Vienna is an extraordinary city of art. With fine architecture, music venues and many museums and galleries from which to choose, you will never run out of options. We encourage first-time visitors to begin by visiting these top museums in Vienna. Many of the museums are covered by the Vienna Pass – read our post …
My husband Bill and I were invited to take a cruise with Viking River Cruises and decided that a Christmas Market Cruise on the Danube could be a fun way to get into the holiday spirit. Our 7-day river cruise started in Passau, Germany and ended in Budapest, Hungary. This was our first river cruise on …
Before embarking on a trip to Spain, learning a bit about its history can make your trip more meaningful. The Iberian Peninsula was first inhabited around 800,000 BC and proved to be a much-desired piece of real estate through the centuries, as evidenced by the large number of foreign invaders that chart Spain’s history. First …
Belgium is one of the smaller countries in continental Europe and the “middle child” of three countries comprising “Benelux” (the others being the Netherlands and Luxembourg). It is an often-overlooked country but many consider it a European gem. Its capital, Brussels, is nicknamed the capital of Europe as it is home to the European Union …
While we had been to Rome before and had seen all the major sights, this time we were interested in a less frantic, more in-depth visit. We stayed in a great location near the Piazza della Republica on the Via Nazionale. The Piazza della Republica is impressive with gorgeous semi-circular colonnades surrounding the white marble Fontana delle Naiadi. It is not …
Tulips in Holland: Spring River Cruise from Amsterdam Last spring we treated ourselves to a Tulip-Time River Cruise from Amsterdam with AMA Waterways in the Netherlands. While I had taken a Christmas Market river cruise a few years ago with a friend, this was my husband’s first river cruise. It won’t be his last; we both had …
On our last trip to Italy, we enjoyed a two-night complimentary stay at the Grand Hotel President in Sorrento. After several days in Rome and two nights in gritty Naples, we were ready for a respite and the Grand Hotel President Sorrento proved to be just that. Set a few miles high above Sorrento (the gateway to …
Plan Your Visit to Keukenhof Garden Best Time to Go Keukenhof Garden is only open in the spring (March 23rd – May 14th, 2023) and it varies slightly depending on the weather each year. The best time to visit Keukenhof Garden is usually in mid to late April as that is when you will see …
My husband, Bill, and I had never hired a private tour guide before our recent trip to Italy. In the past, we read our guidebooks, consulted the internet, and reviewed EuropeUpClose.com to see what our writers had to say. We then did our own thing. We have also been part of large group tours, but this experience showed us the value …
Mmmm…imagine sunshine, the scent of lavender and rosemary, parasol pines, olive groves, sunflowers, and the Mediterranean…you are experiencing the South of France. But Provence and the Cote d’Azur offer much more than that. Think of hill towns, charming markets, art galleries, sailing, scuba diving, star-gazing (movie star, that is), swimming and soaking up the sun, and …