If the thought of a beautiful bag, a decadent pair of heels, or the luxurious feel of the fabric of a finely crafted suit make you swoon, then an afternoon on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris may be your definition of heaven.
The  Champs-Élysées is not only one of the most recognized street names in [...]

The imposing cylindrical Castel Sant’Angelo, situated along the Tiber River in Rome, was built between 123 and 129 AD.  It was first known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, serving as the resting grounds for the ashes of the Roman emperor.  Ashes of Hadrian’s family, as well as subsequent emperors, joined him there.
The tomb was ransacked [...]

The Coliseum in Rome is the largest remaining monument of Imperial Rome, and is the top landmark in a city that’s full of landmarks.
Built between AD 72-80, the Coliseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater and was the center of the city of Rome.  It was the first and the largest (it covers about six [...]

Bordeaux is city in the southwest part of France and boasts a million residents and probably just as many great bottles of wine.  Bordeaux is one of the world’s major wine producers, dating back to the 8th century, and although the historic part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I think of [...]

Ttoday’s post harkens back to my summer vacation in Italy.
Lake Maggiore, with its low key atmosphere, has an extensive network of ferry service around and across the lake.  In fact, ferries have landing stages in nearly every town along the lake, making it quite easy to get most places by boat.  In addition to the [...]

During the holiday season it seems like I watch lots of movies.  Whether it’s catching up on television, renting videos, or indulging in pay-per-view, it’s an enjoyable way to spend some lazy winter days.  Assuming you like the movie, of course.
I like a variety of movies, but the ones at the top of my list [...]

Ancona is probably not one of the cities that would have been on my to-visit list were it not for its deep water port.  Located on Italy’s eastern coast,, smack dab on the Adriatic Sea, it is both an industrial port (cargo and commercial shipping) and a visitor port (ferries and cruise lines).  You’ll see [...]

Since I’m a big museum buff, I knew that I’d be spending a lot of time visiting museums while I was in Paris.  As part of my pre-departure research, I prepared a pretty long list of museums that I’d like to visit, and while I knew that I would only be able to see a [...]

Isola Madre, the largest of the Borromeo Islands in Lake Maggiore, may not be as visited as nearby (and showy) Isola Bella, but I thought the villa and surrounding gardens were quite beautiful.
The villa is full of art and other historical pieces that belonged to the family, and a half hour walk through will give [...]

With a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of planning ahead of me, I’ll be jetting off to London in a couple of weeks.  It is, ostensibly, a holiday although since World Travel Market is occurring during the time I’m there, I’ll be putting in an appearance there for a few days.  Still, [...]