Restaurant in Tournus, France, B&B in Delhi, restaurant in Madeira

From TOURNUS, France, May 19, 2007. . .

In Burgundy we found a delightful restaurant on the main street in the village of Tournus, which is south of Beaune. Le Rampart (2&4 avenue Gambetta, Tournus, France; phone [33] 038551056) is very pleasant, serves excellent food and is reasonably priced. Lunch with wine, $40 for two.

— Anita Tomasi, Santa Rosa, CA

From DELHI, India, Feb. 1-20, 2008. . .

• Delhi Bed & Breakfast (A/6 Friends Colony East, Delhi; www. delhibedandbreakfast.com) is the perfect and affordable way to personalize your visit to North India.

We chose to begin and end our visit to India at this southern Delhi Friends Colony home. The homestay was extraordinary, from our arrival at 2 a.m. to a warm welcome by host Pervez through the hours of conversation with him that helped us understand all we had seen on a 2-week Road Scholar tour of spiritual places in North India.

Lubna and her mother-in-law, Patma, welcomed us to a spacious, spotless and inviting home with excellent food. The hosts can assist with arranging airport transportation, drivers in Delhi and elsewhere, shopping excursions, visits to markets and even cooking lessons.

We have stayed in bed and breakfasts around the world, and the Delhi B&B tops all of them. The room rate is 3,500 rupees (about $88) per room per night.

• Our 3-week tour “Spiritual Journey Through India,” with Road Scholar (11 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA 02111-1746; 800/466-7762, www.roadscholar.org), was to important Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist sites in northern India. While it included some often-visited sites like the Taj Mahal, we also went to less-well-known places, including Bodh Gaya.

— Ann & Michael Westgate, Chatham, MA

From MADEIRA, Portugal, Feb. 14, 2008. . .

• Restaurant É Prá Picanha (avenue do Infante, No. 60-A, Funchal, Madeira; phone 291282257 or 963041993, www.eprapicanha. com) — opposite Hotel Savoy. Open Monday-Saturday, with lunch 12-3 and dinner 6-11.

For cuisine magic in Madeira, visit Prá Picanha, the very best restaurant we encountered on our 8-day holiday.

We savored (gratis) warm garlic bread, local cheese, raisins and walnuts. Dinner included the following: half bottle of wine (Planalto Alabaster, 2006), tomato-and-onion soup, Tricolore salad (the most creatively put together salad we’ve ever seen) and king prawns sautéed in delectable garlic and ginger.

The sliced picanha (the specialty and an authentic version of Brazilian churrasco) was carved from a 2½-foot-long skewer of rounds of succulent beef the size of small grapefruit and cooked to perfection with unlimited servings. White and regional sweet potatoes accompanied this dish.

Both selections were presented with varied local side dishes: black beans, rice and a savory spiced boiled cabbage. The finishing touch was a generous skewered slice of warm pineapple garnished with cinnamon.

The dinner was complimented by superb service. The price was €40.50 ($56.70) for two.

— Arlene Goodhead, La Jolla, CA