Travel
Mountain biking in Abruzzo
The region of Abruzzo has become my favored retreat from the hectic pace of city life in Rome. This mountainous region just east of Rome has plenty of fresh air and pretty countryside. One of the things I love doing when I am out here is mountain biking with my family. My children and I…
Read MoreStocking up on traditional bread and pork in Genzano, Italy
My youngest son is a sprinter, and I spend lots of time on weekends dragging him around to races in various towns across the region of Lazio. This year, we had lots of races in the pretty area of ‘Castelli romani’, an area in the foothills south of Rome. After my son’s races, we would…
Read MoreHamburg’s Rathaus
On a visit to Hamburg, Germany you certainly can’t miss the ornate Rathaus (Town Hall), the Neo-Renaissance palace constructed 1886-1897. Its tower stands 112 meters high and the building dominates the entire square, a collection of architectural excess, statues, and spires. Among the statues are twenty German Emperors. Today it serves as the seat of…
Read MoreHamburg’s Kunsthalle
When you’re in Hamburg, Germany, there is lots to do. One of the visits you probably want to make is to visit the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Hamburg Art Museum. It first opened to the public back in 1869. You can read about opening days and times, its collection and exhibitions here at its website. Since…
Read MoreMedieval skylines & dramatic mountain views in Pacentro, Abruzzo
I was out in Abruzzo’s Majella National Park last weekend picking my older son up from his tennis camp – an idyllic, cooler environment to enjoy a week of tennis. On our drive back, we decided to stop off and explore the medieval town of Pacentro. I must admit, it’s the first time I’d ever…
Read MoreMedieval sights, sounds & tastes in Abbadia di San Salvatore, Tuscany
I’ve already written about the pretty medieval town in Tuscany: Abbadia di San Salvatore. You can read my previous post about the town here. My family and I discovered it last year when my youngest son began track & field camp there last year. This summer, he was back again, and this time his stay…
Read MorePrague’s Wallenstein Garden
Prague’s beautiful Wallenstein Garden (Valdštejnská zahrada) has always been one of my favorite hideouts in Rome. This beautiful Baroque garden, tucked neatly behind a high wall, was created alongside construction of the Wallenstein Palace, built from 1623-1629. The pavilion, with its impressive views behind it up to the striking Prague Castle, is often the site…
Read MoreOvid’s birthplace: Sulmona, Abruzzo
Sulmona is a small town in the region of Abruzzo. It is located near one of Abruzzo’s three national parks: the National Park of the Majella. The town dates back to before the Roman Empire, but it was the era of the Roman Empire in which Sulmona boasted its most famous resident: Publio Ovidio Nasone,…
Read MoreViews from the top of the Stubnerkogel, Bad Gastein, Austria
I’ve already written about hiking up the Graukogel – another of the panoramic peaks of beautiful Bad Gastein, Austria – an idyllic Alpine town in Austria’s Salzburg province. Stubnerkogel (1943 meters above sea level) is the other peak easily reached from Bad Gastein’s center. There are great views from the top – and views out to…
Read MorePicture-perfect, lakeside Hallstatt, Austria
If you visit this idyllic, little village in the Salzammergut region of Upper Austria, you’ll be forgiven for wanting to chase all the tourists out and have this beautiful spot all to yourself. That must be how the fewer than 950 locals feel each summer as the hordes invade this pretty Austrian town on the…
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