Travel
Reason #5367 to love Rome: Vatican stamp collecting
It’s the rare visitor to Rome who doesn’t make his or her way to the Vatican. Visiting St. Peter’s and the Vatican Museum are highlights of any visit to the Eternal City. As most visitors know, Vatican City is actually its own state, separate from Italy, with its own Head of State – the Pope.…
Read MoreVisiting seaside Termoli in Italy’s Molise region
Molise is a tiny Italian region, well off the normal tourist path. The region is squeezed between Abruzzo to the north and Puglia to the south. The region is more well-known for its interior, mountainous region, but Molise also has a short coastline on the Adriatic Sea. On a trip to Vieste, Puglia, we visited…
Read MoreNature’s stunning beauty at Bryce Canyon National Park
I’ve already written an overview of our (fantastic) holiday to Southwestern America last summer. I’ve been to this part of the country a few times, but it was my first-ever visit to Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. My family and I adored our time here, and I highly recommend it to anyone headed out to…
Read MoreSummer Holiday Reading
Since I adore travel and reading in equal measure, it’s not odd that I love to combine the two. When I visit a place, I always try to have a novel set in that destination tucked away in my suitcase. Some of my most vivid impressions I’ve experienced while reading books have been for books…
Read MoreEnjoying National Revival architecture in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
The town of Plovidov is located in southern Bulgaria, along the Maritza River, just a two-hour drive from the capital Sofia. When we were in Sofia this spring (see my earlier posts about the Boyana church and the Pod lipite restaurant), we were looking at various trips from the capital. What struck us most were…
Read MoreA Rome day trip: The beach at Sabaudia
A little over an hour’s drive south of Rome, along the Tyrrhenian coast, is a lovely stretch of beach – Sabaudia. This is a popular destination during the summer months, since the sea is so much more beautiful than the water closer to Rome. I think it’s also a nice place to go without the…
Read MoreThe Gargano peninsula’s coastlines and beaches
You’ll want a car to explore the southern Italian region of the Gargano, in Puglia. The Gargano peninsula is the ‘spur’ in the heel of the Italian boot. The drives along its dramatic coasts are lovely. The road is high up and curving, but road conditions are pretty good. There are places to stop and…
Read MorePeace and tranquility on Lake Trasimeno’s Isola Maggiore
The central Italian region of Umbria is a wonderful place to explore, with its medieval hilltowns, picturesque stone homes shaded by cypresses, stunning art, and excellent food and wine. Umbria also boasts Italy’s fourth-largest lake (shared with Tuscany) – Lake Trasimeno (Lago Trasimeno). On your visit, it’s worth visiting Isola Maggiore, one of the three…
Read MoreThe beauty of France’s rugged Gorges du Verdon
Until my family and I visited Provence’s Gorges du Verdon (Verdon Canyons), we had no idea that these were the largest gorges in Europe. We associated Provence’s interior with idyllic hilltowns, rolling landscapes and beautiful coastlines, but we knew nothing about this stunning, rugged landscape to be found right in central Provence. Since we wanted a…
Read MoreEnjoy traditional Bulgarian food at the Pod Lipite restaurant in Sofia
We loved this traditional country tavern, just on the edge of the Borisova Gradina Park, while we were visiting Bulgaria’s capital. Pod Lipite, which means ‘under the linden trees’ opened as a pub in the 1920s. The cozy, casual environment, with its wood and stone interiors and long tables, is a great place to enjoy…
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