Unlike the others who have written in against comforters (June ’09, pg. 53 & Aug. ’09, pg. 58), I never sleep with anything other than a duvet, summer or winter, but then I grew up in Europe, and those are used there from infancy.

And duvets are so cuddly! If it gets too hot, stick out a foot or kick off the duvet for a while. But you will never be cold.

Going to a hotel or any other place with those sheets and blankets tucked under the mattress, I find them totally...

The Brits have found a perfect solution to the “too-hot duvet” problem. You can buy two very light, summer-weight duvets which can be zipped or buttoned together to make a heavier, winter-weight one. Summer-weight duvets are sold all over Great Britain.

Most people in Great Britain and some other European countries tend not to use a top sheet with a duvet; they just use duvet covers made of the same material as a sheet and take them off to wash them. That cuts down on both the...

One of the most unusual and fascinating small museums that my husband, Gordon, and I have ever visited is the Museum of Bread Culture (Salzstadelgasse 10, 89073 Ulm, Germany; phone +49 731 69955, fax 731 6021161, www.brotmuseum-ulm.de). It’s located only a few blocks (easy walking distance) from the magnificent Ulm Cathedral.

The museum examines the history of bread making, from ancient to modern times, around the world. A time line of exhibits shows the various kinds of grains used...