Skip to Content

  Santorini is just one of the many Cyclades Islands in Greece that literally has everything I want on an island.  Hidden and blue-domed churches, stunning sunsets, abundant antiquities, beautiful beaches, volcanoes rising out of the Aegean Sea, cave houses, and whitewashed stone buildings that dot the landscape. Add in all the fresh food you …

Read More about Unique things to do on Santorini! (+ Where to Stay)

I recently visited Budapest, Hungary with Avalon Waterways to check out their new “Active and Discovery” excursion tours that are offered on their European river cruises. Since I have been on my share of European river cruises along the Rhine, Main, and the Danube, I was excited to try out their new style of excursions. …

Read More about Pub Crawl in Budapest “Retro Style”

Westgate New York Grand Central  The Westgate Grand Central Station Hotel in NYC  is ideal for both group and solo travelers who want to enjoy a peaceful and quiet place to stay while experiencing the city. If you’re on the latter part, the hotel has rooms perfect for solo travelers where you can relax. Having …

Read More about 8 Great Hotels For Single Solo Trips to NYC!

La Bottega del Legno: The Wood Shop in Forli, Italy The Violin The year was 1943 and it was blistering cold.  The conditions were unbearable and he struggled with making it yet another day.  Days ran into more days at the concentration camp. But there was one thing that Giuseppe Lombardi loved and that was …

Read More about An Italian Violin Maker: By Hand in Forli Italy

This post won the award by Italy Magazine as the best blog post on an art and culture blog for 2014!  Rumbling down the road, past the emerald green pastures, dirt, and signs in Italian, I knew I was up for this adventure. The roads became tinier and tinier as we headed toward Carpegna in …

Read More about The Lost Art of Print Blocking in Carpegna, Italy: Regenerated

The anticipation was thick in the air when we arrived mid-morning for our very first peek deep into Germany’s Black Forest where Carnival comes alive! Not the Carnival you may be thinking of with drunkenness and bead-throwing like in New Orleans, but a traditional type that has been going for centuries in the forests of …

Read More about Guide to Celebrating Carnival in Schramberg, Germany

A visit to the Black Forest in Germany may bring you sounds you may remember from your childhood: “Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo!” that Cuckoo Clock Sound. Remember from an episode of the Carol Burnett show or even “In the Pink of the Night” by the Pink Panther (if you are old enough!) Are you able to …

Read More about Cuckoo Clock Sound: From the Black Forest, Germany