Photos of Iceland – Dreaming of the Island of Fire and Ice Iceland is home to volcanoes, hot springs, northern lights, glaciers, waterfalls, and a population that believes in elves. Its capital city, Reykjavik, is a colorful mix of history and art surrounded by natural beauty, and black beaches, rocky coasts, and icy interior mountains […]
Six Nations’ Rugby Championship
An American’s Guide to Six Nations’ Rugby Attending a sporting event while you travel is a great way to experience a country’s culture and connect with locals. Rugby can be a fun choice, because it is similar to Football, yet a little exotic at the same time. One of the biggest events is the Six […]
Art and Science in the Netherlands’ Watersnood Museum
Watersnood Museum, Netherlands Four gray cement blocks, half-sunk in the ground at uneven angles, are the modest home of the Watersnood Museum: the remarkable and beautiful memorial of one of the Netherlands’ greatest disasters. At 2 am, Sunday, February 1st, 1953, a churning storm in the North Sea forced a wall of water into the […]
My Love Affair with Great British Food
I love British food. When people ask me what I love about the United Kingdom, what keeps me coming back, I often blurt out “food!” Some people laugh. Most think I’m joking. Britain, they note, is not exactly known for its cuisine. But I beg to differ. Perhaps it’s because I’m a Minnesotan. Midwesterners, Northerners, we […]
Capitoline Museum: The Story Behind Boy With Thorn
I had never been to the Capitoline Museum. The first time I saw Boy with Thorn, he was a black and white projection snapping in and out of focus on the classroom wall. It was my senior year of college, and I was fulfilling my Literature and Arts general education requirement with an Italian Art History […]
Visit Amsterdam’s Zoo for Family-Friendly Fun
Family-Friendly Fun at the Amsterdam Zoo Amsterdam is well known for its history, art, and adult entertainment (read our guide on what to do in Amsterdam and our Amsterdam itinerary here), but when I found myself wandering the historic canals and streets with a 3-year-old niece on my shoulders, I had to find some more […]
A Walk through Literary Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, as it serves up a delicious array of libraries, bookshops, historic authors, literary monuments, and scenic tours. In the 1700s, Edinburgh was the heart of the Scottish Enlightenment, and it gained the nickname “Athens of the North” for its classical architecture and reputation for producing literary and […]
Winter Solstice at Stonehenge
Attending the winter solstice at Stonehenge is a dark and cold logistical challenge that deters less dedicated tourists and, as a result, is a more intimate and spiritual event. The summer and winter solstices are two of only four times during the year when Stonehenge has ‘Managed Open Access’, meaning patrons can enter without paying […]
Hiking into Finland’s Natural Beauty at Nuuksio National Park
I like hiking, though I’m not a Survivor-level flint and tinder type of hiker. Instead, I enjoy the walk-through-the-woods-and-admire-the-scenery type of hiking. So when my brother told me that the Nuuksio National Park, where I could see the natural beauty of Finland, was less than an hour from Helsinki, I was excited, but unprepared. I hadn’t packed for hiking. So […]