I couldn’t suppress a grin when I noticed St George fighting a dragon smaller than the saint’s horse on the façade of Basel’s Minster. “Why is the dragon so tiny?” I asked my guide. “We just don’t have a lot of evil in the city,” she replied. I wasn’t quite … Read more
What is it about getting in a car and driving, driving, driving? It’s therapy for today’s intrepid travelers who would rather line up at the gas pump than at the TSA checkpoint. And for all our autumnal dreamers there’s a foliage filled land out there just waiting for you now. … Read more
History has a funny way of weaving its way in and out of our lives. Some of us are lured to it, others perplexed as to how to reconcile the past with our high tech lives we maintain. Even if you could care less about the Louisiana Purchase and the … Read more
Croatia proves that cartographers have a sense of humor. Boomeranging up the Adriatic Sea into the Balkan Peninsula, the chevron-shaped nation, long a part of this empire or that coalesced out of the disintegration of Yugoslavia, and it did not prevail without a monumental fight. But good things are worth … Read more
When the topic of Prague comes up, (and even by travel writer standards, it comes up relatively often for me, having spent four months studying abroad there) someone will inevitably make the comment that being in Prague is like walking through a quaint medieval town that’s right out of a … Read more
When the travel bug bites it can sometimes infect us with an urge to connect with history, visiting sites that are the cornerstones of civilization and exhibit human ingenuity throughout the ages. It’s no surprise that many historic places make travelers’ bucket lists, although fighting the crowds to appreciate them … Read more
In July 1863, over 170,000 soldiers converged on the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in a battle that changed both the course of the Civil War and ultimately the nation. Every kid in America studied the Battle of Gettysburg in history class and memorized at least a part of President … Read more
As I walk the streets of Trondheim, Norway’s third largest city, it doesn’t seem so “large.” Like many places in Norway, there’s an intimacy to the city with pockets of small town charm. And of course, there are those omnipresent tales of Vikings and kings, of battles and bold heroics … Read more
“The Norwegians sure take their sun seriously, don’t they?” said Pop after he saw that we were fellow Americans touring Norway. We’d just zoomed past a few townspeople sunbathing in their backyards and a guy mowing his lawn shirtless. It was a hot, sunny day in Alesund, a popular fjord … Read more
Marseille? Who would want to visit this city? Crime, drugs, violence, the Mafia – the city’s reputation has been shrouded by for years. The 1970’s movie, The French Connection, focusing on the city’s thriving drug trade, didn’t help. But, much of the drug trade has moved on to Eastern Europe. … Read more
Most of us know little about the prohibition era except that it took place in the twenties, bootleggers made gin in bathtubs and people went to a speakeasy to drink and party. Now that that’s all very far behind us, why the fascination with it? Well, for one thing, 2013 … Read more
It’s been over 150 years since the King of Norway entered a proclamation declaring, “From 1854 onward a yearly market shall be held in Røros, commencing the second to last Tuesday in the month of February, and lasting until the following Friday. When the King speaks, Norwegians listen. In February … Read more
Colorful wooden buildings dot the wharf area of Bergen, scrunched up one against the other like brightly colored Monopoly pieces. Some of the gabled buildings are slightly tilted, but it only adds to the charm of this UNESCO World Heritage city. Centuries ago, this wharf area, called Bryggen – meaning … Read more
People travel for all sorts of experiences, some of them recently giving rise to new classifications like “voluntourism” (volunteering for a cause or organization) and “architravel” (traveling to study the architecture in a destination). But, until now, no organization has thought to trademark a classification. After noticing a growing number … Read more
When I lived in West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall, cities across the border in the Communist East Bloc seemed a world away. Any travel to East Germany was especially restricted, and the red tape required for visiting wasn’t worth the hassle. But all that has changed, … Read more