Romance is nice year ’round, not just for Valentine’s Day. As a long-time married partner, I urge you to take time to put romantic moments, places and vacations in your life. And they don’t have to be the most expensive spots in town — it’s all about ambience, atmosphere and the right partner! Some of […]
The Rental Car That Wasn’t There – Twice!! My favorite travel columnist/trouble-shooter, Christopher Elliott, www.elliott.org, says that “people assume that a reservation number means you have a reservation – and that is not necessarily true!” I learned this the hard way a few months ago – twice – once in deep France and again unexpectedly, […]
It is the perfect setting for a murder mystery. After some fairly tricky driving, we found our way to Chateau de la Verrerie, the Glass Castle, http://www.chateaudelaverrerie.com, situated next to a misty lake deep in the Berry, a department in the Loire south of Paris. Seemingly, we drove forever through flowering fields, having veered off the […]
Simple reminders for passport, cards and cash safety. Recently, a friend asked advice for her teen-aged daughter who would be traveling in Europe for the first time. She asked what to do with her passport and credit cards while walking around on the streets; wanted to know about using hotel safes; taking travellers’ checks or using […]
Written by Guest Blogger: Roland Minda This is a lavishly laudatory spouse review plus trip highlights. It was intended to be brief, but now a little indulgence as to length! (P.S. I often call my wife by her nickname, M2, for her name, Merle Minda.) This trip took us first to 5 glorious days […]
Picture this. You wake to the sound of birds chirping. You fling open your bedchamber windows to overlook a spectacular Umbrian valley. You brew your own espresso and wander out onto your own terrace, still in your pajamas and perhaps barefoot. Soft morning clouds are rising from your private valley and grapes are ripening almost […]
French and the French! As I drift off to sleep each night during my 14-night stay here at Coeur de France, www.coeurdefrance.com, the immersion language school I have been attending, I gaze up at my ceiling where a beautiful, hand-painted angel floats above me. My appartement at the top of this 400-year old chateau where the […]