File under “One more thing your travel advisor will be telling you about next time you visit the UK.”
Beginning January 8, travelers to the United Kingdom from non-European nations, including the United States and Canada, will need to take an extra step as the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system rolls out.
Whether just passing through a UK airport or planning a stay of six months or less—for tourism, family visits, business meetings, …
Think of it this way…Endless charming towns, historic landmarks and the beauty of Europe’s waterways rolling by as you sip wine on a sunny deck. That’s what I knew I was signing up for when I was invited on a 15-day cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest with Avalon Waterways. But many people who haven’t river cruised before often wonder about the perfect itinerary length. Is two weeks too long?
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Dartmoor National Park in Devon, England, hosts a mystical and otherworldly forest. Wistman’s Wood, one of Britain’s highest-altitude oak woodlands, is what remains of the ancient wildwood that once covered much of Dartmoor’s landscape thousands of years ago. The woodland occupies a steep-sided valley near Two Bridges, situated at an elevation of approximately 380-410 meters above sea level. The name “Wistman’s” is believed to derive from the Saxon word “wisht,” meaning eerie, uncanny, or haunted …
Perched dramatically on a mountainside in Italy’s Liguria region, the medieval village of Triora, known as the “Salem of Italy,” has embraced a haunting history of dramatic, infamous witch trials. The town’s strategic position at 780 meters above sea level made it a crucial defensive outpost during medieval times. The village’s name derives from “Tria Ora,” meaning three mouths, referring to the three gates that once protected this fortress town. Its robust walls and commanding …
Hidden in the forests of Romania’s Bucovina region, just two kilometers from the famous Putna Monastery, lies a rather remarkable home built by an Orthodox Christian Monk – the hermitage cave of Daniel the Hesychast (Daniil Sihastru). This sanctuary, Daniel the Hesychast carved from a massive rock formation with 15th-century tools and his bare hands, and in doing so, became one of Romania’s most venerated spiritual figures.
Daniel the Hesychast (1400-1482) was a Romanian Orthodox …
The former home and setting of two novels by Jane Austen, Bath has been a sought-after location for centuries. A spa resort set up by the Romans in 43 AD, it sits just south of the Cotswolds in England. Here, the architecture is charming and delicate all at once. Everywhere the traveler looks are examples of a culture-rich city – while having spas and thermal baths readily available is an undeniable plus.
The Romans used …
Southwest England has some of the most iconic shores in the United Kingdom and nearby coastal countries. The craggy coasts are mystical, with rocky cliffs often obscured by fog. This area juts from the mainland into the Lizard Peninsula, where the ceremonial county of Cornwall sits. Recognized as one of the Celtic areas of the UK, Cornwall has kept a distinct identity from the lands next door for the traveler to discover. With prehistoric and …
Since 2015, I have hosted nearly a dozen trips on hotel barges. These are narrow, custom-built vessels that putter along the French canals generally for six nights/seven days. Because the barges are confined to dimensions that will allow the transit of multiple locks, many measuring less than 20 feet wide, staterooms are smallish but adequate…
Heading out to see autumn’s arrival on the landscape is not a popular pastime in Catalonia, Spain, despite the fact that there is plenty to see on the trees come November. During the fall, seasonal tourism has more to do with searching out delectable mushrooms in northern forests and hunting than admiring the way the leaves turn. Low season in northern Catalonia, autumn is an ideal time to find a deal on hotels, avoid crowds, …
1. Secure bib.
2. Strip off charred skin revealing white meat.
3.Dunk generously in romesco sauce.
4. Tilt head back and bite sweet onion in half.
5. Savor.
6. Repeat 19 more times.
These are the basic steps to eating calçots, a seasonal Catalan food that is something between a sweet onion and a leek. Millions of these toothsome winter treats are served sizzling off the barbecue from January to April in Catalonia, Spain.…
Situated at the very heart of Western Europe is a small country named Luxembourg, which is 80km long and 68km wide.
Luxembourg City, the Grand Duchy’s capital, founded in 963, has maintained an atmosphere of contemplative tranquillity, and at its historic core (declared a World Heritage), it reveals a blend of contrasting styles of architecture developed over the past five centuries.
The phrase ‘Dynamite comes in small packages’ is rather fitting in this instance as …
The charming little village of Grindelwald offers a close-up view of life in the Alps. We were invited on a tour to visit a dairy farm to experience how cheese was made. I am a city gal and have never visited a farm before. Most everyone has seen pictures of the dairy farms in the United States, but this was very different. Grindelwald Mountain Cheese is prepared the traditional way, a ritual as the farmers …
Initially constructed in 1145 and later reconstructed over a span of 26 years following a fire in 1194, Chartres Cathedral stands as a pinnacle of French Gothic artistry. Situated in the Centre-Val-de-Loire region, Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral represents one of the most genuine and comprehensive specimens of early 13th-century religious architecture.
Chartres Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the world. …
Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy has long been known as the official church of the powerful Medici family. A discovery in 1975, however, shed new light on the church’s history and its connection to one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance, Michelangelo Buonarroti. A small, unassuming room tucked away in the basilica, is now thought to have been Michelangelo’s secret hideaway during his tumultuous relationship with the Medici family.
A team of …
