5 Best Cities to Visit in the Rain This Spring

Paris in the rain
As much as everyone looks forward to spring after a long winter, the truth is these months are often rainy and wet, in cities all across the globe (or at least the ones in the northern hemisphere). But that shouldn't put a damper on your vacation fun; plenty of cities are at their most beautiful in the rain, and offer plenty of interesting indoor activities. Lovers of art and culture in particular will have no cause to fret. Below, find out which cities are the best to visit in the rain, and what to do when you get there. 

Paris The Deluxe Room at the Saint James Paris
There's really no better city to visit in the rain than Paris. So many songs and poems have been written about Paris in the rain that it's become a cliché -- one that recently resurfaced in the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris. Check out our favorite Paris activities for when it's drizzly and gray below. 

Visit the Louvre. No trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the Louvre Museum, and luckily, this is an activity that can be enjoyed in any weather. Fight through the crowds to see the Mona Lisa, or skip that and check out some of the 35,000 other pieces of amazing art. If you stay at the Hotel du Louvre right next door, you won't have to walk far. 

Eat macarons in a cozy cafe. These scrumptious little cakes are one of Paris' most famous products, and can be found in almost every bakery and cafe in the city. If you want to try Paris' most famous macarons, head to Ladurée, which has been producing them since the 1800s and has four locations around the city (the original spot is on the Rue Royale). 

Browse the books at Shakespeare and Company. The original Shakespeare and Company was a meeting place for the famous writers and thinkers of the "Lost Generation," including Hemmingway and James Joyce. The new location, named in tribute to the original, is Paris' best-known English language bookstore. 


Rome Street at the Palazzo Manfredi
Ah, the Eternal City. Rome has survived much worse than a little rain, so really, it's nothing to be too concerned about. And while the Colosseum and Roman Forum aren't best enjoyed while getting wet, there's lots more to see here. 

Visit the Pantheon. The Pantheon is an architectural wonder, first built two millennia ago, and miraculously still standing. It's exceptionally cool to visit it when rain can be seen streaming through the oculus in the coffered, unreinforced concrete dome (still one of the largest domes in the world). 

Explore the catacombs. Rome has dozens of catacombs outside the city's ancient boundaries, where Christians and Jews buried their dead, and even hid during times of persecution. The Catacombs of San Castillo and San Sebastian are the most popular places to explore these subterranean passages; to see the actual bones of the dead, head to the Capuchin Crypt, which displays thousands of bones in a decidedly creepy artistic array. 

See the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. If you don't want to wait in the line outside (especially when it's raining), it's best to buy your ticket online. Once inside, you can see some of the world's most famous art -- including Michelangelo's remarkable ceiling. No umbrella required. And if you stay at the Relais Vatican View, you'll be mere meters away from the Vatican walls. 

London Skylounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London - Tower of London
It should come as no surprise that this famously rainy city is still a lot of fun to visit when it's wet. (London has had two thousand years to figure out how to make the most of the weather, after all.) These rainy day activities will make you wish for cloudy skies. 

Have afternoon tea. London's famous afternoon tradition, originated in the 1860s by the Duchess of Bedford, is oh so much cozier when it's gray and dreary out. Palm Court at the Langham Hotel London has one of the most renowned afternoon teas in the city. 

Get sent to the Tower of London. Getting sent to the Tower used to be a very bad thing, but now this castle -- which has been a fortress, treasury, and most famously, prison -- is a popular tourist attraction. You might need an umbrella to go between the different buildings, but the rooms of the medieval palace, the crown jewels, the prisoners exhibition, and the White Tower (the original keep), can all be viewed indoors. 

Visit the British Museum. The Elgin marbles from the Acropolis of Athens, the Rosetta stone, and eight million other pieces are housed in this 250-year-old museum. That much art and archaeology can keep you busy through a loong storm. 



New York City View down 42nd Street, Midtown East, New York, NY
Sure, some of the city's iconic sights -- Times Square, Central Park -- are very much outdoors. But New Yorkers don't let anything stand in their way, and certainly not rain ¬-- so take your cue from the locals and make the most of it. 

See a Broadway Play. New York City arguably has the best theater, anywhere, so don't miss out on seeing the blockbuster du jour. Avoid seeing plays that have been running for too many years; oftentimes, the best cast members will have long since moved on to bigger and better things. 

Get Hot Chocolate. You could get the frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3 (you know you saw the movie!), or you could skip the crowds and join the locals for a delectably sinful cup at Jacque Torres or City Bakery. 

Tour NBC Studios. Ever wanted a behind-the-scenes look at where TV magic happens? This is your ticket. Visitors can see the sets of Saturday Night Live, The Today Show, Late Nate with Jimmy Fallon, and more. 



Amsterdam View from hotel at The Toren
Many people think of Amsterdam as a party destination, but there's a lot more to this city than the Red Light District and "coffee shops." 

Remember the past in the Anne Frank House. Visitors can see the Secret Annex, hidden behind a bookcase, where Anne Frank and her family hid during World War II. A must-see for lovers of Anne Frank's diary, and a great spot to visit while it's raining. 

Drink in the Heineken Experience. This former brewery is now an interactive museum where visitors can see how Heineken is brewed, bottle their own beer, and, of course, drink. 

Visit the Van Gogh Museum. Over 200 of the artists' works can be viewed here, as can an assortment of other Impressionist art.  

Top 10 worst female health habits

Wearing heels

More and more of us are opting to wear heels on a daily basis, and this could be bad news for our health. High heels affect our posture, put pressure on joints, and can lead to a range of conditions including arthritis, hammer toes, back pain and tendon injuries – and that’s before you take into account any heel-related accidents! To minimize damage, limit your heels to 1.5 inchesfor daily wear, and wear insoles to help reduce the pressure on joints.

Carrying a heavy handbag

With the rising number of gadgets and accessories the majority of women haul around, many of us are carrying around several pounds of weight on our shoulders every day. As a result, lots of us are also putting our long term health at risk. While you may not feel the effects right now, lugging around a heavy handbag can lead to serious back problems and neck pain as well as poor posture. Don’t wait until the damage is done – do your health a favour and try clearing out all non-essential items and switching to a smaller bag.

Sleeping in makeup

Most of us have succumbed to the temptation to sleep in our post-party makeup at some point. However, leaving makeup on overnight – along with the dirt and oil that naturally accumulates on skin throughout the day –is a quick route to clogged pores, congested skin and spots. Sleeping with mascara and eye makeup on can also affect your health by causing eye irritation, bloodshot eyes or even infection.

Matching men drink for drink

From networking drinks to first dates and social events, there are many instances when women may feel compelled to keep up with the drinking habits of the opposite sex. However, women not only tend to weigh less than men but they have less body water to dilute the alcohol, which means they tend to get more drunk more quickly. To minimize the risks of alcohol on your health, try to keep within the recommended guidelines for alcohol consumption and alternate alcohol with soft drinks.

Wearing the wrong bra size

It is thought that more than 70 per cent of women are wearing the wrong bra size. However, wearing a badly fitted bra can not only affect the look of your clothes, but research suggests it can cause a range of health problems including back, neck and breast pain, breathing difficulties, poor posture, skin irritation, circulation problems and even irritable bowel syndrome. Rather than guessing your size, make sure you get measured to ensure you are getting the support you need.

Worrying and harboring regrets

Stress is damaging to both our physical and mental health, and women are twice as likely as men to suffer from stress-related disorders, as well as having higher rates of depression and anxiety. While it is thought there may be biological reasons for this, worrying about the future and dwelling on regrets can also add to our problems, with research suggesting that women are more than twice as likely as men to harbor regrets over lost loves and broken relationships.

Obsessing over appearance

While both genders suffer from body insecurity, many women tend to overly obsess over their idea of the “perfect” body. Research findings published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that 16 per cent of the normal or underweight women studied believed themselves to be overweight, while a study commissioned by Dove found that 90 per of women wanted to change at least one aspect of their appearance. Body insecurity not only affects our mental health, but it can also lead to physical damage caused by extreme diets, yo-yo dieting, eating disorders and cosmetic surgery.

Emotional eating

While comfort eating affects both genders, research has suggested that men are more likely to reinforce positive emotions with food, while women comfort eat when they’re sad. Women are also more likely to satisfy their cravings with sweet, high calorie foods. Rather than letting your waistline suffer next time you’re feeling blue, try distracting yourself from cravings by doing something you enjoy, or boost your endorphins and health with an uplifting workout.

Not getting enough sleep

Not only can lack of sleep make us look and feel at our worst, but insufficient shut-eye can also lead to increased accidents, calorie consumption and heart disease risk. Unluckily for women, statistics suggest that sleep problems affect more women than men, while a study by the University of Michigan found that women are more than twice as likely to give up sleep to care for others. Unfortunately, sleep has been found to affect women’s blood pressure and mood more than men’s, making it imperative that you do your best to get a good night’s sleep.

Putting themselves last

Not only are women more likely to compromise their sleeping habits to care for children and others, they are also prone to putting their own wants and needs at the bottom of a hectic to-do list of chores and obligations. To avoid running yourself into the ground, learn to sometimes say no to those requests and commitments that are less than essential, and make sure you set aside some “me” time each week to do something enjoyable just for you.

 Apple's new iPad

Apple launched a new iPad yesterday, but it also did something it hasn’t done since it introduced its first tablet two years ago: It dropped prices on an older version. The new Apple iPad The new iPad will still start at $500 for the 16GB Wi-Fi versions, as did prior iPads when they were launched. But the 16GB Wi-FiApple iPad 2 will drop by $100, to $400. So what do you get for $100 more on the new iPad? Here's a comparison of features and specs for the new iPad and the iPad 2. We'll also take a look at the same features and specs for theSamsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (16GB, $500) and the Amazon Kindle Fire(available only with 8GB, $200).

Apple iPad 2 Display. Resolution on the iPad 2's excellent display is 1,024 x 768. But Apple's pumped that up to 2,048 x 1,536 for the new iPad, resulting in what's called a Retina display: That means individual pixels are indistinguishable to the human eye at a certain distance from the device—15 inches, in the case of the new iPad, Apple says. Resolution on the Galaxy Tab is not as good at 1,280 x 800, but still better than many other tablets. On the Kindle Fire, resolution is 1,024 x 600, which resulted in a very good display score in our tests. Processor. The new iPad needs more processing power to drive the demanding display without negatively effecting battery life, so Apple is using a dual-core Apple A5X with quad-core graphics, which is more powerful than the iPad 2's dual-core processor. That should also result in more exciting visuals for games and other apps. Both the Galaxy Tab and the Kindle Fire have dual-core processors as well.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Camera. The 5-megapixel camera on the new iPad represents light years of improvement over the iPad 2's camera, at 0.7 megapixels. The new camera is more akin to the one found on the iPhone 4. The Galaxy Tab has a 3-megapixel camera, and the Kindle Fire has no camera at all. Weight and dimensions. At 1.44 pounds, the Wi-Fi version of the new iPad weighs a tad more than the iPad 2, which is 1.33 pounds. (Add high-speed 4G capability to the new iPad, and its weight rises to 1.46 pounds.) The Galaxy Tab weighs in at 1.30 pounds, and the Kindle Fire at 1.33. Displays measure 9.7 inches for both iPads, 10.1 inches for the Galaxy Tab, and 7 inches for the Kindle. As for thinness, the new iPad got a bit thicker, growing from 0.34 inches to 0.37. The Galaxy Tab thickness is about 0.30 inches, and the Kindle is 0.5 inches.

Amazon Kindle Fire Bottom line: The iPad 2 is now $100 less than the similarly configured Samsung Galaxy Tab (both are CR-recommended products). But if you're the type who wants to stay ahead of the curve with your technology, the crystal-clear Retina display on the new iPad and its better graphics processor might prove too tempting to resist. And for those on a budget who want a smaller device, the Amazon Kindle Fire (a Consumer Reports Best Buy) remains a viable choice. Make sure to come back to our blog for our first impressions and review of the new iPad, which goes on sale March 16

Album Sales

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" tops the list of best-selling albums ever, a list dominated by classic rock acts like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd with few albums from recent decades making the cut.

20 Best Restaurants in America

Great dining all over the nationWhat factors make any given restaurant that much better than another? In a country with so many great eating places to choose from, seeking out the best ones can be a daunting feat and could quite possibly inspire blood-boiling debate. Just how good is that cozy neighborhood spot with the best spaghetti and meatballs you've ever had? What about that impossible-to-get-into sushi bar that serves 20 perfectly executed courses to a handful of lucky diners every night? And who's to say the best restaurant in America isn't a barbecue place so incredible that both visitors and locals are willing to wait in line for three hours for sliced brisket and ribs? Bearing this in mind, we offer The Daily Meal's list of the 101 Best Restaurants in America for 2012. This is our second annual attempt to acknowledge and rank the multitude of great restaurants, on every level, with which our country is blessed, and it should be noted that while a third of last year's restaurants fell off, 68 of the places that made the cut last year also secured a spot in 2012. That turnover made room for a considerable handful of new, fresh places and familiar spots that didn't show up in 2011.
The list includes all kinds of restaurants - there are pizza places (such as Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, Conn., and Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix), taco joints (like La Taqueria in San Francisco) and a handful of real down-home spots serving up food without frills (like Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C., and Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Mo.). Right beside those more casual eateries are fine dining restaurants that are constantly bringing innovation to the culinary scene, and ones that stand as iconic beacons of light that have guided the industry for decades. It appears that The New York Times' revered dining section would agree with this philosophy, given Pete Wells' review of Shake Shack. 

You may question the final results ("Katz's Deli is better than Next?"), and wonder aloud how on earth one restaurant made the list when it's so clear to you that another one that didn't is much more deserving ("Ben's Chili Bowl made it but Meadowood didn't?"). But given the nature of the content being ranked, with restaurants and dining experiences as subjective as they are, it would be surprising if there weren't some disagreements. Please do let us know what you think we've missed or misranked, though. We'll publish a follow-up with your comments and opinions - and, hey, if you turn us on to some great places we've somehow missed, so much the better. There's always next year. 


Cochon#20 Cochon, New Orleans 

A serious cult favorite since it opened in 2006, Cochon is the domain of pork-loving chef Donald Link, proprietor of the popular Herbsaint and winner of a James Beard Award for his cookbook Real Cajun. Inspired by Cajun and Creole culinary traditions, Link serves dishes like shrimp étouffée and Louisiana cochon (roast pig) with turnips, cabbage, and cracklins', as well as such non-porcine delights as fried alligator with chile garlic aïoli and rabbit with dumplings. Things are still on fire at this Nola hot spot - chef Stephen Stryjewski won a 2011 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the South. 

Daniel#19 Daniel, New York City 

This very grown-up restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side maintains standards of service and cuisine - French haute cuisine, very much an endangered species today - that hark back to an earlier era. But the cooking is up-to-date and really, really good. It's so good in fact, that President Obama is a regular of sorts - he held a $15,000 (per person) fundraiser in January and has already visited again since then.danielnyc.com 


Peter Luger#18 Peter Luger, Brooklyn, NY 

Peter Luger is a New York classic - an institution even. Serving steak since 1887, the restaurant presents a simple menu. Single steak, steak for two, steak for three, or steak for four. In other words, how many people are you going with? OK, so there's a little more selection than that, but the point here is high-quality, expertly prepared beef, along with the famous house sauce, sliced tomato and onion salad, and of course, the celebrated thick-cut bacon appetizer. Many imitators, one original. peterluger.com 


ABC Kitchen#17 ABC Kitchen, New York City 

ABC Kitchen, a trendy New York City restaurant, is a celebration of the best ingredients that each season has to offer, all served in the classically elegant style that Jean-Georges is widely known for. Market-fresh dishes, like roasted kabocha squash toast with fresh ricotta and apple cider vinegar, stand alongside Vongerichten mainstays like pretzel-crusted calamari. The décor is fresh, with an utterly cool urban sophistication that pairs perfectly with the style of the home furnishings store it's connected to, ABC Carpet and Home. The restaurant was awarded the recognition of Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2011. abckitchennyc.com 


Jean Georges#16 Jean Georges, New York City 

Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the few chefs in New York City with the distinction of four stars from The New York Times. At his eponymous restaurant in the Trump International Hotel and Tower, his classic French technique bridges old and new worlds, eschews heavy sauces, and embraces the spice and flavors of Asian cuisine. jean-georges.com 


Franklin Barbecue#15 Franklin Barbecue, Austin, Texas 

By 10 a.m. on a Friday there will be more than 90 people in line at this modest new establishment. The 90 people who show in the next half hour wait in vain a waitress will tell them that there's just no barbecue left. So it goes at Franklin, where Aaron Franklin serves some of the best of Texas' greatest culinary claim to fame. The brisket, with its peppery exterior, falls apart as you pick it up. The turkey is what presidentially pardoned birds aspire to. The sausage snaps loudly when you slice it, juice splashing out and up... You've heard the buzz. It's not hype. It really is that good. franklinbarbecue.com 


Babbo#14 Babbo, New York City 

While Mario Batali certainly made headlines this year, Babbo stayed a New York essential. What can you say about this place that hasn't already been said? The pasta! That pork chop! Mario Batali is a genius! Rock music in a fine dining restaurant? Brilliant! At this longtime darling of the critics, after almost 14 years, you're still at the mercy of the reservation gods if you want to get in - buona fortuna.babbonyc.com 


Blue Hill at Stone Barns#13 Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, N.Y. 

High-profile organo-loca-sustainavore Dan Barber has found the perfect home at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a beautiful restaurant in a bucolic but hardworking setting on a year-round farm and educational center. Most of what you eat here will be grown, raised, and/or processed on the property, and Barber's modern American food is full of color and flavor. www.bluehillfarm.com 


Pok Pok#12 Pok Pok, Portland, Ore. 

When Andy Ricker opened Pok Pok in 2008, he took the Pacific Northwest (and many of the nation's most devoted eaters) by storm with his uniquely refined approach to Southeast Asian street food. In fact, his Vietnamese-inspired chicken wings and boldly flavored array of house specialties are in such hot demand that Ricker opened a location dedicated specifically to wings in New York City this year. To top it off, the James Beard Foundation named Ricker the best chef in the Northwest in 2011. www.pokpokpdx.com 


L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon#11 L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, New York City 

Multi-Michelin-starred chef Joël Robuchon's swanky restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel offers peaceful solace amidst the noise and bustle of midtown Manhattan. A sleek, minimalist interior is the backdrop for executive chef Xavier Boyer's classical, French-inspired menu. (The beef and foie gras burgers with caramelized bell peppers are a must.)www.fourseasons.com/newyork 


Citronelle#10 Citronelle, Washington, D.C. 

With his Santa Claus build, amiable nature, and obvious passion for his métier, Michel Richard sometimes looks like the happiest chef alive as he leans over a plate at Citronelle that holds one of his imaginative, brilliantly executed specialties, smiling and putting on the finishing touches - a sight you can witness through the glass wall that encloses his sparkling kitchen at this D.C. classic. Though Richard's other spots, Central and Meatballs, have gotten a lot of play in the last year, Citronelle remains a D.C. star. citronelledc.com 


Gramercy Tavern#9 Gramercy Tavern, New York City 

Gramercy Tavern is among the finest of the new wave of classic American restaurants. With Danny Meyer running the show and Michael Anthony taking control in the kitchen, the restaurant continues to excel at serving refined American cuisine without pretension. Anthony has become known for his simply prepared fish dishes in particular, such as sea bass with spaghetti squash, walnuts, and sherry sauce. And let's not forget that this is the restaurant that helped to jumpstart Tom Colicchio's career; he was a founding partner with Meyer before eventually leaving to open his collection of Craft restaurants. gramercytavern.com 


Momofuku Ssäm#8 Momofuku Ssäm, New York City 

Meals at this East Village hot spot wowed former New York Times critic Frank Bruni into a praise-filled three-star review in 2008, and no wonder. Chang's food offers bold, Asian-inspired flavors - like his duckaholic lunch and popular bo ssäm dinner (slow-cooked pork shoulder, oysters, rice, kimchee, and sauces to be wrapped in bibb lettuce leaves). David Chang continues to be the culinary cool kid. With Lucky Peach (his new magazine) and lots of buzz around Momofuku Milk Bar's Christina Tosi, he has definitely done something right.momofuku.com 


Per Se#7 Per Se, New York City 

This elegant dining room overlooking Central Park in the Time Warner Center remains a must-have experience in New York, even for Sam Sifton, who chose the restaurant for his final review as The New York Times' restaurant critic last year - giving it four stars. Per Se upholds the standards set by Thomas Keller at the French Laundry, winning a James Beard Award in 2011 for Outstanding Service and being named the 10th best restaurant in the world in this past year by Restaurant Magazine. perseny.com 



Osteria Mozza#6 Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles 

Nancy Silverton, whose La Brea Bakery changed the game for artisanal bread in America, teams up here with New York-based Italian-food moguls Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich in this lively urban restaurant, complete with a mozzarella bar, unusual pasta (calf's brain ravioli, spaghetti with marinated white anchovies), and main dishes ranging from sea trout with lentils to grilled pancetta-wrapped quail. In 2011, Mozza pastry chef Dahlia Narvaez was named a James Beard Award finalist. osteriamozza.com 


French Laundry#5 French Laundry, Yountville, Calif. 

How did a chef whose innovative restaurant in Manhattan failed and who headed west to cook in a downtown L.A. hotel suddenly emerge in the Napa Valley to create a restaurant to rival the great three-star establishments of rural France? Hard work and outsize talent, most probably. Taking over what had been a good but far simpler restaurant, chef Thomas Keller approached contemporary American food with classical technique, and his French Laundry established new standards for fine dining in this country. In 2012, Keller and the French Laundry received a coveted AAA Five Diamond Award, just another honor to add to the pile.frenchlaundry.com 


Eleven Madison Park#4 Eleven Madison Park, New York City 

Like many of the finest things in life, Eleven Madison Park is a restaurant that seems to get better with age. Although it opened to much fanfare and subsequent acclaim in 1998, Danny Meyer's hiring of Swiss-born Daniel Humm to helm the kitchen in 2006 elevated the place to the level of the finest restaurants in the country. Humm - who has won such plaudits for the restaurant as four stars from The New York Times, three from Michelin, and a number 24 ranking on last year's Restaurant Magazine list of the world's 50 best restaurants - bought Eleven Madison from Meyer last year, in partnership with his front-of-house counterpart, Will Guidara, so standards aren't likely to fall. elevenmadisonpark.com 


Chez Panisse#3 Chez Panisse, Berkeley, Calif. 

Celebrating 40 years in business and still going strong, Chez Panisse was instrumental in changing the American food scene; before this restaurant, practically nobody in America served only fresh local foods and wrote menus daily, according to the season. Alice Waters, an organic-living pioneer, is also the founder of The Edible Schoolyard, a foundation that is bringing healthy breakfasts and lunches to schools across the nation. It has become fashionable to criticize this culinary icon as irrelevant or pretentious, but the truth is that her restaurant's food is still superb, both in the one-menu-a-night downstairs restaurant and the lively, diversified upstairs Café. chezpanisse.com 



Alinea#2 Alinea, Chicago 

There's little question that Grant Achatz, whose training includes stints with Charlie Trotter, Thomas Keller, and Ferran Adrià, deserves the title of America's most creative chef. The menu at his Alinea sounds deceptively simple (bass with black pepper, vanilla, and lemon), but what shows up on the plate is absolutely original and almost always dazzlingly good. However, there are rumors going around that he and partner Nick Kokonas have plans to make some major changes to the Alinea concept, now that they've successfully launched two new ventures, Next and The Aviary. alinea-restaurant.com 


Le Bernardin#1 Le Bernardin, New York City 

Think Le Bernardin and you think accolades: Michelin, The New York Times, James Beard Foundation. Is it a little stuffy? Sure… But with a super sleek renovation recently completed and a lengthy new lease, this iconic restaurant isn't going anywhere. And if cooking fish well is an art, then chef Eric Ripert is a Michelangelo; his contemporary French touch has led some to call his creations the world's best seafood