Jogging in St Julian’s, Malta

For those who read my blog occasionally, you may know I often pack along jogging sneakers when I travel – and particularly when I travel for work. My work days can be quite long, and there’s nothing like starting out early (after I silently curse the dreaded ring of the alarm clock) and heading out…

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Turin’s Egyptian Museum, Italy

I was recently back in Turin to visit a friend of mine who was in Italy for a short visit. I hadn’t been back to Piedmont’s capital in years, not since I lived “in the neighborhood” of  (relatively) nearby Milan. Being back was a pleasant surprise, since the city has changed quite a bit from…

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Basque gravestones in southern France

As someone who loves history, I’ve always been drawn to old cemeteries when I visit places. I grew up outside of Boston, and always enjoyed visiting pilgrim cemeteries when I was a kid. In Europe, many of the church cemeteries are quite picturesque and interesting – and this was also true of the little towns…

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Summer holidays in France’s Basque country – and beyond

Although I (admittedly) suffer from acute Wanderlust and love travelling anywhere, my main travel weakness is my status as a complete Italophile. However, as a close second, I’m also a hopeless Francophile. These two countries actually have a lot in common, with their strong regional characters that make exploring the various regions a real treat,…

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Exploring Narni’s winding, medieval streets

This past summer, my track-and-field-addicted son attended a running camp in the Umbrian hill town of Narni – in central Italy. I’ve travelled a lot in Umbria, but it was my first time in this little village. Picking my son and dropping him off for his camp, I was quite envious he got to enjoy…

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At home in Guéthary, Pays Basque, France

Last week, I wrote a post about an enjoyable coastal hike we took on a family holiday to France’s Pays Basque. This week, I’ll write about the little coastal town that served as ‘home’ during our stay in France’s southwest region. Guéthary, a small town just a few kilometers south of Biarritz, made a perfect…

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Stretching my legs with a passeggiata in Sora, Italy

I’ve long been curious to visit the town of Sora, in Italy’s Lazio region and located in the province of Frosinone – just along the border with Abruzzo. Since it’s a little off the beaten trail from the surrounding areas I visit more often (including the wonderful Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo), I’ve never managed to get…

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Oslo’s National Museum of Art

On a visit to Oslo, there were three museums I wanted to visit, but I only had time for one. Therefore, the centrally-located National Museum of Art made the cut, and I have two more museums I need to see on my next trip! Oslo’s National Museum of Art is definitely worth the trip on…

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Bigger than Versailles – the Royal palace at Caserta

I’ve already written about exploring the amazing gardens of the Reggia di Caserta. It had been years I’d been ‘ meaning to visit’, so I was thrilled to finally make it to this royal palace in Italy’s southern Campagna region. After the impressive gardens – DO do do dedicate enough time for a proper wander…

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