Europe Up Close

Tenby, A Coastal Getaway In Wales

Published/Revised August 29, 2016 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

One of the absolutely top, perfect breakfasts I've ever enjoyed at a B&B (and I have had a great many) was served in Tenby, a small town on the southern coast of Wales. Tenby is a popular, charming resort town with a long history, a getaway with numerous attractions. But first, the breakfast. Every morning, Stephen and Clair, at Croyland Guest House, set out a buffet filled with a wide ... Read Full Article

Tracking Down Prehistoric Dolmens in Wales

Published/Revised April 21, 2016 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Some of the world's most impressive ancient burial chambers, or dolmens, stand in the green fields and copses of Wales. On a recent trip, my husband John and I tracked down several of these prehistoric sites, and each time I felt the eery sense of an ancient past brought into the present. The dolmens, which date from Neolithic times, have been thoroughly investigated and are protected as national ... Read Full Article

Hiking Ireland’s Scenic Gap of Dunloe

Published/Revised December 13, 2017 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

The Gap of Dunloe is a  narrow, scenic mountain pass in County Kerry, a perfect seven-mile walk for those who want a close-up look at western Ireland's green beauty. It's nothing short of entrancing, and I'm grateful to our Irish friend Dan for arranging an outing through Gap of Dunloe Tours. Another great way to see this stunning area would be to rent a car in Ireland. That way, you can stop and ... Read Full Article

Three of Ireland’s Best Hotels

Published/Revised October 2, 2018 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Three of Ireland's best hotels have just one thing in common: superb hospitality. Otherwise, they're as different as chalk and cheese, as the saying goes. These are upscale lodgings with highly individual character. If you are looking for something truly special, also consider spending a night at one (or more) of Ireland's best Castle Hotels. Ireland's Best Hotels The Falls Hotel and ... Read Full Article

Loire Valley: Ladies, Leonardo and Sleeping Beauty

Published/Revised August 14, 2018 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

France's Loire Valley is renowned for its magnificent chateaux. Scores are scattered over the landscape and choosing which to see is a challenge. On this leg of our journey, John and I rented a car and made our home base in the quiet village of Chenonceaux, staying in a hotel just 300 meters from the chateau. Chenonceau Chateau is one of the most visited sites in France for good reason. ... Read Full Article

National Museum of Scotland Displays The World

Published/Revised January 30, 2015 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Scotland has scores of museums, all of them interesting, but the National Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is truly exceptional. Its collections of thousands of objects cover natural history, world cultures, geology, archaeology, science and technology, and of course the entire story (pre-history included) of Scotland. The museum is set in the heart of the city, on Chambers Street near the George ... Read Full Article

Hotel or Apartment? How to Choose

Published/Revised September 4, 2014 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

After you've decided where to go and how you'll get there, the big question is where to stay. A hotel is still the most popular choice, but there are other options, and plenty of savvy travelers are choosing to rent an apartment or house. My recent trip to France is a good example of the pros and cons of hotels vs apartments; my husband, John, and I stayed in two of each. Our one-bedroom, ... Read Full Article

The Loire’s Castles and Gardens

Published/Revised November 29, 2017 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Touring in the Loire Valley means you don't have to travel far to see the grand chateaus and pretty villages that dot the landscape. The Castles in France are simply stunning. John and I stayed in one place, Chenonceaux, and found a multitude of treasures on short day trips along and over the rivers that wind through this green, broad valley. The farthest we drove was to Fontevraud Abbey. ... Read Full Article

Montmajour, the Oldest Abbey in Provence

Published/Revised June 12, 2014 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

  Vincent Van Gogh visited Montmajour Abbey at least fifty times, he wrote, just to look at the view across the plain.  Today's visitors to Provence, France, are drawn to the abbey for the same reason and to see the impressive old ruin in stone, a French historical monument and the oldest abbey in Provence. It was a significant site from the time construction began in the tenth century, ... Read Full Article

Favorite Villages in Provence: Eygalières and Mausanne-les-Alpilles

Published/Revised June 26, 2015 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Dozens of  inviting villages are scattered throughout sun-drenched Provence, in southern France. Two of my favorites, perhaps because they're lesser known and have such unpretentious charm, are Eygalières and Mausanne-les-Alpilles,  in the Bouches-de-Rhone region. Both lie near the Chaine des Alpilles, a low east-west range of limestone peaks that rise steeply from the Rhone River valley. ... Read Full Article