Tucked atop a mountain in central-eastern Italy is the tiny republic of San Marino. Considered to be the oldest republic in the world with a constitution dating back to 1243. The people of San Marino chose not to become part of a unified Italy in 1861 and Giuseppe Garibaldi honored their wishes. A winding road … More Upward to San Marino
Umbria is a very beautiful province adjacent to Tuscany. Its hilltop towns rival any in Italy. My favorite is Perugia. You can walk the perimeter of the old city and view the vast green and terra cotta vistas. Having previously toured Perugia, we stopped only for lunch on our way to Deruta. A one-line excerpt … More Under the Umbrian Sun
After more than a half dozen trips to Italy, it was with great anticipation that I planned a family trip to Tuscany. Renting a three-bedroom villa, I imagined my son, daughter, their spouses, and my grandchild enjoying trekking through small mountainous towns and viewing the cultures that began in medieval times. I learned a huge … More Vacationing With Family
Skelling Michael is a large rock island off the coast of southern Ireland by County Kerry. It can only be reached by boat that traverses very rough waters. If the weather is right you may be allowed to cross those waters and enjoy a two-hour stay on the rock. Its most important features are an old … More The “Highlight” of the Trip According to My Mom
I have learned that I better enjoy my travel if I get to live like the natives so for Ireland, I booked a stone cottage in the Beara Peninsula. I could not have been more, please. Eskadour Cottage is about a hundred years old overlooking a valley of purple rhododendrons, evergreens, rocky hills, and water. … More Sharing the Emerald Isle With Sheep
The rest of our stay in Scotland was spent with the three “Ws” – whiskey, woolens, and woods. Much of Scotch Whiskey is made along the Speyside Trail in the highlands of Scotland. You could spend days exploring the distilleries but not being Scotch drinkers we limited ourselves to two – Craigamore and Glenfiddich. Craigamore … More Whiskey, Woolens, and Woods, Oh My!
We are in the Scottish Highlands because we traded our timeshare at Walt Disney World for a week at Hotel Craigendarroch in Ballater. Our place is a two-bedroom chalet with many amenities (including a sauna room). Too bad I hate intense heat! We are immersed in a forest full of birds and bunnies. The town … More Ballater and Beyond
Most of our summer vacation this year is planned for the British Isles. It has been my mother’s dream to see Scotland, so she has accompanied us. First stop – Edinburgh. Before we reached our destination, we had to get through the challenge that is modern air flights. Our original carrier was Continental into Newark and … More A Bumpy Ride to Edinburgh
After almost ten years, we finally gave our daughter her graduation trip to Europe. First stop – Munich, Germany. I discovered that the treat of visiting familiar places is that you spend your time visiting and rediscovering favorites: a brat at the Hauptbahnhof, a stroll to the Marienplatz, and dinner at The Augustiner were just … More Returning to Some of My Favorite Places
Six years ago I visited New York City for the first time. Deciding that I wanted to spend Thanksgiving and my birthday in this busy metropolis, we scheduled a four-day trip. It didn’t disappoint but we weren’t able to find time for a big musical and Mike regretted that. I decided to treat Mike (and … More A Weekend in the Big Apple