Posts Tagged ‘Europe’
5000-year-old modernity at the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens
It was a rainy Monday morning in Athens on a recent visit there, and my family and I decided it would be a good time to dry off and explore a museum a Greek colleague had suggested to me – The Museum of Cycladic Art. The museum is located in the upscale residential neighborhood of…
Read MoreThe splendors of Naples’ renovated San Carlo Opera
I’ve always been curious to see Naples’ Teatro San Carlo – the oldest continuously active public opera in the world. On a recent visit to Naples, I went on a guided tour to see the recent renovations that restored this historic opera house to its former splendor. San Carlo Opera was commissioned by the Bourbon…
Read MoreHighlights of medieval Albi, France
We truly enjoyed our visit to beautiful Albi last year. This medieval town, 77 kilometers northeast of Toulouse, is well worth a visit on your trip to southern France. There are two highlights to the town – the thirteenth century St. Cécile – the largest brick cathedral in the world. This imposing fortress was built to symbolize the…
Read MoreReason #5378 to love Rome: “The Art of Bread” at Rome’s Panella bakery
Romans have loved their bread for the past 2000 years. The famous “Panis et circenses” (bread and circuses) poked fun at how easily the Emperors could maintain their power over the masses in Ancient Rome. Although the circuses (gladiatorial battles, pageantry and ancient circus performances) may have been replaced today – some would claim by…
Read MoreStrolling La rambla in Barcelona
If you’re visiting Barcelona, chances are you’ll be strolling down La rambla at least once during your stay. This busy, tree-lined, central thoroughway leading to the sea is filled with all day and late into the night. The name comes from the Arabic word ramla, meaning the dried-up river bed. In the 13th century, a…
Read MoreExploring HafenCity and the Hamburg Dungeon
Last week I wrote about getting a sense of what life was like for a turn of the 20th century sailor by visiting Hamburg’s Rickmer Rickmers. If you’re exploring the northern German city of Hamburg, it makes sense to also explore the ‘new’ district nearby – HafenCity. Construction on this so-called ‘city within a city’…
Read MoreAdmire Hamburg’s Harbor from aboard the Rickmer Rickmers
On a visit to the northern German city of Hamburg, a great way to admire the Hamburg port – one of the world’s largest – is to climb aboard the 19th century sailing ship, the Rickmer Rickmers. The Rickmer Rickmers was built in Bremen, in 1896. The three-masted sailing ship is 97 meters (318 feet)…
Read MoreAdmiring Skopje’s Ottoman bridge
I love Ottoman architecture in general, but I especially enjoy admiring Ottoman bridges. Maybe I’m even somewhat of an Ottoman Bridge groupie. I’ve already written about the Ottoman bridge, Stari most, in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina and even wrote a short story where it plays a small role. I’ve written about the Ottoman Goat Bridge and the Princip Bridge,…
Read More2019 European Culture capitals – Matera and Plovdiv
Two European cities or towns are selected by the European Commission each year to serve as European culture capitals. Two cities I’ve visited and enjoyed have just been named as 2019’s culture capitals. The first is the beautiful Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, the first ever European culture capital in Bulgaria. I already posted about this…
Read MoreReason #5377 to love Rome: Rome wasn’t (re)built in a day…
I’ve lived in Rome for the past (gulp!) fifteen years. Not surprisingly, as soon as I landed here, I insisted on living near the Colosseum. We Americans are always fascinated by European history. We grew up going on tours where we’re told something is ‘really old’ if it was built 100 years ago, so imagine…
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