Travel
A bird’s eye view over Barcelona from the Columbus Memorial
Las Ramblas is certainly one of the liveliest areas of Barcelona, Spain. I’ve already written about Palau Güell, the first major commission of modernist architect Antoni Gaudí, which is just off the Ramblas. Once you’ve visited Gaudí’s impressive project, continue down the Ramblas towards the sea, and leave time to take the elevator up to…
Read MoreDon’t miss the Bali Bird Park
Since I travelled to Bali, Indonesia this past summer with two kids in tow, I needed to offer some incentives for visiting lots of Balinese temples and art museums. I’ve already posted about our visit to the Bali Tree-Top adventure, a fabulous rope course in northern Bali. Another kid-friendly activity visited was the Bali Bird…
Read MoreReason #5368 to love Rome: History around every corner
You can’t spend ten minutes in Rome without realizing how true this is. Rome is a city that lives and plays around its antiquities. Each day, we walk over the fabulous subterranean remains of the Roman Empire – sadly, only few of them open to the public, although many can be arranged with advance appointments.…
Read MoreSkyscraper Tourism: Taipei 101
I have two little skyscraper fanatics with me when I travel. And, if you twist my arm, I may admit that I’ve always enjoyed skyscraper tourism myself. I was excited to go to the top of New York’s former World Trade Center and Chicago’s Sears Tower, back when they were the tallest skyscrapers in the…
Read MoreAdmiring Gaudí ‘s Palau Güell, Barcelona
On a recent trip to Barcelona, Spain I was excited to see that Antoni Gaudí’s first major project, the Palau Güell, is now open to the public. The impressive family home of the wealthy Güell family, built between 1885 and 1889 is now a UNESCO Heritage site. I was unable to see this beautiful family home on…
Read MoreJourney 5000 years back in time in Malta’s Hypogeum
I’ve already written about lots to see on the Mediterranean island of Malta, including the historical town of Mdina, tempting swimming at the Blue Lagoon, and the colorful local buses that will ferry you around the island. But Malta’s history stretches far back, as evidenced by the Neolithic temples scattered around the island. One of the…
Read MoreThe next time your kid complains about school…
If your kids subject you to Monday morning grumbling when it’s time to wake up for school, you may want to take them to see this film. Even if they wake up eager for class, you should still see this excellent documentary film by French filmmaker Pascal Plisson, originally entitled Sur le chemin de l’école…
Read MoreVisiting Oxford, UK with kids
On a trip to London with my kids, I looked forward to a day trip to nearby Oxford. Although I hadn’t planned specific child-friendly activities, it was a pleasant surprise that my young children stumbled across so many entertaining things to do in that charming university town. As parents traveling with children know well, this…
Read MoreStrange 16th century creatures and demons at Bomarzo’s Monster Park
The Parco dei mostri (Monster Park) of Bomarzo, in northern Lazio, makes a great day trip from Rome. The whimsical park is almost five hundred years old. In 1552, following the death of his wife, a grieving Prince Pier Francesco Orsini oversaw the construction of a park filled with sculptures of ogres, snakes, dragons and…
Read MoreWhere to stay in Matera, Italy?
Okay, this the transparent attempt of a traveller – to start dreaming about a place before an upcoming trip by imagining the place, digging thorough old photos, etc. Tomorrow, I’m off to Matera for my annual mecca to the Women’s Fiction Festival, and I’m anxious to be back to this beautiful southern Italian town. Over…
Read More