Albi, on the River Tarn in southwestern France, is famous for its well-preserved medieval and Renaissance buildings. Half-timbered houses and former mansions line the winding, cobble-stoned streets of Old Albi, reminders of the town’s rich heyday when merchants grew wealthy selling dyes and textiles. Albi is easy to explore on foot, and the Albi tourist […]
On December 15, 2008, several bombs were discovered hidden in a Parisian luxury department store. At this moment, it looks as though an Afghani extremist group placed them there. Fortunately, the bombs were found before they could do any damage. Other parts of Europe have problems with bombs too, but they often have nothing to […]
“Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays qui a deux cent quarante-six variétés de fromage?” “How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?” — Charles de Gaulle
There has been an up-tick in missing and damaged luggage lately, and although there is very little you can do to make sure an airline doesn’t lose or mis-route your luggage, there is something you can do beforehand and then once it occurs. Travel Insurance covers lost or damaged luggage and since airlines are less […]
My first glimpse of Rovinj was of a large, whitewashed church close to the old town; a weathered nun, oblivious to the staring tourists, swept the church courtyard in a quick 1-2-3 motion. In the pastel chaos that is Rovinj, this black and white picture of serenity was a lasting one.
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, on the coast of southwestern France, is a village steeped in legend, history, and tradition that lives on today. Gypsies (Gitanes) from all over Europe gather here every spring on a pilgrimage – the Pélerinage des Gitanes – to honor their saint, Sarah
The Greek island of Corfu is off of the west shore of Greece in the Ionian Sea and affords the dramatic seaside cliffs, white sand beaches, and pinnacles of rock that jut out of the water so steeply that nothing but birds dare ascend them. But that’s ok, they look better from a beach chair […]
Tiny Oulu, in northern Finland, might never have come to your attention, unless you happen to be an avid hiker and kayaker heading north on the west Finland coast. But a dedicated group of artists and pranksters have ensured that Oulu will make a disproportionate impact on the music and cultural world. First and foremost would […]
Hunedoara, Romania, is the location of an amazingly well-preserved Gothic castle that looks as if it dropped out of some fairytale. With a drawbridge, a moat, pointy towers, colonnades and gargoyles, all it lacks is a resident dragon. It seems fitting that it is located in the evocative region of Romania known as Transylvania. Hunedoara […]
A sunny spring day in Amsterdam is as good as it gets. Sunlight sparkles on the canals, cafes set up outdoor tables, flower stalls bloom with color. I could spend weeks strolling this picturesque city in the Netherlands, dodging bicyclists and admiring the architecture, but with only a few days to explore, John and I […]