Paris has the deserved reputation of being one of the world’s most romantic cities, but it holds plenty of opportunities for family vacation fun as well. Public parks and gardens are great escapes from the tiring tedium of a typical tourist regimen. At The Luxembourg Gardens, children ride ponies, float miniature sailboats in the central fountain basin, and enjoy programmed activities such as ... Read Full Article
Out and About in Paris – Part II: Le Restaurant
As in any major metropolitan city, eating out in Paris can be pricey if you don’t know where to go or how to go about it. After sinking nearly sixteen Euros into my first morning’s breakfast, a barebones repast consisting of a café crème, a small orange juice, and two slices of charred toast, I smartened up. INSIDER TIP: Reservations are highly recommended, not just on the weekend. If you are not ... Read Full Article
Out and About in Paris – Part I: Les Jardins
My week in Paris would be marked by record cold and rainfall, not the most fortuitous of forecasts. But I can be a sweaty, sun-baked tourist anywhere. As I soon discovered, there’s something about exploring the city wearing a trench coat, gloves, and scarf, hunkering beneath an umbrella and seeking sanctuary at any number of awning-covered outdoor cafes, that’s really kind of ... Read Full Article
Bastille Day in Paris
Bastille Day, or La Fête Nationale as it’s known in France, is celebrated each year on July 14th. France’s Independence Day, it commemorates the 1789 overtaking of the Bastille, the fortress-prison infamous for incarcerating political prisoners, by the French people. Today the storming of the Bastille is synonymous with the end of feudalism in France and its subsequent rise as a modern nation ... Read Full Article
Day Tripping in The Veneto: Castelfranco del Veneto
Approximately 40 miles inland from Venice and forty-five minutes’ drive from Asolo is the medieval walled town of Castelfranco del Veneto. Whether you’re en route to or from Venice, this medieval walled town makes for a lovely layover or stopover. A moat and crenellated walls enclose the remains of a 12th century castle from which the town takes its name. A statue of native son, Renaissance ... Read Full Article
Day Tripping in The Veneto: Asolo
When looking for sights in Italy to visit, do not forget about beautiful Asolo. Little Asolo is located thirty miles north of Bassano del Grappa and is tucked into the foothills of the Dolomites. This picturesque town with its cypress-covered hills served as a strategic stronghold in Roman times, a summer retreat for well-heeled Venetians in the 15th and 16th centuries, and later a bucolic getaway ... Read Full Article
Day Tripping in The Veneto: Bassano del Grappa
Situated at the foot of Monte Grappa, Bassano del Grappa is about a two hour drive northwest from Venice, making it an ideal day trip destination in The Veneto. This picturesque, pastel colored village on the River Brenta has two strong claims to fame: its Old Bridge, or Ponte Vecchio, and The Nardini Distillery, Italy’s oldest producer of grappa. I arrive late-morning with my hiking ... Read Full Article
Eating My Way Through Venice
Before departing New York, I joke that I am going to Italy to get my Eat Pray Love on—but as soon as I step off the vaporetto (water taxi) that brings me from Marco Polo Airport, I decide these first few days in Venice will be focused on eating. Everything looks so amazingly good that figuring out what to eat nearly…consumes me. What do you do when your biggest decision of the day is what ... Read Full Article
Eat, Pray, Love Florence: Loving Florence on a Budget
“You have a husband, bella?” The waiter’s thickly lashed black-brown gaze lands on my left hand, naked of any ring, and then wanders over the rest of me as though imagining those parts to be naked, too. The question comes at breakfast on my third and final day in Florence, the day I’ve slated for exploring the romantic offerings of this most romantic of European cities. ... Read Full Article
Eat, Pray, Love Florence: Florence’s Sacred Sites
Duly fueled after sating myself with great Florentine food, I now take a day to explore Florence’s sacred sites, notably its many beautiful churches. The traditional subdivision of Florence into four sectors—Santa Maria Novella, San Giovanni, Santa Croce, and Santo Spirito—dates to the 14th century, with each quarter presided over by its own major church. Centuries later, the churches remain, ... Read Full Article