Travel
Keeping cool in the mountain air of Abruzzo
It’s been a hot summer in Rome. But then again, every summer is a hot summer in Rome. Come weekends, my youngest son and I were often escaping the heat in the nearby mountains of Abruzzo. Our little town of Ovindoli is 1400 meters from sea level, das are warm but minus humidity, and evenings…
Read MoreCooling off in the sulfuric waters of Tivoli’s springs
Tivoli is a short distance from Rome, and the Acque Albule Springs (also called Terme di Roma) is a great way to cool down in summer. You can arrive easily from Rome by car or bus. The sulphur-rich thermal springs in Tivoli have been well known since the Ancient Roman era, and particularly at the…
Read MoreWhere time stands still, in Ushguli, Georgia
We had a great time driving around Georgia on our Caucasus roadtrip. But when we were staying in Kutaisi and planned to travel to Ushguli, Europe’s highest village, we decided to travel there with an organized tour and driver. And are we glad we did! If you have a four-wheel drive, you could probably manage…
Read MoreBatumi, Georgia: Former Soviet-era Black Sea beach resort with an art deco soul
I’ve already written about our wonderful vacation last summer in Georgia and Armenia. While staying in the western Georgia city of Kutaisi, we took some enjoyable trips, including to Batumi on the Black Sea. Batumi was a well-known beach resort during the Soviet era – and you can see why. This was a great place…
Read MoreMedieval Manhattan … in Tuscany’s San Gimignano
I’ve been a few times to the gorgeous Tuscan town of San Gimignano, but I hadn’t visited in several years. So, earlier this month – the Summer Solstice, to be precise – I was thrilled to get back to this wildly picturesque medieval hilltop town. What makes this town so special are the thirteen narrow…
Read MoreTraipsing through the Ancient Roman cisterns – in Todi
On my last visit to the lovely Umbrian hilltop town of Todi, I made an interesting visit to the Ancient Roman cisterns. You can arrange for a guided visit at the tourist office on the main town square, and the entrance to the cisterns is from the backside of that main square, Piazza del popolo.…
Read MoreRaphael in New York
I was fortunate to be in New York this spring soon after the Raphael: Sublime Poetry exhibition launched at the Metropolitan Musuem of Art. I’m a long-time Met member, and I had asked my son to wait for my visit so we could see it together. It was extremely crowded when we went, but it…
Read MoreA mini Charles Bridge in Würzburg, Germany
This spring, I was in Würzburg, Germany for the first time, visiting a German uncle of mine who has moved there recently. This is a small town in Germany’s Bavaria region, along the Main River. There is so much to see in this town, but the old bridge crossing over the river is a must-see…
Read MoreHanging out at the Kaffeehaus Goldene Waage in Frankfurt
One of the fun aspects of visiting new destinations (or, in this case, revisiting destinations you haven’t returned to in years) is picking out what would be my favorite café were I to live there. Were I to live in Frankfurt, Germany, that would definitely be the Kaffeehaus Goldene Waage. After my son as I…
Read MoreMissed cherry blossom season in DC – but caught them in New York!
In a country as vast as America, you can take advantage of varying climates during your travels. On a recent stay in Washington, DC, I knew I wouldn’t hit peak cherry blossom season, but I didn’t realize high winds blew away all the pretty blossoms. I walked the entire stretch of the Tidal Basin, but…
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