Travel
Suffering from snow withdrawal
I’m just back from a fantastic week of sun, snow, and ski slopes and I find myself extremely slow to get back into the rhythms of city life and the difficult rite of catching up with dreaded e-mails and deadlines. I was out in the Italian region of Abruzzo, in a little town called Ovindoli.…
Read MoreEat Wienerschnitzl at Vienna’s Figlmüller
Vienna has to be one of Europe’s best walking cities – and thank goodness for that, since it allows visitors to work up an appetite before sampling the city’s mouth-watering specialties. For me, no visit to Vienna is complete without eating Wienerschnitzl – breaded veal cutlet- at Figlmüller. Figlmüller has been serving up Wienerschnitzl in…
Read MoreThe blue doors of Sidi Bou Saïd, Tunisia
On a trip to Tunisia just before the Arab Spring that swept the region, we took the 20 kilometer train trip north from Tunisia’s fascinating capital of Tunis, to the lovely seaside town of Sidi Bou Saïd. I’ve already written about my penchant for destinations with exotic-sounding names, and this one definitely fit the bill.…
Read MoreParadise in the Indian Ocean: The Seychelles
Okay, full disclosure: this is not a recent trip. I was in these tropical islands seven long years ago for a February get-away. But since it’s February once again and it’s awfully cold and dark when I get up and out in the mornings, I decided to relive distant memories by posting about a long-ago…
Read MoreReason #5363 to love Rome: Santa Prassede church
There are so many beautiful churches in Rome, that first-time visitors are often left exhausted and overwhelmed by all they have seen. Still, once you’ve seen the most famous, it’s worth the effort to visit some of the spectacular but less-frequented churches around the Eternal City. One exceptional church tucked away on a side street,…
Read MoreThe ruins of Stari Bar, Montenegro
If you arrive by ferry to Montenegro, you’ll most likely be arriving in the port city of Bar. Although Bar itself is not worthy of exploration, the old town – Stari Bar – is just 5 kilometers from the port and it is a wonderful place to visit. The picturesque ruins are located on a…
Read MoreRiga’s stunning art nouveau architecture
While planning a trip to Latvia’s capital, I was very surprised to read that the historic center of Latvia boasts the largest collection of art nouveau buildings in Europe. I have lived in both Prague and Vienna and both cities impress visitors with their stunning art nouveau architecture. The work of Czech artist Alphonse Mucha…
Read MoreThe Addictive Blog Award
Many thanks to Getsetandgo for nominating me for The Addictive Blog Award! Snigda, based in Mumbai, hosts a wonderful blog that lets me dream I’m travelling in south Asia (and gives me lots of great ideas for future trips), so it was a real honor to have been selected. For this award, I have to say…
Read MoreSearching for King Arthur: Art, nature and legends in Brittany’s interior
France’s coasts in Brittany are – justifiably – extremely popular with tourists. Yet Brittany also boasts an interesting interior, replete with beautiful churches and castles, charming towns and landscapes and locations from Arthurian legend; nevertheless, most tourists never make it here. On a two-week trip to Brittany, we chose to base ourselves in Brittany’s interior…
Read MoreReason #5362 to love Rome: Piazza Navona’s Christmas Market
Felice Anno Nuovo! A very Happy New Year! Rome’s Piazza Navona has to be one of the most beautiful squares in the world. Each December, continuing on to January 6th, Piazza Navona plays host to a Christmas market. Although it can’t compete with the elegant Christmas markets of Vienna and Nürnberg, the piazza itself offers…
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