Do you ever have one of those days on a trip, where everything aligns absolutely perfectly? You didn’t do anything to make it that way, it just all came together?
Budapest, Hungary’s capital, is a striking city many may overlook. Between the merger of three cities–Buda, Pest and Óbuda–this city has an interesting history which shows in the culture, food and buildings.
Rugged coastlines with pristine sandy alcoves and crystalline turquoise water lapping at the shore. A description worthy of almost any city lining the Mediterranean. However, these scenic spots are actually located in the English Channel, just off the coast of Normandy, France.
If modern TV shows and movies like “Vikings,” “The Last Kingdom” and “How to Train Your Dragon” have you daydreaming about what life was like in the Viking Age, Denmark is the place for you.
So, you just got word that you’re being stationed in Italy. You and your family have passports in hand and are ready to see what the European lifestyle is all about. Well, brace yourselves; Italy can be very overwhelming, especially to the newly arrived.
With many of their countries topping the list of greatest coffee consumers in the world, Europeans know how to brew a great cup of joe. They also have a knack for creating beautiful and fun coffee shops to serve up their delicious beverages.
Wiesbaden, the tidy, elegant capital of the German state of Hesse, is oh-so cosmopolitan: at the end of 2019, some 62,958 of the city’s 291,109 inhabitants were citizens of countries other than Germany.
Hours of sight-seeing have made you ravenous, so you’ve taken a break to down some pommes frites and a foamy beverage. But you’re not in France-- you’re in Belgium, where the locals still dispute the origin of “French” fries and crafting beer is a fine art, hundreds of years in the making.
Recording trips these days are often done through a smartphone. Your plane ticket, maps, pictures, down to your itineraries are kept in digital form and are easily forgotten. If you’re like me, you prefer writing things down and having physical copies of things often kept on our phones.
A spot of good news for beer fans! As of May 18, Bavaria’s beloved beer gardens are once again allowed to throw open the gates to their leafy green grounds.
Perched on the northern tip of one of Europe’s most pristine lakes is the charming medieval city of Annecy. Nicknamed “Venice of the Alps,” this city has three canals winding through it from the Thiou River.
From approximately November to April, Athens is considered to be in the off-season for travel. This is the perfect time for budget-minded travelers to visit! Much of the city offers less expensive hotel options and discounted entry tickets to some of the most popular sights.
Traveling with teenagers poses its own set of challenges. After living in Europe for four years, there are only so many old towns, cathedrals and squares my teens can visit before it all begins to run together.
The island of Madeira rests off the northwestern coast of Africa and is a particularly delightful autonomous region of Portugal. It is known for its delicious wine and incredibly scenic landscapes, created by a volcanic system.
Whether it’s a PCS, TDY or short vacation for a few days or weeks, there are simple techniques that will help you minimize the effects you’ll inevitably feel when exposed to a new culture.
Mention “Black Forest,” and what may come to mind is a chocolate cherry cake; specifically, a decadent, dark chocolate sponge cake layered with Schnapps-soaked cherries, freshly whipped cream and shaved chocolate.
