Browsing: Europe

Poperinge, a quiet little town a short drive from the Channel Ports, 175km from Brussels, is Belgium’s hops capital, and famously linked to WW1’s British war effort – it was well known to Allied soldiers who fought in the Ypres Salient. Other than its war memorials, the town also draws tourists for it’s Hops Festival each September.

The historical town square, surrounded by neo-Gothic mansions, has an assortment of taverns serving local brews and creative …

The world is full of beautiful beaches, but some places are better than others to spend your vacation. Think about what you really want to do on that trip before deciding where to go. You will find more to do than lying by the ocean at the best beach destinations.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Perfect blue water, white sand and beach beds (not just chairs) everywhere. It’s hard to match Punta Cana. There are many …

While Spain is not quite up to Northern European standards when it comes to eco-savvy stays, the country does have some very hip, quirky, cool lodging options for those who want to go green.

First Choice: Cabanes als Arbres

Into the Treetops!

There are a multitude of tree-house hotels around the globe, but Cabanes als Arbres is the first ever on the Iberian Peninsula. The environmentally-friendly ‘hotel’ is fairly new, having opened up just a …

Ireland is one of the best backpacker destinations in Europe. First of all, it is small and compact, yet extremely varied. There are also great transport links around the country and, best of all, the people are super friendly. The country also has a wealth of budget-friendly accommodations options, such as hostels, and of course Ireland’s nightlife is basically unparalleled, so whether you want to sip a quiet pint of Guinness in an old man …

Scholars, archeologists, writers and even theologians have debated, dug, and mused over the Once and Future King for centuries, but the mystery that shrouds the boundary between man and myth in our modern times remains thicker than ever.

Luckily, if you know where to look, there are places today that still bear Arthur’s name; places that – well over a thousand years later – still echo with connections to the story of a great man …

The poet Robert Browning said that “Everyone soon or late comes by round Rome.” True to Browning’s word, the Eternal City has seen its share of visitors. Whether it was the ancient empire that made Rome a household name in the four corners of the known world or the church that adopted the city as its home, a tour of Rome’s historic structures is the best way to see how each civilization that adopted Rome …

Rumbling down the half-paved road in the wrong lane, I clutch to the shaking metal frame of my seat. Turbo-folk blares from the cracked speakers of the furgon’s dash and by this point, I’m humming along. With the window cracked just enough, there’s a breeze that squeaks its way onto the face of every sweat soaked passenger that have more or less become fused to their leather seats. A sudden jolt takes the entire van …

I love animals and decided to devote the better part of my summer vacation volunteering with animals, which was how I found myself on a marine conservation voluntourism holiday off the west coast of Scotland through the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.  Its website promised that volunteers would conduct cetacean studies using scientific methods off of a yacht.  It sounded good to me so I signed up immediately.

Conduct cetacean studies we did – 8 …

Rome can not be seen in a day, a week or a year. No, a city with this much history takes centuries to get to know. It is literally a city of layers, one generation, one millennium building on top of the next. It is the “Eternal City”, and we are mortals. Since time is not on our side, consider moving Rome higher on your list of places to visit, and start planning now. With …

Traveling through the back roads of Northern Ireland or dining in one of Belfast’s contemporary restaurants, you would never know that the country was once plagued by violence. The Northern Ireland of today is quite a different place to the images that filled the world’s TV screens in the 70s and 80s, when “The Troubles” were at their worst. In fact, these days, Northern Ireland is positively serene, and the fact that it is still …

Twelve Dervish musicians sit hunched over their easels, the hem from their long black capes resting on the floor. In unison they begin to pluck the strings of their wooden instruments and tap the skin of their kettledrums. This marks the beginning of the ancient Sama ceremony. The first monk stands up, shedding his black cloak in a spiritual rebirth before crossing his arms against his chest, representing the number one, an interpretation of God’s …

Stone turrets and towers keep an eye on everything in every direction. Vine covered slopes so steep it’s hard to believe people walk between the rows. Narrow villages line the banks of the winding river. You can almost see the damsels with their flowing gowns curtseying to knights in shining armor. Fairy tales…here we come.

Follow the winding Rhine River…either on your own or enjoying a river cruise. There is not a castle, an island, …

You can’t be blamed if beer (“pivo”) is the first thing that comes to mind when considering the topic of drinking in Prague. On your visit to the Czech Republic, you will quickly discover that beer is usually cheaper than water, ranging from about CZK 21 to CZK 32 for .5 liter. If you pay more, you may be a tourist.

The Czech Republic, where pilsner beer was born in the town of Plzen, proudly …