Our Grand Tour ends in Florence, the gateway to Tuscany with its picturesque hill towns surrounded by endless wineries and sun-drenched countryside. The Tuscan hill country is a worthy option for those looking to extend their stays and do some further exploring. The following post from bloggers Beth & Randy is guaranteed to leave you hungry […]
Traveling in Europe requires a bit of a learning curve. Picture yourself in a new city standing on a street corner, map outstretched before you while your traveling companion tries to cross-reference your location with your trusty guide book. In less than an hour, your train leaves from the station across town—but you’re still […]
Visiting Europe is a kind of historical re-awakening – a way of linking to our collective past. Walking down a centuries old cobblestone road, walking between centuries old buildings, I get the feeling that in some way, the past is alive in these places. With the correct historical context, or a guide who can provide it, you […]
Humans are drawn to water. There is a universal appeal to the beauty of a waterfall, a small stream, a crystal clear lagoon. Just look at house prices – the closer you are to a coastline or a lake, the more expensive the property. When I share pictures from travels in Europe, I can prove […]
Upon return from one of my trips to Europe in 2012, a neighbour asked me, “So what do you do when you’re over there? I mean, you don’t even have a tan.” I actually did have some colour from hiking under the warm Italian sun in the Dolomites and along the Mediterranean coast. And I […]
1. Vánoční Rybí Polévka (Czech Christmas Fish Soup) – Czech RepublicHarking back to a simpler time when meat was a luxury to most Europeans, the tradition of eating carp (a freshwater fish) for a treat at Christmas has remained strong in the Czech republic. None of the fish was wasted – most recipes for this […]
Nobody does Christmas like the Germans, and for good reason. All over German speaking Europe, but especially in Bavaria, the tradition of the Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market) goes back 700 years. In town squares throughout Germany right now, local craftsmen and merchants are setting up Christmas markets as they have done since the Middle Ages. –> […]
Italy is defined by its regions. Just as you would expect the culture and cuisine of Mississippi to be different from that of Maine, you should expect that the culture and cuisine of Tuscany is different from that of Lazio or Liguria. A smart traveller doesn’t go through Italy ordering Fettuccini Alfredo everywhere (or […]
Verdun. For a past generation, this one simple word evoked all the horror of war. Displacement, destruction, devastation, death. Hyperbole is not even possible when describing the events of the Battle of Verdun. Verdun is a town that found itself on the eastern frontier of France in 1914 – right on the border with Germany. […]
–> As frustrating and at times exacerbating as election campaigns can be, they are an intrinsic part of the freedom that is the core of our civilization. The right to take part in choosing your leader has not always been a right – through most of human history it was either non-existent or the “privilege” […]