Travel
Stunning frescoes in Bulgaria’s Boyana Church
On a recent trip to Bulgaria’s capital of Sofia, I set aside some time to visit the area of Boyana, on the outskirts of the city, to visit the not-to-be-missed Boyana church. Last week I wrote about the spectacular Orthodox monasteries of Kosovo, but Bulgaria’s Boyana church is another impressive example of Balkan Byzantine art that is…
Read MoreVisiting the monasteries of Pejë/ Peć in Kosovo
My family and I were on holiday in beautiful Montenegro, when we decided to take a daytrip into Kosovo – to the town of Pejë (in Albanian) / Peć (in Serbian). Of special interest to us were two spectacular Serbian Orthodox monasteries: the 14th century Dečani Monastery and the 13th century Patriarchate Monastery. Travelling in…
Read MoreMountains, swans, and fondue in Geneva – Part 2
In Part 1, I’ve already provided a view of Geneva, the international city of French Switzerland. Now I’d like to turn to the highlights of Geneva’s old town – medieval Geneva. Geneva’s Veille ville, rises above the lake’s shores, and, with its car-free streets, it’s a pleasnt place to stroll and enjoy old Geneva. Just…
Read MoreMountains, swans and fondue in Geneva
I’ve traveled a fair amount in Switzerland, but in the German and Italian sections, so when I went to Geneva recently for work, I looked forward to spending time in the international city of French Switzerland. The city is small enough to explore easily – even with limited time after long work days. It’s a pleasant, quiet city on…
Read MoreReason #5364 to love Rome: Centrale Montemartini Museum
Most tourists never make it to this unusual museum. It’s a little off the well-worn tourist track, in the Ostiense neighborhood , a former industrial zone of Rome. Nevertheless, Centrale Montemartini is easily reached by public transport and definitely worth a visit. This unlikely satellite of Rome’s Capitoline Museum began its life in June 1912…
Read MoreFrom the ramparts of Les Baux de Provence, France
Provence is most certainly one of my (many) favorite corners of Europe. If you are visiting the region, you should try to set aside some time to visit the suggestive ruins of Les Baux de Provence. A visit to this site makes it clear why this was selected as a defensive position – visitors have…
Read MoreNew York covered in snow
When my family and I go back to New York, it’s generally in the summertime when we all can manage longer holidays. But two years ago, we did go back during the winter and enjoyed a big blizzard that stopped the subways from running and had one of the most beautiful cities in the world covered in piles of…
Read MoreSuffering 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.…
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