“To travel is to live,” proclaimed Hans Christian Anderson. For two weeks my wife and I lived our dream of exploring Portugal’s towns, wine regions, historic spots and its popular island, Madeira. Like so many other travelers, we loved Portugal and want to go back. Here’s what we discovered: Overall Assessment: Portugal’s compact size lent…
Category: Europe
Searching for the Danube River’s best Christmas markets
As our ship glided slowly through Austria’s famed Wachau Valley, a silhouette of a Medieval town gradually emerged from the soft, white mist at a bend in the river. Near the tip of the peninsula a blue Gothic church spire rose high above a set of timeless, gray buildings; a thick fortress wall snaked up…
Hike of a lifetime in northwest Spain’s wild coast
Serendipity—an unexpected delight–is the word that comes to mind when describing the seven- day hike my wife and I recently did in the wild and undeveloped northwest coast of Galicia, Spain. Simply put, anyone who is adventurous, loves traveling to Europe and is fit enough to do 10-mile hikes should seriously consider doing this hike….
Slovenia has it all: beauty, affordability and safety
After hearing rave reviews about Slovenia, a small country that formerly comprised the northern portion of Yugoslavia, my wife and I decided to head there during our Europe trip last summer and see for ourselves if it could live up to its glowing, “must-see” reputation. Not only did it meet our expectations, but it exceeded…
Turkey: One of my favorite travel destinations
Notes on Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Antalya, and Canakkale/ Gallipoli/ Troy SUMMARY: Turkey is one of my favorite countries. Why? There are a wide range of attractive places to visit including ancient Roman ruins, cave cities, palaces, mosques, fortresses, old churches, famous battlefields, mountains and beaches The people are uncommonly nice and helpful It felt safe…