Reason #5359 to love Rome: Sports Day

Okay, Sports Day (Giornata dello sport, in Italian) is held every year in Rome and it’s just so much fun. If you’re passing through Italy’s capital in October – and especially if you have kids in tow – you must stop by to enjoy this event. It’s usually held the third Sunday of October in…

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A car-free stroll on New York’s High Line

Garden strolls and a chance to feel at one with nature are always in demand in big cities like New York. New York’s High Line is an unlikely place to find a car-free environment where you can stroll, observe the city and river views, admire the landscape architecture and relax on lounging chairs ideal for…

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Shopping at Nice’s outdoor market at Cours Saleya

Part of the pleasure – and there  are many – of travelling in France is a visit to the local outdoor markets. This colourful market square sits at the edge of Nice’s vieille ville (old town) and definitely merits a visit during your visit to this lovely city on the French Riviera. The market at the…

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Lake Skadar – the Balkans’ largest lake

The Montenegrin Skadarsko jezero goes by many names: Skadar (from the Montenegrin), Shkodër (from the Albanian) and Scutari (from the time when it was an Italian protectorate). It’s the  largest lake in the Balkans – part of the lake is in Montenegro and part in neighboring Albania. The lake itself is well known for its…

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Spectacular views from Èze, France

Just a short distance from Nice, after a dramatic and spectacular drive along the Moyenne Corniche road that alone make the trip worthwhile, lies the charming medieval town of Èze. At 470 metres above sea level, Èze – frequently referred to as the eagle’s nest – is a picture-perfect village perché (perched village), with breathtaking…

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Sleep in a cave in Matera, Italy

If you read my blog, you’ll know I’ve raved about the Women’s Fiction Festival held each September in Matera, in Italy’s southern region of Basilicata. But I haven’t actually posted a travel piece about the town, which is well worth a visit. Since I am on my way to the annual conference later this week,…

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A layover in Belgrade, Serbia

Returning from a trip this past spring to beautiful Sarajevo, Bosnia, I had a ten-hour layover in Serbia’s capital. Having seen it on a short stop-over on the way over, I quickly realized that the Serbian airport really did not merit ten hours of my time on the return, so I was more happy to…

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The Outer Banks, North Carolina

On a summer trip back to New York last year, my family and I wanted to get away for a relaxing beach holiday. We decided to go someplace we hadn’t been before and chose the Outer Banks, in northern North Carolina, someplace I’d always ‘meant to’ explore and hadn’t yet gotten around to doing. We…

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The Blue Lagoon, Malta

Looking for a great place to while away a lazy afternoon swimming in clear Mediterranean waters?  My Europe travel tip this week is to look no further than the stunning Blue Lagoon, just off the island of Malta. This is truly a splendid place to enjoy a day of sea and sun. The transparent turquoise…

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Vienna’s Palmenhaus

Right in Vienna’s Burggarten, just between the Opera house and the Hofburg, is the stunning art deco Palmenhaus, a 19th century imperial greenhouse, which is now an ideal place to sit and relax while sipping a coffee or a glass of wine. Vienna’s Palmenhaus was originally built in 1822 as a greenhouse for the Hofburg…

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