A Paris Break
After my recent post about Paris, I received a few requests from readers for tips in navigating the City of Lights from a shopping perspective of a newbie. So when I had a free day to pop into the city for its annual winter sales (unlike the US when sales abound year...
Ponte Vecchio
It’s no surprise that any trip through Florence will eventually lead you to the famed Ponte Vecchio (old bridge). This bridge was first mentioned during Roman times and spans the Arno river at its narrowest point. It has survived a few floods and story has it...
A Walk Through History
When I walk through Florence it is easy to imagine how life must have once flourished here back during the Renaissance. So much richness in all facets, from arts to literature to trades to politics to banking; you name it, they killed it. Traces of cultural wealth are...
Orsanmichele
I’m one of those annoying people who want to ring on every doorbell just to see what’s behind that door. This is particularly true when you travel with me through a city like Florence. I want to explore every nook and cranny, climb every decrepit stairwell...
Happy Holidays From Firenze!
This year’s Christmas post is from Florence, Italy, one of my favorite places in the world. The first time I came through here, I was blown away to finally see everything I had studied for four years in college about Italian art history. Brunelleschi, Ghiberti,...
Berghotel Kockelsberg
I get a lot of mail from readers about the hotels I visit on my travel. I can’t say I have any real hard rule to follow, especially if the destination is in the middle of nowhere, with the exception of “no B&Bs”…until I stumbled into the...
Trier, Part Two
Today’s post for Trier, Part Two, is really a tribute to this photogenic city. Walking around its cobble-stoned streets I have the impression of entering the pages of Grimms’ Fairy Tales, but without the violence or gruesomeness… Trierer Dom is the...
Trier, Part One
Trier is one of the oldest cities in Germany, possibly founded before 16 BC. It is a lovely town in the Rhineland-Palatinate and Mosel wine region, population of around 100,000. One of its most celebrated landmarks is the UNESCO World Heritage Site Porta Nigra (Latin...
Düsseldorf, Part Three
I don’t know what to say about that photo, except than it’s some kind of carbs paradise! I could happily stay there for hours tasting each bread in the window… then the cookies: And the best way to work off all that dough is to spend more dough up...
Düsseldorf, Part Two
Düsseldorf, Part Two is all about the gorgeous modern architecture that peppers the city’s skyline. And if you are a fan of American architect Frank O. Gehry, you would have a field day here like I did. The Neuer Zollhof is a complex, at Düsseldorf-Hafen...