Posts Tagged ‘Europe’
Reason #5361 to love Rome: Nativity scenes
Buon Natale! Merry Christmas! Those of you visiting the Eternal City during the Christmas season will be certain to notice the Christmas trees that now grace the city. Christmas trees are a relatively recent import – a northern European tradition. To get a real flavor of Italian Christmas traditions, visitors in should visit the many Roman churches…
Read MoreThe Christmas market in Nice, France
Although beautiful Nice, with its wide stretch of beach and lovely blue Mediterranean waters, attracts flocks of tourists in the summertime, this pretty city also makes an ideal winter get-away destination. Enjoy Nice without the crowds as it prepares for the Christmas season with its annual holiday market, set up on Place Massena, just at the edge…
Read MoreThe Café de Turin in Nice, France
Nice is a wonderful city for visitors to southern France, offering beautiful architecture, art and an ideal position along the turquoise waters of the Riviera. Nice is also – not surprisingly – a wonderful place to enjoy seafood. The Café de Turin has been famous for serving up seafood to visitors and residents alike since…
Read MoreReason #5360 to love Rome: SS Giovanni e Paolo and the Ancient Roman houses
Even after years of living here, I’m still in love with Rome. I love walking around and seeing all the layers of its long history. Although most visitors concentrate on Rome’s Ancient, Renaissance and Baroque splendors, medieval Rome is also fascinating to explore. One of my favorite corners of Rome starts at the tiny, cobblestoned street of Via…
Read MoreReason #5359 to love Rome: Sports Day
Okay, Sports Day (Giornata dello sport, in Italian) is held every year in Rome and it’s just so much fun. If you’re passing through Italy’s capital in October – and especially if you have kids in tow – you must stop by to enjoy this event. It’s usually held the third Sunday of October in…
Read MoreShopping at Nice’s outdoor market at Cours Saleya
Part of the pleasure – and there are many – of travelling in France is a visit to the local outdoor markets. This colourful market square sits at the edge of Nice’s vieille ville (old town) and definitely merits a visit during your visit to this lovely city on the French Riviera. The market at the…
Read MoreLake Skadar – the Balkans’ largest lake
The Montenegrin Skadarsko jezero goes by many names: Skadar (from the Montenegrin), Shkodër (from the Albanian) and Scutari (from the time when it was an Italian protectorate). It’s the largest lake in the Balkans – part of the lake is in Montenegro and part in neighboring Albania. The lake itself is well known for its…
Read MoreSpectacular views from Èze, France
Just a short distance from Nice, after a dramatic and spectacular drive along the Moyenne Corniche road that alone make the trip worthwhile, lies the charming medieval town of Èze. At 470 metres above sea level, Èze – frequently referred to as the eagle’s nest – is a picture-perfect village perché (perched village), with breathtaking…
Read MoreSleep in a cave in Matera, Italy
If you read my blog, you’ll know I’ve raved about the Women’s Fiction Festival held each September in Matera, in Italy’s southern region of Basilicata. But I haven’t actually posted a travel piece about the town, which is well worth a visit. Since I am on my way to the annual conference later this week,…
Read MoreA layover in Belgrade, Serbia
Returning from a trip this past spring to beautiful Sarajevo, Bosnia, I had a ten-hour layover in Serbia’s capital. Having seen it on a short stop-over on the way over, I quickly realized that the Serbian airport really did not merit ten hours of my time on the return, so I was more happy to…
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