Along this area of Europe there are also traditional ‘old towns’ to enjoy a drink in the town square in front of beautiful quaint churches. There is also some great shopping from big international fashion houses to small independently made clothes. The laid back lifestyle is something the traveller will relish.
The cuisine in this area is diverse, with Moroccan, Greek and Spainish to name but a few. The food and style of cooking is varied with the famous Spanish Tapas (a selection of small dishes from meat, fish and vegetables) being well known. As this area revolves around the sea, fish is key to the cooking heritage, all seafood is included from many varieties of fish, lobster and shellfish. They appear in countless kinds of dishes depending which you country you visit, including stews, soups, casseroles and pastas. There is a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables as they grow well in this climate. Beef is probably the meat you are least likely to be served.
A huge range of languages are spoken from Italian to Greek to Spanish. In the coastal ports, many people will speak English but it is always worth a try to speak in the local language.
As the Mediterranean covers many cultures and countries, the items vary hugely. In many of the regions pottery is very popular from the small items for the kitchen through to huge outdoor pots. Pack them carefully!
As with many countries across Europe, shops often close for a few hours during the day. This is usually somewhere between 2pm & 6pm. Local advice will be available.