Posts Tagged ‘Europe’

“The Five Lands” hike Cinque Terre, Italy

“The Five Lands” hike Cinque Terre, Italy

Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera, west of the larger town La Spezia. “The Five Lands” is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. A popular walking trail called Sentiero Azzurro runs along the coastline connecting “The Five Lands”.  The path offers incredible views of […]

Manarola, Cinque Terre Italy

Manarola, Cinque Terre Italy

Photo of the week: Sunset on Manarola village, one of the “Five Lands” in Cinque Terre, Italy. To see more photos of Cinque Terre, Italy CLICK HERE.

Things to do in Varenna and around Lake Como Italy

Things to do in Varenna and around Lake Como Italy

Over the past few months I have made three trips to Lake Como, spending most of my time in the small town of Varenna where my good friend Sarah has been residing on an extended career break at Agriturismo Castello Di Vezio. Beautiful Lake Como is only a three hour drive from where I lived outside […]

Olympus Camera waterproof testing in Lake Como

Olympus Camera waterproof testing in Lake Como

THE BAD: Mary dropped her camera into Lake Como THE GOOD: Luca saved the day and retrieves Mary’s camera from the lake. AND it still works as it is waterproof! THE FUNNY: The way it all came about … Mary tossed her camera onto her purse that was resting on a stone bench built into […]

Looks like San Francisco …

Looks like San Francisco …

feels like San Francisco … but is not San Francisco! WHERE AM I??? This photo was taken in Lisbon, Portugal, a city I would immediately feel right at home in for obvious reasons. Lisbon’s Ponte de 25 Abril suspension bridge (the longest of its type in Europe) looks almost identical to San Francisco’s iconic symbol. The […]

Rapperswil, my new home away from home

Rapperswil, my new home away from home

“Do you want to meet me at the castle to watch sunset?” read the text message I received from Thomas. Clearly a rhetorical question I thought, but still I responded “YES! You read my mind!” I had spent the afternoon wandering around the small town of Rapperswil, attempting to discover my new home away from […]

GBF: Birthday Cake Gone Wrong

GBF: Birthday Cake Gone Wrong

THE GOOD: My youngster of a boyfriend turned a year older! For Thomas’ twenty-something birthday I thought it would be nice to make him his favorite cake … Black Forest. In my efforts to make the most perfect Black Forest Cake, I scowered the internet for the best recipe. I stumbled upon the blog Passionate […]

In Bruges

In Bruges

While in Belgium we took a day trip to Bruges. Similar to Amsterdam, Bruges is canal-based. A very beautiful and picturesque little town..quaint with cobbled streets, canals, a large town square with amazing architecture styles of buildings all steeped in history. Roaming through the streets one feels as if you have stepped back in time. […]

Antwerp: Big girl (you are beautiful)

Antwerp: Big girl (you are beautiful)

Several people had told us to check out the city of Antwerp while we were in Belgium. We spent a few days in the city one of which was a national holiday and as a result the town was lively with an outdoor concert and cafes full of people having a good time. Rubens’ House […]

Brussels: The Capital of Europe

Brussels: The Capital of Europe

A short train ride later, we were in Belgium…one of the many reasons I love Europe! The land of great beer (the best in the world in my opinion) chocolate, fries, and waffles! What else does a curly girl need? We began our exploration of Belgium in the capital city of Brussels. Brussels has grown […]

The Dutch Golden Age

The Dutch Golden Age

When traveling to new parts of the world I naturally find myself learning interesting facts about the place I am visiting. A continuing education of the history of the world is one of my favorite parts of traveling. During my recent visit to The Netherlands I learned about The Golden Age, a period in Dutch […]

What you may not know about The Netherlands…

What you may not know about The Netherlands…

Holland is not a country but represent two (North and South) of the “The Netherlands” twelve provinces. In the Netherlands it is common to greet people with three kisses. Example: Left cheek, right cheek, then left cheek again. One quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level. The Dutch are the tallest people in Europe. […]