Fans of sports, snow, and the outdoors love Chamonix for the famous resort at the base of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, home to the First Winter Olympic games in 1924. From snow sports, to natural beauty, to year-round mountaineering, to the nightlife in Chamonix, this is a place that gets under your skin and never lets you go. What can you expect when you visit? Snow Sports – Mont Blanc and skiing go hand-in-hand, and this is where you’ll find top-notch adrenalin junkies pushing themselves on some of the most challenging and thrilling ski slopes. Glacier skiing is also popular, and there are plenty of options for snowboarding. While the resort claims to have skiing for all ability levels, most of the runs are intermediate to advanced. Popular ski areas include: White Valley (glacier skiing), Brevent and la […]
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Planning for Travel to Italy
It’s time to start thinking about Italy again. Although that presumes that I’ve ever stopped thinking about it. With the new year fully underway, we’re beginning to sort through details, watch airfares, and think about how we want to spend our time there this year. It will be a shorter trip this year, probably only three weeks as compared with nearly a month last year. At least one of those weeks will be spent at our favorite spot in Tuscany, La Montalla. It’s currently covered with snow, but in the summer it is beautiful with the blooms, olive trees, and grapevines. I can nearly taste the pici pasta and pecorino cheese and I think about it. I love Italy for a variety of reasons, and the planning part brings it all back. Up for grabs is the remaining two weeks. […]
Read MoreREVIEW: Beyond the Pasta
When I think about Italy, which I often do, it’s not the attractions or the countryside that capture my attention. Oh sure, it’s beautiful and there are lots of incredible sights to see, but what really speaks to me is the food. In my opinion, what makes Italy so fascinating and appealing is its food, wine, and people. As I start planning my trip for this year, I’ve gotten together with friends to talk about what we want to see and do. In no time at all the conversation quickly turns to our favorites restaurants. The fabulous osso buco, the freshest tomatoes for the delicious bruschetta, the hand-rolled pici pasta, and the soft and creamy burrata. In fact, I’m already salivating for the delicious mushroom soup at Latte di Luna. Every time we get started talking about the delicious dishes, […]
Read MoreThe Wonder of Lisbon’s Pastéis de Belém
Anyone who has taken advantage of the tempting, cheap deals for Lisbon hotels and headed off for a getaway to the Portuguese capital, will know that Pastéis de Belém are something of an institution, and a gastronomic experience that is not to be missed. Also known as pastel de nata, these egg tart pastries were born in Lisbon but have been exported to all territories which have a Portuguese influence. They are called pastéis de Belém because it is believed that they were created by Catholic nuns at the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (the Hieronymites Monastery) in the Belém district of Lisbon. Being located next to a sugar cane factory obviously aided the nuns but the liberalization movement of the 1820s saw the monasteries close down. By 1834, the laborers and clergy were expelled. In desperate need of work, some […]
Read More5 Less Visited European Destinations That are Worth the Trip
Today I have a guest post that going to push us onto a different path, the less traveled one, as we visit another side of Europe. —- Many of us, who have traveled Europe extensively, know the continent’s greatest and most popular resorts and have grown tired of the tourist traps and overcrowded summer seasons. With so many well established resorts available, it’s easy to overlook some of Europe’s most charming destinations that are just a bit off the beaten path. These are destinations that can offer the same level of services, better views and a guarantee that you will still have the best holiday ever, with a wide range of prices to suit every budget. All the great stuff, but without the melting pot of tourism. So open your hearts and minds and dare to explore Europe all over […]
Read MoreTop 10 Things To Do In London For A Wheelchair User
Today I have a guest post on a topic I know very little about – accessible travel. I take for granted getting up and down stairs, walking down narrow cobblestone streets, and making plans with very little thought. While not every traveler is as carefree with planning their vacation, accessibility is no longer the barrier to travel that it once was. Here’s what you can expect from accessible London —- Many of the tourist attractions in London are wheelchair friendly, although some are unfortunately entirely inaccessible. Here is a list of what I feel are the top ten wheelchair friendly things to do in London, but if you have something else in mind that does not appear on this list, just call ahead to check accessibility or to organize special assistance. Calling ahead is particularly important if you are travelling […]
Read MoreThe Louvre: A Love Affair With Art
The Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world, and most trips to Paris (at least first trips) include a visit to this famous spot located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement (map). The building, originally a palace, is now home to some of the world’s most famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Aphrodite/Venus de Milo. The museum opened to the public in 1793, and since then the collections have grown to their current number of over 380,000. It’s not the largest art collection in the world, but most art historians agree that it is the finest. The main buildings of the Louvre look rather fortress-like with iron gates around it. The real treasure lie within the gates, much like it must have been when it was […]
Read MoreLondon Bridge in London & Lake Havasu
Do you remember singing this as a child: London Bridge is falling down, Falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, My fair lady. I sure do. But when I sang it, I had no idea what London Bridge was really all about or where it was – other than London, I mean.. So what’s the real scoop? London Bridge crosses over the River Thames connecting London and Southwark. This is city central, with lots of London hotels and attractions nearby, and is a busy spot in the city. Although London Bridge is often confused with the Tower Bridge, it is actually located between the Tower and the Cannon Street Railway Bridge. London Bridge has actually been a succession of bridges, with many incarnations occupying the same space and the same name. In the mid 1960’s, the then […]
Read MoreAn Italian Retrospective
It’s with mixed feelings that I’m back in Seattle after three and a half weeks in Italy. It’s always good to come back home, of course, but there is a part of me that was left behind, waiting patiently until I come back to claim it. The pace was both busy and leisurely, with a day or two of activity followed by a day or two of rest. Leisure days were spent by the pool, taking naps, drinking wine, eating pasta and lots of gelato. Activity days were full of exploring, sightseeing, discovering new things, and lots and lots of walking to counteract all that pasta, gelato, and wine. It was the perfect combination of Adventure Holidays and Walking holidays, with plenty of rest to get ready for it all. Here are some of the highlights of the trip: Climbing […]
Read MoreClimbing Mt. Etna: MJ vs. the Volcano
One of the things that I was excited to do in Sicily was climbing Mt. Etna. At approximately 10,922 feet high, this largest active volcano in Europe was visible from the back deck of our villa. Every morning I’d take a look at how beautiful it was, it’s very top visible in the earlier morning hours, and then watch as the clouds circled about it come mid-morning. The presence of Mt. Etna, along with its history – both true and legend, dominates the island of Sicily, Make no mistake about it, this is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. This decade alone has seen two major eruptions, in 2001 and 2002, both of which caused damage to both the mountain and surrounding areas. The three of us were all interested in climbing Mt. Etna, and our choice […]
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