Sebastien Tellier is representing France in Eurovision this year.

It’s sunny again today! Here are some of the things we’ve taken a shine to this week:

On Wednesday, Amsterdam became the World Book Capital for one whole year! Thanks to Trippist for reading up on this, and getting us excited about the city-wide book fair scheduled for May 18th!

Meanwhile in Paris, Heather Stimmler-Hall recounts in her “Secrets of Paris” blog her tale of wine dating on the 56th floor of the Tour Montparnasse. What is “wine dating,” you ask? It involves tasting three types of wine, mingling with available Frenchmen, cold cuts, and a towering view. Sign us up.

And then there’s the flight news! Less Than a Shoestring got us all knotted up about UK and Irish airports charging surprise, unavoidable airport taxes. And from a vending machine, no less!

Meanwhile, BudgetTravel alerts us to Cheapo-friendly fares in May from NYC to Rome, Naples, and other Italian cities on Eurofly. Fares are from $499 and don’t include $75 in taxes.

And finally, thanks to Alex of Spendthrift Shoestring for swinging by the office to play us some official entries in the Eurovision 2008 contest. We’re especially excited about Sebastien Tellier (pictured above on a boat), Jelena Tomašević, and, of course, No Angels.

What a way to kick off the weekend!

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Get more bang for your forint with our Cheapo-tested tips for a night out in Budapest. Kari Hoerchler, who recently prowled the city’s streets hunting down hotels for us, also found out how to have fun…

Start the night with a free drink.

A cheapo could get a jump start on the evening with a free drink at the Matyas’ wine fountain in the Labyrinth of Castle Hill. However, we found it more efficient and enjoyable to fork out the HUF 8000 (roughly €31) to sample over 50 wines at the House of Hungarian Wines above ground.

Get your restaurant row on.

Ramble on over to the Liszt ter, the veritable restaurant row of Budapest. People watching is free of charge, not to mention fun. And, frugal dining spots abound. A fresh variety of cocktails, sandwiches and salads are available at Café Vian. ‘Pest favorites, including goulash and fruit soup, are served at Menza (which also serves international fare, like pasta and salads). Both restaurants run a tab of about HUF 3,200 (almost €13) per person.

Hit up a club.

For a walk on the wild side, head over to Erzsebet ter to catch live acts and art at the underground Godor Club. Even if the place gets overcrowded with revelers, it’s still fun to check out the stage from the park above via a glass bottom fountain. When we were last in Budapest, we made a visit. Pints of beer were HUF 480 (just under €2) and entry was free.

The late night and early morning crowd pumps at Szóda. Not only is the design of this club chic, but the crowd is notoriously hip, making Szoda the perfect place to find out where the latest and greatest kerts (makeshift bars in the courtyards of abandoned buildings) can be found. The team behind Szoda are also behind several of the city’s speakeasies.

Sit back and relax.

For a more mellow mood, catch local and European art films at one of Budapest’s opulent, old movie houses. Urania National Movie Theatre was built in the 1890s. Plush velvet seats and gold vaulted ceilings trick the eyes into thinking one is spending the evening at the much more expensive opera house across town. Stop by the box office to find out which films have subtitles. Tickets run between HUF 890 and 990 (€3.50-4).

Kari Hoerchler is a budget traveler and science fiction novelist stationed on Planet Earth. Not only has Kari been a star contributor to EuroCheapo’s guide to Budapest, she has also recently been spotted under spotlights on small stages in New York coffeehouses telling tall tales of a tropical island—and future vacation hot spot—in the Bermuda Triangle. Book ahead.

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Photo courtesy of roarksfork

During the summer the banks of the Seine provide popular grounds for a picnic. Cheese and bread are easy to handle, but wine—the most important part—isn’t always as easy to choose. Here are two simple guidelines for picking a good cheap bottle of wine, red or white, from a sea of options.

1. The Golden Rule is to never pay under €3.

Yes, there are some bottles out there for €1.50, but we really, really wouldn’t recommend drinking them. And truthfully, shelling out €4 will result in a huge quality boost. Less than €3 and you’re just paying too much for a bottle of vinegar.

2. Make sure you pick a bottle with a year on the label.

The inclusion of the year on the label means that all the grapes used were from the same season, and indicates the contents have been controlled rigorously for quality. An additional tip: If you can find a label that states “mis en bouteille à la propriété” (bottled on the same property where the grapes were grown) that’s another good sign.

Cheers, but proceed with caution! In France, you must look everyone in the eyes when you clink glasses or you’ll be cursed with seven years of bad luck in love.

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Photo by Kaymaria Daskarolis

Nafplio, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Athens, is hands-down one of Greece’s most charming towns. It is also home to Karonis Wine Shop (Amalias Street 5, Nafplio, +30-27520-24446.) The shop was established in 1882, although Karonis has actually been producing ouzo, brandy, wine, and other spirits since 1869. Recently, the family-owned company has taken a lead in developing innovative wine-tasting experiences for connoisseurs and amateurs alike.

Open Monday through Saturday from 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. through 9:30 p.m., Karonis also happens to produce our favorite ouzo, which even ouzo-skeptical visitors tend to find palatable. A .70 ml bottle of 80-proof ouzo goes for €5.75, while the .70 ml bottle of 88-proof “Special” ouzo costs €7. Souvenir-size .20 ml bottles can be had for as little as €1.95.

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photograph courtesy of Christopher Coats 

Tired of leaving the table wine market to the northern regions of Rioja and Navarre, Andalusia has begun sinking public funds into promoting local labels to national and international markets. Still difficult to track down outside of specialty stores and the vineyards themselves, the Andalusian wine movement is gaining steam thanks to this regional publicity campaign.

Areas such as Malaga, long-known for producing mainly sweet, after-dinner wines, are now churning out dozens of local vintages that emphasize lighter characteristics than their northern counterparts.

In time, the regional government hopes to group a dozen or so labels together and distribute them worldwide. Until then, travellers can sample the region’s best at a pair of wine museums in the small villages of Mijas Pueblo and Ojen.

Tastings and full guided wine-lunches are available throughout the year at both locations, in English and Spanish. The villages are located roughly midway between Malaga and Marbella.

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