I have always loved history, and traveling connects me to the past in ways that study or books cannot. Whether investigating ancient ruins, visiting historic buildings, or admiring a piece of antique furniture, I appreciate the craftsmanship, the stories they tell, and their connection to people who lived long before my generation. During our recent travels through Serbia and Kosovo, I was reminded how much I value preserving old things, even when they are incorporated into

Lithuania doesn't appear on many people's travel lists, I am grateful it made it onto mine. I can say the same about Trakai National Park.

Lithuania's Kryzių Kalnas, or the Hill of Crosses is many things. Situated 8 miles north of the city of Siauliai, it has become an international site of pilgrimage. It is beautiful, eerie, spiritual, and perhaps most of all, it is powerfully evocative. A place of awareness and reflection, it memorializes and demonstrates the Lithuanian national identity, their spirit and perseverance, their faith, hope, and freedom. As one approaches the small hill down a lengthy walkway, the

Visit Greece's best preserved and most complete temple from Classical Greece with me. It captured my heart

I chose Arles for the cuisine, the walk through history that includes Roman and Medieval ruins, and also to see where Van Gogh flourished. Having lived in Paris for two years, Vincent arrived in Arles on 20 February 1888 at the age of 35. He had headed south to escape the busy city life of which he had tired, and to pursue clearer skies offering brighter lighting. His plan as recounted by his brother Theo, was to go "first to Arles to get his bearings and then probably on to

Tasting Jean-Luc Rabanel's cuisine is worthy of a trip all by itself, but there are deeper reasons to visit Arles, France. Arles is an alluring town for not only strolls, but for a walk through history. Dating back to the Roman era, Arles was a venerated city of Gaul. Like all important cities in Roman Gaul, Arles had its own amphitheater, built for entertainment. Constructed around the 1st century BC, the amphitheater seated 21,000 spectators to cheer on the gladiators an

Planning my road trip so that I could visit Pont-du-Gard between Lyon and Nice, left me with one night to spend somewhere in between. Should it be Nimes, Avignon, Arles, or someplace else? Pondering several options, I decided upon Arles for multiple reasons; one of which was to experience the cuisine of French master chef Jean-Luc Rabanel, who is the culinary success story of the region. Rabanel, recipient of numerous awards and accolades, was named "Chef of the Year 2008" by

You know by now that I hold a fondness for the combination of architecture and water, along with a love of history. So you might guess that when planning our family vacation for this past December/January, I was determined to make a stop at the ancient Roman aqueduct bridge, Pont du Gard in southern France. Not easily accessible by train, visiting Pont du Gard became one of my supporting reasons for planning a road trip (of which my husband was not a fan). In the end, with th

Here I am in my birthday month, looking forward to uncorking and enjoying a gifted bottle of champagne from a dear girlfriend. Champagne pairs so perfectly with birthdays; but then again, what doesn't champagne pair well with? I would say it pairs well with everything, and I know I am not alone in this feeling, as evidenced by the following quotes. "Remember gentlemen, it's not just France we are fighting for, it's Champagne!" - Winston Churchill "Too much of anything is bad,

I adore the grand squares of Europe, but Place Stanislas exceeded my expectations; I was smitten. This square, the epitome of harmonious urban landscapes, combined with its exquisite architecture and ornamentation, is a masterpiece of the Enlightenment. Built between 1752 to 1756, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site of outstanding universal value. Place Stanislas, photo taken from our room at the Grand Hotel De La Reine Stanislas Leszczynski, deposed king of Poland, fled

Pandemics are great times to think back upon the romantic moments in our lives. Normally I am always planning my next family vacation or “holiday” as I term them, but during the Covid-19 days, not planning to travel for awhile, I find myself reminiscing more about past adventures. In 2008, we fulfilled the dreams of both my son and myself, spending just short of a month in Greece. It was overall a delightful experience for the three of us For holidays, I enjoy planning, into

Reasons for enjoying travel are diverse, and very personal. For me, the reasons are many. Sometimes it may be just to see and experience a particular sight. I do confess to being fascinated by architecture, especially in combination with water. Combine this with my strong affection for history, my tenderness for the romantic, and my enchantment with the magical, and you can predict that the 16th century Chateau de Chenonceau with its wildly romantic past would be on my travel

Visit a legendary bookstore in Paris, France at Christmas.

Once we decided we would spend Christmas in Paris, I began my search for the restaurant where we would have Christmas Dinner.

Is Christmas a good time to visit Paris? My family decided to find out.

No reason, no rhyme, no order. A New Year with a new approach to sharing my photos with my friends. I have been recalling some of my favorite travel experiences and destinations and moments. It may have been a city or a beach, a restaurant or a song, or just some special coincidence that occurred at that particular moment in time. They may be recent or may be from the past, planned or completely synchronistic, but I wish to share with you some of those places and moments that

The Montserrat Monastery is a lovely, spiritual and historic monastery. We were fortunate to visit as a day trip from Barcelona May 2016 and it was indeed an amazing day.The three highlights for me were seeing the spectacular setting, the mountain's pillars of stone and the gorgeous views over the plains of Catalonia, hearing the Escolania boys' choir perform and seeing the Black Virgin and Child. Those are not listed in order because I simply cannot choose a favorite between