Enjoying the season at the Weihnachtstmarkt in Berlin

Earlier this month I was in Berlin for a weekend with my family. Berlin has become somewhat a city of family lore because some years ago, we missed a flight to Berlin for a similar weekend, albeit in springtime. When I booked those tickets, the airline was scheduled to fly from one Roman airport, and…

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Exploring the gold and spice souks in the Dubai

There’s not much of an ‘historic center’ in the über-modern city of the Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. Still, there are a few winding streets that date back to the city’s days as a sleepy fishing village not so very long ago. So on your visit, when you tire of shopping malls and high-end boutiques,…

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Not just mustard in Dijon, France

Okay, perhaps Dijon’s biggest name recognition comes form those jars of tasty, spicy mustard, but there are lots more reasons to go to this charming city, southeast of Paris, in France’s Bourgogne region. A few summers ago, we stopped off at Dijon as we were driving to our holiday in Brittany. Needless to say, we…

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Shopping in Les Halles market, Toulouse

One of the (many) pleasures of traveling in France is wandering the stalls at the local markets. I’ve already written about some of my favorite markets in France – in the stunning mountain town of Annecy and the Cours Saleya market  of the Riviera coastal city of Nice. If you’re travelling in France, always make time…

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