There isn’t a single wisp of smoke curling out of the top of Mount Vesuvius as we walk up its stony brown slopes.
A few birds are twittering in the bushes, but we leave we them behind as the path rises above fertile ground. It’s silent, except for the scrunch of feet on clinker. It’s too quiet, too calm. Are we about to get taken out in an unexpected rumble of smoke, ash, flames and …
Northern Spain gets chilly from December to March. Sure, it’s not Berlin, but there is snow on the Pyrenees and the good people of Barcelona are wearing their most stylish winter coats. In northeastern Spain, Catalonia is gushing with hot spots where water, wine and relaxation promise to cure whatever ails you and warm up frosty fingers. Soaking it up in hot springs is nothing new in the region, and many current balnearis and spas …
A wilting figure sits on a sunny Las Vegas sidewalk. His mouth feels as parched as the Nevada desert that surrounds him. Somewhere in the back of his head, a popstar taunts “that’s what you get for waking up in Vegas” repeatedly. His hangover thuds through his head as the lights of Sin City just won’t stop flickering. His voice cracks, “Hey man, you wanna buy an iPod? I gotta get money to get home.” …
The charming little village of Grindelwald offers a close-up view of life in the Alps. We were invited on a tour to visit a dairy farm to experience how cheese was made. I am a city gal and have never visited a farm before. Most everyone has seen pictures of the dairy farms in the United States, but this was very different. Grindelwald Mountain Cheese is prepared the traditional way, a ritual as the farmers …
Whilst on a tea safari in Holland Cindy-Lou Dale soon discovered the meaning of a cake hang-over.
I’ve heard much about the Dutch tea drinking culture, even more so about their idyllic afternoon tea shops. I saddled up my photographic assistant, Heather, booked a couple of Eurostar and Thalys train tickets to take me from London to Amsterdam (via Brussels) and sought accommodation advice from the tourism office there. A few days later, Heather and …
Whether you are a mother, daughter, sister or aunt, Mother’s Day is a great excuse to plan a girl’s weekend getaway. For some, that may just mean taking the day off and heading to the local salon, but if you have a little extra time, there are some great options out there for places that know how to treat the ladies. I have some favorites that can satisfy just about anyone.
New York City, New …
Anyone who tells you money can’t buy happiness is wrong. What they mean to say is possessions can’t buy you happiness. Money, on the other hand, can buy you plane tickets and visas and bottles of foreign wine to be uncorked while gazing out over a perfect beachside sunset. Money can take you out to dinner with friends, or buy an espresso at that tiny corner café in Italy, or tickets to the Berlin Philharmonic. …
When people think of Easter, the typical images that come to mind are brightly colored eggs, furry rabbits, and overjoyed children wielding copious amounts of candy. However, when that spring day rolls around each year, we experience something much deeper and more spiritual than a simple Easter egg hunt. This beautiful holiday gives us time to step away from the daily grind and appreciate all of life’s blessings. While Easter is both fun and meaningful …
Bright colors, authentic Mexican food and the traditional sound of trumpets sounding from the mariachi group, these are but a few of the vital ingredients needed to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
The annual festival of Cinco de Mayo occurs on May 5th and is a celebration like no other. It is observed across the United States as an unofficial holiday to commemorate an exceptional victory in Mexican history. There are various celebrations across the country …
After a few false starts and many growing pains, Punta Cana on the Dominican Republic’s eastern coast, might truly begin living up to the hype of becoming the “new” ultimate tropical vacation destination. Over the past two years, ambitious plans for massive upgrades in existing accommodations, services, and amenities, plus the completion of many luxurious new resorts have successfully come to fruition largely thanks to enthusiastic European and American investors. Lately, the seascape has been …
The next time you find yourself in a European church or cathedral, there is someone you should see. Forget “The DaVinci Code”. A real puzzle stares at you from the walls, architecture, and furnishings throughout these old places of worship. The mysterious Green Man, a carved foliate face from ancient times, appears in various guises and apparently independently, all over the world. His best known and most accessible incarnations are found – by the thousands …
If you’re ever about to be attacked by a lion, don’t just stand there shaking – run directly towards it flapping your arms wildly and making a massive hullabaloo.
Shall I repeat that, just in case you can’t quite get to grips with the concept? Don’t try to run, because this is one race you aren’t going to win. Your only chance of survival is to scare the lion more than it scares you, says …
The dream of skiing in St. Moritz, Europe’s winter glam capital, seems impossibly expensive to most of us. Yet this unbridled wealthy Swiss mountain village, where furs predominate, caviar is sold in supermarkets and snow-chained Bentley’s jockey with Porsche’s for parking, is affordable, very affordable – the trick is knowing where to look, and when to go.
From Zurich airport take the little red train, which gently threads through the Swiss Alps, gently clickedy-clacking higher …
The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade was celebrated in New York City, not Ireland, in 1762. That first parade consisted of a band of Irish ex-patriots and Irish military serving with the British Army which was stationed in New York City. The wearing of the green was a source of Irish pride; but at the time was banned in Ireland. The participants in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade reveled in their ability to freely speak …
