Mountain biking & fall foliage in Abruzzo

I often find myself missing home when the autumn months roll around. As much as I love Rome, there is no transition between the seasons in the Eternal City, no colorful fall foliage. This is why I enjoy visiting nearby Abruzzo during these months, to enjoy the sights, smells and climate of the autumns I miss.…

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Etruscan Tuscany in Chiusi

On a trip to Tuscany this past summer, I decided to make a stop in a city I’ve always seen from the highway but have never managed to visit. The area is known for its Etruscan civilization. The ancient city of Clusium, or Clevsim in Etruscan, was one of the most powerful cities in the…

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Tennis & more in Abruzzo’s Campo di Giove

My oldest son went to tennis camp in Campo di Giove during the summer, and he loved playing tennis in the cooler mountain air and enjoying walks around the little town of Campo di Giove. Campo di Giove is a small mountain town in the Abruzzo region, with just over 800 inhabitants. It is situated…

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Swimming in the Badesee in Bad Gastein, Austria

I’ve already spoken about how much I love it in the Gasteiner Valley of Austria’s Salzburg region. I stayed her many years ago as a child and then visited recently with my own family and fell in love with it all over again. It’s a great place to go for outdoor activities in the fresh,…

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Mountain biking in Abruzzo

The region of Abruzzo has become my favored retreat from the hectic pace of city life in Rome. This mountainous region just east of Rome has plenty of fresh air and pretty countryside. One of the things I love doing when I am out here is mountain biking with my family. My children and I…

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Hamburg’s Rathaus

On a visit to Hamburg, Germany you certainly can’t miss the ornate Rathaus (Town Hall), the Neo-Renaissance palace constructed 1886-1897. Its tower stands 112 meters high and the building dominates the entire square, a collection of architectural excess, statues, and spires. Among the statues are twenty German Emperors. Today it serves as the seat of…

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Hamburg’s Kunsthalle

When you’re in Hamburg, Germany, there is lots to do. One of the visits you probably want to make is to visit the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Hamburg Art Museum. It first opened to the public back in 1869. You can read about opening days and times, its collection and exhibitions here at its website. Since…

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