Travel
After your museum visit – exploring Bilbao, Spain
Last week I wrote about visiting the spectacular Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. You can see my post here. But after your museum visit is over, you’ll want to make time to stroll down the river and enjoy Bilbao’s old town. Although Bilbao’s medieval old town and its architecture dates back to the XIVth century,…
Read MoreBilbao’s fabulous Guggenheim, Spain
It’s been years I’ve been “meaning to” get to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. A holiday in France’s Basque region provided me with the opportunity to journey across the border into Spain’s Basque country to visit this modern art museum that celebrated its 20th birthday last year. This striking modern architecture was created by…
Read MoreExploring the medieval Vatican City: Viterbo, Italy
Last week I wrote about the Terme dei Papi – The Thermal Baths of the Popes – in northern Lazio. In this port, I wanted to highlight the beautiful town of Viterbo, just a few kilometers away from this spa, and well worth a visit before or after you soak in the warm waters. Viterbo, as…
Read MoreRelaxing in Viterbo’s Terme dei Papi, Italy
The thermal waters found north of Rome, at the Terme dei Papi (The Thermal Baths of the Popes) were famous well before Papal times. These thermal waters were well known to the Etruscans, well before the birth of Rome. In the 3rd Century B.C., the Roman army, led by Console Quinto Fabio Rulliano, conquered and…
Read MoreStunning views from the roof of Milan’s Duomo
I was very happy to get back to Milan recently – a city where I lived almost two decades ago. One of the things I used to do when friends visited me in Milan was to take them to the roof of Milan’s Duomo – the cathedral. From there, there are beautiful views over the…
Read MoreRinging in the New Year on the slopes of Abruzzo
I generally don’t travel far during the holidays. While I’m almost always up for travel, the super-busy Christmas holidays is a time I’d rather not deal with hectic airports or packed trains and highways. I tend to stick close to Rome, generally making short trips to nearby towns and cities. It’s also a great time…
Read MoreOld time splendor at Oslo’s Grand Hotel
Oslo’s Grande Dame of a hotel, the Grand Hotel, was built in Norway’s capital in 1874 – back when Oslo went by the name Kristiania. It is located centrally, on the main shopping street of Karl Johans gate, between the Norwegian Parliament and the Royal Palace. I love old hotels like this, full of charm…
Read MoreNikolaiviertel in Berlin
I had a nice little wander in this picturesque neighborhood when I was in Berlin. I suppose liking this vibe of this historic neighborhood is a bit akin to claiming one of the most stunning castles you’ve seen is the one in Orlando, Florida. For alas, Berlin’s Nikolaiviertel is a bit Disneyesque… This small area…
Read MoreRevisiting my old neighborhood of Navigli, in Milan
It’s always fun to go back and visit old haunts – and a recent trip to Milan was no exception. I did my Master’s degree at Bocconi University, in Milan, Italy. That was a long, long time ago and I – oddly – hadn’t been back in years. On this first visit back, I chose…
Read MoreMy summer holiday in books
Maybe it’s something about being smack dab in December, with some of the most depressing and shortest days of the year, but I find myself often thinking back to summer holidays. As I already wrote in a post, sometimes my reading experience conflates the books I read on holidays. Even when those novels aren’t that…
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