Germans sure know how to throw a party. Fun festivals with oom-pah bands, beer, wine, sausages plus all sorts of tasty edibles — and plenty of gemütlichkeit. There really is no accurate translation for this word which describes the jolly ambience and lively spirit that is the essence of these … Read more
It’s no longer a secret: Germany is one of the great culinary destinations in Europe. Forget its old reputation for stodgy meat-and-potatoes fare. In Germany today you can eat very well indeed, from traditional regional dishes to the latest modern cuisine. This year German restaurants racked up a total of … Read more
In the 1985 film The Trip to Bountiful, an old woman longs to return to her childhood home, a small Texas town called Bountiful. Unbeknownst to her, her memory of the place would be all that is left when she gets there, the town having been devastated by the Great … Read more
“Is this real life?” Gina, my companion wondered aloud. “Or is it fantasy?” I chimed in reply. We were standing, gobsmacked, in the courtyard between our rooms of the Riad Maison Bleue hotel. The equivalent of a manor, “riad” means “garden” in Arabic, and allusions to an oasis aren’t that … Read more
If you’re anything like me, then you think that a vacation is a chance to spoil yourself with extravagant comforts and amenities. Why shouldn’t you feel like royalty in your home away from home? Our friends at The Luxury Travel Bible have curated a list of the most luxurious new … Read more
The Portes du Soleil ski region with slopes in both France and Switzerland is what European skiing is all about. It claims to be the largest ski area in the world with 194 lifts on 13 different resorts in the two countries. Ski from mountain village to mountain village, resort … Read more
In the fourth and last installment of our Hot Destinations series, we’ve scoured the global map and chose singular places on different continents that stand out and have resonance. If you’re Europe bound you’ll appreciate our two suggestions, if only to savor a great glass of Alsatian wine or awesome … Read more
The marks recording the young boy’s height etched on the walls of the medieval chateau stopped at 1 meter 52 (4 feet 9 inches). The famous post-impressionist painter, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, had spent summers in the chateau as a child and at age 14, after two falls resulting in broken … Read more
A smörgåsbord is a type of Scandinavian meal with a wide variety of hot and cold dishes served buffet style. What could be better than to accompany it with a cruise on the Baltic Sea to a smörgåsbord of Scandinavian islands? We recently did just that on Celebrity Cruise’s Constellation … Read more
Luxury means something different to everyone especially when it comes to travel. From hotels to restaurants, all climates, countries, and cities have indulgent spots that might be described with that adjective. At TravelSquire we scoped out two entirely different destinations that display the yin and yang as well as the … Read more
J’adore shopping in Paris. The selections can make one drool and the salespeople make you feel so feminine and sexy with their suggestions, “Oh, this would look great on you, but this over here … très chic, irresistible!” My usual response? “I’ll take two!” But the hustle bustle of shopping … Read more
Known as “La France profond,” (profound France), the Auvergne in central France, the country’s least populated region, may not rank high on the typical tourist’s itinerary. But for anyone who wants to discover the “real” France with tiny, picturesque villages, magnificent Romanesque churches, interesting towns, more than 300 kinds of … Read more
Can one tire of chateaus? That’s the question you ask yourself as you crisscross the Loire Valley, stopping to gawk at the legendary domiciles of French kings and the aristocracy. Invariably though, at the end of the day, most visitors to the region retire to (you guessed it) a chateau. … Read more
For many years my husband and I lived in the Stuttgart area of Germany – less than two hours from the French border and Alsace. Whenever we had the chance, we’d hop in the car and head in that direction—for a day, a weekend, or even longer. We loved the … Read more
The TSA agent looks at my passport and back at me with a skeptical look. “You’re traveling to Tahiti by yourself?” I nod, indicating yes. While French Polynesia is often synonymous with “honeymoon” and “romantic getaway,” I want to see what it has to offer the solo traveler. I figure … Read more