Tracing your cultural heritage and family genealogy is a fascinating undertaking. Family origins have an interest that goes beyond mere intellectual curiosity. We feel bound by our connections to the past, by an archetypal respect for all that has come before us. The mystery of your family’s origins is waiting to be uncovered, no matter what your race or country of origin. With a bit of planning and skillful research, it is possible to reveal …
Browsing: Europe
When I think romance, I think boutique hotel. Give me something intimate and unique any day over some sprawling resort! Here are a few top seductive stays for honeymooners looking for R&R in Spain.
****Wine Country Escapes – Can Bonastre Resort:
Newlyweds will adore this exceptional boutique hotel, just an hour away from Barcelona, Spain, by car. Can Bonastre Wine Resort’s twelve rooms are set within an ancient Catalan masia, or farmhouse, in the middle …
Monte-what? Referred to time and time again as the “Black Mountain,” Montenegro is a tick-tack sized country squeezed smack dab in the middle of the Adriatic bordering states. Just a thumbtack on the map of Europe, but full to the brim with exquisite landscapes, Montenegro leaves you wondering how this tall drink of water is often overlooked when discussing Europe’s Fave Five.
First mentioned in the 9th century as a Byzantine vassal, the country …
Liverpool, a city with a glorious history as a mercantile hub and gateway to the New World, is today a key destination for art lovers, fans of the theatre and museum-goers. The very name of the city invokes images of a magnificent nautical history, two of the Premiership’s biggest football teams and two majestic Cathedrals. Yet relatively few visitors, other than Beatles devotees, put Liverpool on their vacation itineraries. Liverpool has always been a big …
Hungary is a stunning Central European country filled with a varied landscape of mountains, rivers and lakes. It is home to the cosmopolitan capital city of Budapest, beautiful small villages, a historic wine region, several UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the largest lake in Central Europe.
At about 93,000 square kilometers (35,000 sq mi), Hungary is not a huge country, making it a very manageable place to spend a few days touring. The country is …
Kraków, Poland is quickly becoming known as a must-see European city all around the world, in part thanks to its grand Old Town neighborhood that survived numerous wars and occupations and is a nearly flawless depiction of its glorious past. It’s not just Old Town that Kraków has to offer, though, and this is what makes it an even more alluring destination to visitors no matter what the interests, travel schedules and budgets are. There …
For decades British motorcycles were the envy of all the world. They were the best and the fastest, bar none. While the motorcycle was invented in Germany, it was the British who took this invention to new heights with names like Triumph, Brough, Royal Enfield, BSA and AJS.
But the British grew complacent and the torch for high quality motorcycles was passed to other countries, most notably Japan. Of the great marquees in Britain’s heyday, …
Spain has its intricate architecture, its exquisite museums and its delectable cuisine, but its people are one of its greatest assets. If you seek an atypical travel experience that allows you to get up close and personal with the Spanish people, while receiving a week of free room and board, consider the Vaughantown Program
About Vaughantown
The Vaughantown program recruits native English speakers from all parts of the globe to teach Spanish students enrolled in …
As a tourist to Germany it’s not likely that you will find yourself invited into a local’s house. Germans are famously reserved at first, but if you keep your eye out for a broomstick over a door, consider it your personal invitation to enter into the house.
The broomstick represents a besen, the German word for “broomstick” and is a type of wining and dining establishment found only in the wine growing regions of the …
In a tranquil Belgian town, some 75km south-east of Brussels, set in a landscape of quilted willow green and sage and threaded with a broad aquamarine coloured river, lies historic Dinant, famed for being the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. Dinant is a pretty little town slung along the river Meuse beneath craggy green cliffs in the centre of the Meuse Valley, about 30km south of Namur – a handy base …
Rubble and debris crunch under my feet as I step over the remnants of a three-year war. Looking out through a windowless frame of the ruined Dom Policije Vranjače (Police House originally used as a vacation home for police officers and later as a vantage point for intruding Serbian forces), I can feel the weight of a thick fog lingering above the city. From here, atop the Trebević Mountain that still houses the 1984 Winter …
If you want to explore an old city European town with a youthful vibe without bumping into one too many collegiate themed party scenarios, consider booking a fall trip to Ghent. Become infused with the energy of 32,000 students returning to the Ghent University, as the city gears up to welcome international musicians and other artists for its fall festival season.
If possible, try to catch the Festival of Flanders which celebrates its 55th…
Foodies, take note. There is a secret little corner of Ireland that is a true foodie paradise. I know what you’re thinking: Ireland? A foodie paradise? But this traditionally non-culinary country is learning the ropes with food, a movement that has started in the southern city of Cork.
It’s not the first time in Cork’s history that the county has gone against the grain. In fact, Cork’s, shall-we-say, independent spirit has earned it the colloquial …
Where’s all the hype? Where are all the people? Where’s the best-selling expat memoir called ‘My Rioja Year’ or ‘A Casa in Rioja’? While La Rioja’s wines are acclaimed around the Iberian Peninsula and internationally, there isn’t much shaking in La Rioja, the region. This was brought to my attention by two sun-kissed Swedes who I was tasting with at the extravagant bodega Eguren Ugarte in Páganos, just a couple miles from Laguardia. Páganos is …