France is Europe’s most diverse, tasty, and exciting country to explore. It’s a cultural bouillabaisse that surprises travelers with its varied, complex flavors.
Dark Sunglasses: You may want to pick up a pair of especially dark glasses (to be more discreet when appreciating the beautiful people of Aix-en-Provence).
St. Galgano was a 12th-century saint who renounced his past as a knight to become a hermit. Lacking a cross to display, he created his own by miraculously burying his sword up to its hilt in a stone,...
Gaeltacht region. You can easily spend three fun nights here. In comparison, Kenmare (the best base for the Ring of Kerry loop) is pleasant but forgettable. Those spending a night on the west end of t...
The Fountain of Joy still reminds locals that life in Siena is good.
A typical local eats over 60 pounds of cheese a year (mostly feta)—the highest per capita cheese consumption in the world.
In a café, order something, then ask the waiter for the Wi-Fi (wee-fee) password (mot de passe; moh duh pahs).
I asked my new friend, Were you born here? He thought about it, paused, and then said, No, ’twas ’bout five miles down the road. Later, I asked him, Have you lived here all your life? He winked and sa...
For example, new EU member Poland survived the communist era without collectivizing its small family farms. But now that they’ve joined the EU, collectivization is mandatory.
To cap off your Trastevere stroll with one more sight, consider visiting Villa Farnesina, a Renaissance villa decorated by Raphael . To get there, face the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere and leav...
Globetrotting destroys ethnocentricity, helping us understand and appreciate other cultures. Rather than fear the diversity on this planet, celebrate it. Among your most prized souvenirs will be the s...
Vienna’s population has dropped to 1.8 million, with dogs being the preferred child and the average Austrian woman having only 1.4 children.
The island itself was once the site of a temple dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine. Ancient Romans who were ill spent the night here and left little statues of their healed body parts (feet,...
Kleyweg’s Stads Koffyhuis is a local institution that’s won prizes for its sandwiches (see the trophies above the counter). This is a great spot for an affordable bite, either in the country-cozy inte...
Travelers recognize that the results of an election here in the US can have a greater impact on poor people half a world away than it does on middle-class American voters. My travels have taught me th...
Tour the castle (open from 9:30). Then consider catching one of the city bus tours for a one-hour loop (departing from a block below the castle at the Hub/Tolbooth Church; you could munch a sandwich f...
To say that Siena and Florence have always been competitive is an understatement. In medieval times, a statue of Venus stood on Il Campo. After the plague hit Siena, the monks blamed the pagan statue....