When you think of Christmas Markets the first place that comes to mind are the traditional ones located in Europe – specifically in Germany and Austria, where old cobbled streets decorated with stringed lights house wooden chalet stalls that sell everything festive.
Strasbourg, France
Located in the Rhine Valley, Strasbourg is a sprawling metropolitan city. It has a mix of French and German cultures because of its proximity to the German border. Here you will …
Amsterdam is the greatest small city in the world. It overflows with character, 17th century merchant houses and distinctive canals who themselves are listed as a World Heritage.
It’s impossible to escape the city’s history, like that of the quietly elegant De L’Europe, built in the 1800s on the banks of the Amstel River in the heart of Amsterdam’s canal area. Owned by Heineken International, who recently gave it a $83-million facelift, De L’Europe is …
Almost everyone agrees: some very tasty wine comes from Spain. As a Barcelona resident with “localvore” tendencies, I mostly buy bottles from nearby Emporda, Priorat and Penedès. Of the three, Penedès is the most established and also closest to the city, making it an effortless option for a wine-tasting day-trip.
When locals think Penedès, they think “cava.” Cava, if you haven’t been lucky enough to sip it yet, is like champagne but from Catalonia. It’s …
Wales is a place that’s impossible to dislike. Tucked away on the west side of Britain, Wales marches to the beat of its own drum — one packed with Celtic lore, friendly faces and a unique identity all its own. The people of Wales — wry, welcoming and incessantly warm — are perhaps the country’s strongest selling point. But behind these warmhearted souls is a land full of charm, history and culinary delights. Animal lovers …
Those of you who lived through the 1970s or who have rock-n-roll hearts like I do will know the tune. It’s Iceland’s soundtrack, and it kept playing in my head as I explored the island country’s extreme landscape:
“We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and …
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Milwaukee plays host to the world’s largest festival. From late June to early July each year, Summerfest takes over a 75-acre festival park with over 700 entertainers on 11 stages over an 11 day period. Last year despite a record setting heat wave, Summerfest attracted over 800,000 people participating in one or more days of the festival.
Along with some regional musical acts, this festival also attracts …
“What do you think of Colombia?” my husband asked. Colombia? We were searching for a way to get to South America from the States, and round-trip flights to the most popular destinations — Argentina, Peru, Chile — were surprisingly expensive. Colombia, on the other hand, was half the cost of those routes, and schedules typically involve a stop in Miami before heading to Bogota, an easy three-and-a-half-hour flight. “Sure!” I quickly agreed.
We spent one …
Images of the legendary train conjure up puffy clouds of steam being blown into the air as the locomotive chugs across the English countryside. For others, it brings to mind
a certain book penned by Agatha Christie called “Murder on the Orient Express.” Nevertheless, this fabled luxury train is real and still operates on the rail tracks of England. The actual Orient Express is steeped in history having made its inaugural trip in 1883 …
If you’re tired of being clobbered by hotel bills, find traveling alone has lost its allure, or you long to see a city through the eyes of a local, it’s time to go CouchSurfing.
That’s the amazing international initiative where people open up their homes to travelers and show them around the local sights. Although a free bed is certainly a huge attraction, it’s not just a scheme for cheapskates. It’s also the best way …
Liverpool, a city with a glorious history as a mercantile hub and gateway to the New World, is today a key destination for art lovers, fans of the theatre and museum-goers. The very name of the city invokes images of a magnificent nautical history, two of the Premiership’s biggest football teams and two majestic Cathedrals. Yet relatively few visitors, other than Beatles devotees, put Liverpool on their vacation itineraries. Liverpool has always been a big …
You cannot say you’ve been in the Philippines unless you have tried at least one of these 10 most exotic foods served across the country. Some of them are served quite obviously. You can tell by the look of it if it’s a dish you’ve already tried, are willing to try, or you won’t ever dare to. Others, though, look like a regular dish, such as those cooked in “adobo” style — a very prominent …
In a tranquil Belgian town, some 75km south-east of Brussels, set in a landscape of quilted willow green and sage and threaded with a broad aquamarine coloured river, lies historic Dinant, famed for being the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. Dinant is a pretty little town slung along the river Meuse beneath craggy green cliffs in the centre of the Meuse Valley, about 30km south of Namur – a handy base …
If you want to explore an old city European town with a youthful vibe without bumping into one too many collegiate themed party scenarios, consider booking a fall trip to Ghent. Become infused with the energy of 32,000 students returning to the Ghent University, as the city gears up to welcome international musicians and other artists for its fall festival season.
If possible, try to catch the Festival of Flanders which celebrates its 55th…
Where’s all the hype? Where are all the people? Where’s the best-selling expat memoir called ‘My Rioja Year’ or ‘A Casa in Rioja’? While La Rioja’s wines are acclaimed around the Iberian Peninsula and internationally, there isn’t much shaking in La Rioja, the region. This was brought to my attention by two sun-kissed Swedes who I was tasting with at the extravagant bodega Eguren Ugarte in Páganos, just a couple miles from Laguardia. Páganos is …
