Browsing: Destinations

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, …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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

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Does your winter warm-weather search include a stop in San Diego? If it doesn’t, it should. Mild winters make this destination a favorite for anyone seeking an escape from snow and cold. It’s not uncommon to go walking on the beach on Christmas Day in flip-flops and shorts or jogging on New Year’s in a tank top.

What’s good for you is good for Fido, too. San Diego is emerging as an extremely dog-friendly destination …

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Imagine sticking a straw down the throat of a goldfish and blowing.

Then blowing some more. And you only stop blowing when the goggle-eyed fish looks as if it’s finally about to pop.

That’s what I was staring at in little plastic bags hanging outside the shops in Hong Kong’s aptly named Goldfish Street. Behind their massively misshapen heads were tiny fins that flapped aimlessly as they tried to steer the bulbous bulk around.  A …

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Victoria is in the British Columbia region of Canada. It is actually the capital of the province. This quaint city borders between the water and the mountains, allowing breathtaking scenery and plenty to explore, taste and learn.

It’s easy to get to Victoria. Ferry service is available from Port Angeles and Seattle. You can also fly directly into the airport from many Canadian cities (including Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary), as well as Seattle and San …

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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 …

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Think this will be just like any other cemetery? Not true. Think this will be like Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.? Maybe. Similarities do exist.

After all, the men and women buried in both have one thing in common … they all served their country.

Southeastern Iowa holds some unique history. Lush rolling hills along the Mississippi River initially were inhabited by members of the Sauk and Fox tribes. Sauk Chief Keokuk, an important …

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Asia. The East. The other side of the world. A melting pot of cultures as yet largely unexplored by the West. For the independent traveller, the Asian continent is a figurative Everest, (and a literal one if you happen to find yourself in Tibet.) If you brave the great divide of the Pacific, you’ll find a wealth of unique countries whose cultural hearts beat with the passion of a war drum.

But, if you’ve never …

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Nothing quite surpasses nature’s design in southern California’s inland desert plains of cacti and boulders, bordered by rose and ochre mountains.  At the same time, the modern world has contributed creatively in the flourishing towns that lie just off Highway 111 in this region.  One such development on the human side that stands out these days is within Palm Desert, a desert community attuned to the civic and commercial benefits of a diverse art …

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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 …

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