Posts Tagged ‘Europe’
The wonderful Cité du vin, in Bordeaux
I had a wonderful time on my recent trip to Bordeaux, France. There was so much to enjoy about this city, but one can’t visit Bordeaux without learning about one of its most important industries – fine wines. Luckily, there’s a fabulous museum you can visit to learn all about wine – Bordeaux’ Cité du…
Read MoreZurich’s beautiful Christmas markets
Last December, my husband and I visited Zurich, Switzerland. It was early December, and the Christmas markets had just been set up. I adore the Christmas markets of northern Europe. I’ve lived in cities in northern Europe and always enjoyed the atmosphere of this season. Although you’ll rarely hear me complaining about Rome, the beautiful…
Read MoreGorgeous views from Siena’s Torre del Mangia
Last summer my husband and I were back in beautiful Sienna, in Tuscany, after an absence of several years. Siena is always beautiful, and it was fun to enjoy a passeggiata through its gorgeous center. Despite being a very hot July day, there was no way we would miss climbing the medieval Torre del Mangia,…
Read MoreA day in lovely Bern, Switzerland
Last December, my husband and I were staying in Zurich, Swizerland, and decided to take the train for a daytrip to Switzerland’s capital, Bern. Although I’ve travelled a fair about in Switzerland, it was my first visit in its capital, and we enjoyed out day exploring picturesque Bern. I’ve already written about the fabulous views…
Read MoreIt’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … in Bordeaux
On my recent trip to Bordeaux, France I was there when they turned on the Christmas lights and opened the Christmas market to the public. I always enjoy traveling at this time of year to enjoy the festive holiday lights. Bordeaux is such an elegant city, so I had high hopes for its Christmas market.…
Read MoreThe glory of Rome’s Mercati di Traiano
If you’ve ever been to Rome, it’s doubtful you’ve missed the Roman Forum – stretching from the Colosseum to the Piazza Venezia. The Italian word for the Roman Forum is Fori imperiali, which is Imperial Fora – this is because their are multiple fora, each created by a different emperor. The Mercati di Traiano or…
Read MoreArt theft robs us all: The Louvre heist
In a normal world, it would go without saying that theft is bad. But today, with the insane “reimagine justice” movements, I realize we can’t take anything for granted. But museum thefts have always struck me as particularly pernicious. Well-known art works and priceless objects are, by their very nature, impossible to resell. They are…
Read MoreAdmiring Conegliano through the vines
Earlier this summer, I was up in Conegliano, Italy – in the Veneto region – with my younger son for a track and filed race he had there. It was my first time in Coneglaino, a pleasant little town. But its real claim to fame is all the vineyards surrounding the towns in the hills…
Read MoreThe beauty of Armenian khachkars
We had a wonderful vacation in the Caucasus last month – and I’ll be writing more about what we saw in beautiful Georgia and Armenia in the coming weeks. But one of the beautiful objects we saw throughout Armenia were the traditional khachkars, or carved, cross-stone stele. These khachkars are typical of medieval Armenian Christian…
Read MoreA Tuscan hideaway in Civitella Marittima
My sprinter son qualified for the U23 Italian track & field championships. This year’s edition was held in Grosetto, Tuscany. Because we booked late, everything in this Tuscan town was fully booked. Having been to Grosetto’s fabulous track for earlier races, I decided to seek out something new. I started looking for hotels further inland…
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