dozen Hog Island Farm oysters for $13. 2417 Lombard St., 415/885-2530, 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. And One That's Free!: Enjoy free oysters every Friday with a $5 pint-sized Bloody Mary at the Mission District's El Rio. The dive bar is known for its raucous happy hours on the sunny back patio; cheap, strong drinks ($2-$3 well drinks); and live music. Stick around on Fridays for a Red Hot Burlesque show. Cash only. 3158 Mission Street, Near Cesar Chavez, 415/ 282-3325.

Clare Rojas at the Museum of Arts and Crafts The Museum of Arts and Crafts is showcasing the first solo exhibit by local artist Clare Rojas, one of the quintessential artists of the Mission School of Art, perhaps one of the defining art movements of the 20th Century. The show, entitled We They, We They, is taking over the entire museum with a patchwork collection of painted panels, all in Rojas's emblematic urban-folk style. The brightly colored images are inspired by a combination of Latino Folk art, West Coast modern art, and folklore. Tomorrow is opening night, and Rojas will perform live music under her folk-musician persona, Peggy Honeywell. 51 Yerba Buena Lane, at Mission between Third and Fourth streets, 415/ 227-4888. May 14-Aug. 22, 2010. French Impressionism at the de Young This month, the de Young museum is opening the first of two exhibits featuring works on loan from the Musee d'Orsay's permanent collection while the Paris museum undergoes a makeover for its 25 anniversary celebration (scheduled for 2011). The Birth of Impressionism show features nearly 100 pieces of art by French Impressionists such as Bouguereau, Courbet, and Degas, as well as early work by Manet, Monet, Renoir, and Sisley. Highlights include Degas's Racehorses Before the Stands and uber-famous The Dancing Lesson as well as The Swing by Renoir—works you would normally have to take a cross-Atlantic flight to see. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, Golden Gate Park, 415/750-3600. May 22-Sept. 6, 2010. War Photography at SF Camerawork Be prepared to be emotionally moved by this month's war-related photographs on exhibit at SF CameraWork, one of the city's top contemporary photography galleries. The Theater of War, by Christopher Sims, a 2010 Baum Award Recipient for emerging American photographers, features photographs taken in mock villages used in training by the U.S. military. The images are surreal—fake mosques among the woods, Iraqi and American citizens in dramatic scenes—and offer a unique insight to the mentality behind the war. Also on exhibit are Jennifer Karady's large-format color prints that offer searing images of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans reenacting the most disturbing wartime experiences, often with family members as models. Much deserving of its New York Times rave review, this exhibit will leave you haunted. SF Camerawork, 657 Mission Street, 415/ 512-2020. Now through August 7.

In May the flowers are in bloom and the English are busy pottering about the garden, planting and pruning. And London itself celebrates with bursts of color from window boxes, flower shows and…pachyderms. Elephants in London Brilliantly colored elephants have been appearing all over the city since the beginning of the month…in Hyde Park, on the streets of Mayfair near Harrods, outside the Royal Academy of Art, and inside railroad stations. And these are no ordinary elephants. They've been especially designed by the city's top fashionistas, such as Alice Temperley and Lulu Guiness, in sky blue, with fluffy clouds, paisley, or even chintz. There are some 250 fiberglass tuskers placed around the city to raise awareness of the plight of the endangered Asian elephant. They'll be here until July, when they are to be auctioned off at Sotheby's. free, elephantparadelondon.org. The Chelsea Flower Show 25–29 MayThe British are passionate about gardening. This is a country whose citizens sit glued to the TV on weekend nights watching reality TV shows about gardening; where the locals discuss roses, peonies, and magnolias with the gusto which Americans reserve for the Super Bowl. May sees the biggest annual celebration of the English garden with the Chelsea Flower Show. This takes place in a huge open space next to the Thames. It's one of the largest flower shows in the world, covering 11 acres and attended by some 160,000 people, including the Royal Family. Tickets ($28) are selling like hotcakes. rhs.org.uk Regent's Park Open Air Theater From May and through the summer summer, the Open Air Theatre company performs drama under the stars in one of the city's prettiest green spaces, Regent's Park. This year's season kicks off with Arthur Miller's The Crucible and continues through the summer with a healthy brace of Shakespeare plays which include the Comedy of Errors and Macbeth. visitlondon.com tickets from about $7. openairtheatre.org The Soccer FA Cup May 15 sees the biggest event in the annual domestic Soccer season, the FA Cup played in the sport's premier venue, Wembley Stadium in northwest London. Tickets for the 2010 game, which is a match between London club Chelsea and south coast underdogs Portsmouth, have long sold out. But beer-bellied British the capital over will be congregating in sports bars and pubs to cheer and jeer from kickoff at 3 p.m. Loyal Chelsea fans unable to make the game will descend in a riotous sea of blue at the former Shed Bar (now called Blues Sports Bar) in Chelsea Village at the clubs grounds in Chelsea itself. free. Painting for kids and teenagers at London's top galleries Two of London's top art galleries are running free activity days for kids this month. Somerset House's Wet Wash on May 29 invites 6–12 year olds to play around with pots of watercolor paint under the supervision of an artist. Meanwhile, on May 31, the National Portrait Gallery begins a week of workshops for 14-to-21 year-olds inspired by their current Indian Portrait exhibition. free, somersethouse.org.uk. Plan your trip on our London City Page!