“Um, Where is Slovenia?”
“Um, where is Slovenia?” I received this question often from Americans while planning a trip to Slovenia, a country which was once part of the former Yugoslavia. The few Americans […]
How to Behave at a California Beach
Oh, summer at the beach! Palm trees, sunny days, and endless sand. It would be so perfect if not for people… As someone who lives at a California beach year-round, […]
Vienna Day Trip: The Pan-European Picnic Memorial
In the summer of 1989, hundreds of East Germans made a dash for freedom at the border crossing between Austria and Hungary.
Salzburg: A Sound of Music Bicycle Tour
A recent conversation between my husband and me: Maureen: “Wouldn’t it be fun to take a Sound of Music bicycle tour when we are in Salzburg?” Husband: “No.” Maureen: “You […]
Books! A Reading List for Austria
Quick quiz: *How did the cafe culture become important in Vienna? *Why did the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand start a war? *How has the music and art of Austria changed […]
Scared to Travel? Go Anyway.
In response to terrorist attacks in recent years, I have seen many blog posts and articles address the question, “Is it safe to travel?” The authors invariably argue that, on balance, […]
Italy: A One-Week Itinerary in the Italian Riviera
A few weeks ago, I promised to stop being lazy about posting itineraries. I just uploaded my second itinerary, which contains suggestions for spending a glorious week in the Italian Riviera. Click […]
The California Super Bloom: A Love Story
Some people LOVE the desert. They enjoy the heat, and they find exquisite beauty in the desert. I do not. As a pasty, white redhead, I was built biologically to live in […]
Wyoming Solar Eclipse 2017: A Watch Party with Mimosas?
Some of you may have read my post Eclipse Frenzy 2017, where I shared the collective insanity surrounding the total solar eclipse that will be visible on August 21, 2017, in […]
Italy: Everyone Enjoys a Good Potato Chip
My husband and I spent two weeks in Italy during April 2016. Here are a few, random things I found charming or interesting, particularly in towns that did not cater […]
