Posts Tagged ‘Europe’
Coffee and people-watching in Prague’s Obecní dům cafe
I moved to Prague right after graduating from university – ions ago. I used to work as a journalist and between interviews and my shifts at the radio and television stations where I worked, I used to come to this fabulous cafe and write up my stories, slowly nursing a coffee and admiring the faded splendor…
Read MoreArt deco (Jugendstil) architecture in Bad Gastein, Austria
I used to live in Vienna and neighboring Prague, and this is an architectural style I adore. Jugenstil, art deco, art nouveau, Secessionsstil — it goes by many names. The Alpine spa town and watering hole of Bad Gastein, in Austria’s Salzburg province has some fine examples. I’ve already written about the historic Hotel de…
Read MoreMountain 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.…
Read MoreThe historic Hotel De l’Europe Gastein, Bad Gastein, Austria
The art nouveau architecture of the former Grand Hotel de l’Europe in Bad Gastein, an Alpine town in Salzburg province of Austria, hints at its former glory. The grand hotel was built between 1906 and 1909 and once hosted kings, kaisers, heads of state and celebrities who came to this Alpine town for its gorgeous…
Read MoreHollywood on the Lusatian Neisse River: Görlitz, Germany/Zgorzelec, Poland
During a stay in Prague, Czech Republic, we decided to make a day trip to an interesting town partially in Germany, partially in Poland. This architectural gem is called Görlitz in German and Zgorzelec in Polish. You can see the tourist information site here. It may be familiar to many who haven’t yet visited because it is a…
Read MoreEtruscan 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…
Read MoreTennis & 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…
Read MoreSwimming 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,…
Read MoreMountain 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…
Read MoreStocking up on traditional bread and pork in Genzano, Italy
My youngest son is a sprinter, and I spend lots of time on weekends dragging him around to races in various towns across the region of Lazio. This year, we had lots of races in the pretty area of ‘Castelli romani’, an area in the foothills south of Rome. After my son’s races, we would…
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