Category: Europe
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A City Stay In Lovely Lucerne
As the most populated city in central Switzerland, Lucerne (or sometimes Luzern) is a must see for any visitors working their way through the country. Since we were traveling using the Swiss Train Pass, we stayed at the Waldstaetterhof, a comfortable three-star hotel located only steps away from the main train station. Since we were…
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Visiting Fortress Hohensalzburg
Impossible to miss, Fortress Hohensalzburg dominates the skyline view in Salzburg, Austria. While we originally did not intend to enter the Fortress, I do love a good viewpoint. Plus, the museum was a good way to try to dodge some of the rain we encountered in the city. Although there is a funicular that can…
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Church Hopping in Rome
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- if I do nothing but visit different churches on my next visit to Rome, I’ll be happy. When traveling around Europe, I try to make sure that I visit a church or two- they’re like jewel boxes of art and architecture scattered throughout the city. Even…
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New York Meets Old York
As a born and raised New Yorker, the state’s namesake doesn’t often figure into my trip planning, but knowing that I wanted to explore cities outside of London, I made sure to add York, England to my trip docket this time around. Since it was around the holidays, York was bustling with crowds and there…
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Visiting the Vatican
My visit to Italy was already several weeks into our trip around Europe, and we hadn’t quite gotten around to planning our days the way we should have. This, of course, backfired pretty spectacularly when it came to getting tickets to visit the Vatican with less than a 24 hour’s notice. Cue the frantic googling…
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Hotel Review: Porto- Torel Avantgarde
When I’m in the mood to stay at a hotel, nothing does it for me quite like a boutique hotel. Boutique hotels by definition are designed to feel small, intimate, and unique. Our stay at Torel Avantgarde in Porto, Portugal went above and beyond our expectations and to this day remains one of my favorite…
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Museum Spotlight- Wallace Collection
When I was living in London a few years ago, my schedule worked out in such a way that I would often have free time on Wednesday afternoons. “Museum Wednesday” quickly became a beloved tradition that has carried on through the years. London is stuffed to bursting with world class museums, but one of my…
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Brewery Hopping Through Munich’s Big Six
Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival, celebrated worldwide throughout dozens of countries. The original festival celebrated the marriage of Ludwig I’s marriage to Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, and the tradition continues annually to this day. Despite the name, Oktoberfest actually takes place at the end of September, which means that we were not able to…
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Kings and Castles- Visiting Neuschwanstein and Linderhof from Munich
On my last trip to Germany, I disappointed myself by not making time to visit King Ludwig II’s famous Neuschwanstein Castle. On my second trip to the city, this trip was number one on my to-do list. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again! Since we were scheduled to be in Munich over the…
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On Being Lactose Intolerant In Italy
One of the first things people talk about regarding their visit to Italy is the food. Gelato, pizza, pasta, pastry- the list is endless; my self-restraint is not. Now, most people know; no one is more willing to risk it all than a lactose intolerant person facing a tasty, dairy filled treat, but having had…