Save over 70% on a Windstar Italy cruise.

There are so many websites and blogs dedicated to travel deals that we rarely post about them. But every once in a while, we see a deal so good, we have to share it.

Vacationstogo.com is selling a 7-day Mediterranean cruise aboard the Wind Surf for $999 per person. The voyage leaves Civitavecchia outside Rome on Sunday, August 16, 2009, and calls at Ischia, Capri, Amalfi, Corsica, and Livorno (for Florence) before returning to Rome.

The list price for an oceanview cabin on this sailing is $4,099, so if you take advantage of this deal, you'll save 76%. Suites, which ordinarily cost $6,349, are selling for $1,649.

Fine dining at Vermont's New England Culinary Institute restaurants.

Today's post starts with a quiz. The lyrics to which 1940s pop standard are written in haiku form? The answer is "Moonlight in Vermont" by John Blackburn and Carl Suessdorf.

Like the song, the state is lovely, but idiosyncratic. In America's most rural state, you can drive a hundred miles and see nothing but rolling green hills and an occasional steeple.

But there are plenty of cows -- which Vermonters put to good use by making amazing dairy products. From mass produced cheddar to artisanal coupole, Vermont cheese is arguably the best in the country. Their bacon's hard to beat. And don't get me started on the butter.

Great Greek food at Molyvos in New York.

Some of the most memorable meals we've ever had were in Greece. From the gut-busting embarrassment of courses we shared with the little dog in Corfu Town, to the overpriced Little Venice Mykonos restaurant where the pelican ran off with the sea bass, to the lunch in Oia where the view overlooking Santorini's magnificent caldera was ours alone, we've always had great food, friendly service, and surprisingly good wine.

No wonder our Greek dining experiences outside of Greece have been wanting. But recently I had excellent Greek food and attentive service at Molyvos, in midtown west Manhattan. In addition to traditional favorites like Braised Lamb Shanks, Moussaka, and Roast Chicken, Chef Jim Botsacos also turns out innovative dishes like Crispy Skate, Marinated Beets and Skordalia, and Citrus Marinated Day Boat Scallops with Cucumber, Scottish Cured Salmon, and Chickpea Cake.