As the morning sun was shining down on us on May 22, 2014 we started our explorations of Vienna with a visit to the Naschmarkt, …
An Evening in Old Town Vienna with a Visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Graben and Hotel Sacher
It was getting late as we arrived back in Vienna in our speed boat after our excursion to Bratislava. We took the subway into the …
A Visit to Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava
After having explored the compact medieval city core of Bratislava I still had about four hours left until our boat was going to depart back …
Exploring the Medieval Streets of Old Town Bratislava
Bratislava has a very compact historic centre while the outskirts of the city are characterized by a large agglomeration of Communist-era buildings. Having explored downtown …
A Speed Boat Trip to Bratislava and a Sightseeing Tour in a Little Red Fire Truck
The weather in Vienna couldn’t have been any better on May 21, 2014 when we embarked on another day of explorations. On this day, we …
The Prater – Vienna’s Amusement Park, the Belvedere, Schönbrunn Castle and an Evening in Grinzing
Continuing my explorations of Vienna on a sunny May 20, 2014 I wanted to go from the first district downtown to the Prater, the city’s …
Exploring Vienna’s Ringstrasse, the Votivkirche, the Burgtheater, Hofgarten and Burggarten
The Ringstrasse, Vienna’s opulent boulevard, features a large collection of impressive historicist buildings from the second half of the 19th century. After passing by the …
Viennese Discoveries at the Karlskirche, the Vienna Secession Building, the Vienna State Opera and the Ringstrasse
Another gorgeous day was in store for us on May 20, 2014. While my brother and sister-in-law went hiking in the Vienna Woods I set …
La Maison de L’Ile in Hawkesbury and the Old Jail of L’Orignal
My last day in Champlain Township in Eastern Ontario began with a relaxing breakfast at the Abadin Bed and Breakfast. Hosts Shirley and Ed were …
Vankleek Hill: A Visit to Garden Path Homemade Soap and Beau’s Octoberfest
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in early October, local expert Louise Sproule and I continued our explorations of Vankleek Hill and the surrounding area. We …
Vankleek Hill: The Stores on High Street, Historic Murals and Victorian Heritage
During a walk on High Street, the main street of Vankleek Hill, I got to meet several of the local merchants and I admired the historic murals that
Vankleek Hill, Ontario’s Gingerbread Capital: Visiting the Farmers Market, the Higginson Tower, the Arbor Gallery and the Vankleek Hill Museum
On our way from L’Orignal to Vankleek Hill, local expert Jacques des Besquets stopped the car in several strategic spots so I could get some …
A Visit to Abadin Bed and Breakfast, Dinner in Hawkesbury and a Walking Tour of l’Orignal
On the first weekend of October 2013 I embarked on another Ontario excursion – this time to Eastern Ontario, more precisely the Ottawa Valley and …
New York City Discoveries: The South Street Seaport, West Village and Greenwich Village
After my explorations on Wall Street I arrived at the South Street Seaport, a historic area on the east side of Manhattan, just south of …
Exploring Lower Manhattan: St. Paul’s Chapel, the Freedom Tower, Trinity Church and Wall Street
Walking south along Broadway I continued my tour of Lower Manhattan until I reached St. Paul’s Chapel. Constructed in 1764, this is the oldest surviving …
New York City: A Visit to the US Open, Exploring Foley Square and the Woolworth Building
New York City is an amazing destination for sports fans. Baseball fans can enjoy watching the New York Yankees and the New York Mets; basketball …
The Town of Catskill is Full of Cats
During our explorations of the Hudson Valley we made a stop at Catskill Point, located in the town of the same name at the confluence …
Historic Towns along the Hudson River: Coxsackie, Athens and the Rip van Winkle Bridge
Continuing our explorations in the Catskills region, we drove to Coxsackie, a historic town on the banks of the mighty Hudson River. The strange-sounding name …
A Little Bit of Germany in the Catskills: The Historic Bavarian Manor Country Inn
Sports travel is an important part of the tourism industry, and people travel far and wide to attend football, baseball, hockey or basketball games and …
Oakville, a Scenic Destination with a Great Waterfront
The sun was shining on a nice Saturday in September when I embarked on another local excursion, this time to Oakville, Ontario, located about 20 …
Exploring Lake Simcoe: Keswick, Jacksons Point and Sibbald Point
On a gorgeous Friday morning in early September of 2013 I decided to go on a driving tour and explore some destinations close to home. …
La Maison de L’Ile in Hawkesbury and the Old Jail of L’Orignal
My last day in Champlain Township in Eastern Ontario began with a relaxing breakfast at the Abadin Bed and Breakfast. Hosts Shirley and Ed were …
Vankleek Hill: A Visit to Garden Path Homemade Soap and Beau’s Octoberfest
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in early October, local expert Louise Sproule and I continued our explorations of Vankleek Hill and the surrounding area. We …
Vankleek Hill: The Stores on High Street, Historic Murals and Victorian Heritage
After our tasty lunch at Vert Fourchette, local expert Louse Sproule – the publisher of “The Review”, the award winning local newspaper – took me …
Vankleek Hill, Ontario’s Gingerbread Capital: Visiting the Farmers Market, the Higginson Tower, the Arbor Gallery and the Vankleek Hill Museum
On our way from L’Orignal to Vankleek Hill, local expert Jacques des Besquets stopped the car in several strategic spots so I could get some …
Champlain Township: A Visit to Abadin Bed and Breakfast, Dinner in Hawkesbury and a Walking Tour of l’Orignal
On the first weekend of October 2013 I embarked on another Ontario excursion – this time into Eastern Ontario, more precisely the Ottawa Valley and …
Vienna Attractions: the Hofburg Palace, the Bermuda Triangle & the Museumsquartier
On our first day in Vienna, May 19, 2014 we continued our walk through the first district to the Michaelerplatz (St. Michael’s Square) which faces …
Arrival in Vienna: Exploring the Stadtpark, St. Stephens Cathedral and the Graben
After a couple of exciting days in Venice I boarded the train at the Santa Lucia railway station and headed north to Austria, my native …
Discoveries of Venice: the Rialto Bridge, Canale Grande, the Piazza San Marco and Giudecca Island
The weather was absolutely brilliant on May 17, 2014 when I started my explorations of Venice. I only had one full day in “La Serenissima”, …
Discovering Brussels on a Layover to Venice
During my 6 hours layover on the way to Venice, I decided to leave the Brussels Airport, take the train and explore the Belgian capital to see some of the main sights such as the Groote Markt, the Galeries Saint Hubert, the Cathedral, the Royal Palace and the Palace of Justice.
Fantastic Architecture in Asheville: the Jackson Building, Grove Arcade and the Basilica of St. Lawrence
Asheville, North Carolina, has a great collection of early 20th century architecture. After a day of rain and ugly weather I made it my mission …
A Trolley Tour through Asheville, North Carolina
In the northern part of the US and Canada, spring often arrives very late; cold and grey weather can last into April and sometimes even …
Exploring San Miguel de Allende: Visiting the Instituto Allende, the Parque Juarez and the Santa Cruz del Chorro Chapel
After a night of pretty heavy fever I woke up with major congestion and a headache on March 2, 2014. It was another brilliant day …
La Hacienda Purisima de Jalpa – Rural Boutique Hotel Luxury
I had thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Organic Market of San Miguel de Allende. Around 1 pm I was picked up and driven to …
A Visit to the Organic Market of San Miguel de Allende
The sun was beaming down on March 1, 2014 when I took the bus into downtown San Miguel de Allende. I jumped off at the …
The Trendy Hotels of San Miguel de Allende
Prior to my trip I had contacted the local tourism office of San Miguel de Allende, and they had been extremely helpful in developing a …
A Trolley Tour to Get Acquainted with San Miguel de Allende
After a restful night I started my first full day – March 1, 2014 – in San Miguel de Allende with a nice breakfast that …
Winter Escapes: A Trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Mexico has long been one of my favourite destinations and I have spent some time studying Spanish in Cuernavaca and Guadalajara. Mexcio happens to be …
Medical Travel: Bimini Colt & the Healing Powers of the Wieliczka Salt Mine – Part 2
In Part 1 of this interview, Bimini Colt already shared with us her past travel experiences and a previous trip to Switzerland that helped save her …
Medical Travel: Bimini Colt & the Healing Powers of the Wieliczka Salt Mine – Part 1
Many times before, Facebook has put me in contact with really interesting people, and that is exactly how Bimini Colt and I connected. Early this …
Costa Rica Travel: An Excursion to Tamarindo
After nine days of excursions and many early morning departures with our Caravan tour of Costa Rica, the itinerary on February 15, 2013 was completely …
Costa Rica Travel: Lunch in Tilaran and Arrival at the 5-Star JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort
After our rainforest tour of Arenal Hanging Bridges and a drive around Lake Arenal we stopped for lunch in the small country town of Tilaran …
Costa Rica Travel: Experiencing the Rainforest at Arenal Hanging Bridges
The Arenal area of Costa Rica had really impressed me with it lush scenery and the gorgeous Arenal Springs Resort with the domineering Arenal Volcano …
Costa Rica Travel: Exploring La Fortuna and Wildlife at Arenal Natura
After my enjoyable walking tour of the Arenal Springs Resort, I connected with my travel partner around mid-day and we booked a taxi to go …
Costa Rica Travel: A Tropical Paradise at the Arenal Springs Resort
Following our three days on the Pacific side of Costa Rica, we had spent a restful night at the luxurious Arenal Springs Hotel. When I …
Exploring Buenos Aires: The Retiro Train Station, Plaza San Martin, Calle Florida and Galerias Pacifico
Following a nice day-time visit to Tigre, I took the “tren de la costa” (the coastal train) all the way back to its last stop, …
Buenos Aires Excursions: A Train Trip to Tigre
Visiting large cities is one of my favourite things to do, and Buenos Aires is certainly among the most interesting cities in the world. But …
A Visit to the Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery and the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden
Argentina is a country of immigrants, starting in the 16th century with Spanish colonization, and continuing with a huge wave of migration from Italy, Spain …
Buenos Aires Adventures: A Graffiti Bicycle Tour and Dinner in Palermo
I had thoroughly enjoyed my morning explorations in Buenos Aires’ La Boca neighbourhood and had even caught a live tango show. In the afternoon it …
Buenos Aires Adventures: Tango in La Boca, Exploring the Caminito and the Parque Lezama
One of the most colourful areas in Buenos Aires is undoubtedly La Boca. This working class district was first settled in the late 1800s when …
Warsaw Discoveries: Umschlagplatz, New Town, Old Town and the Royal Castle
After four exciting and densely packed days in Krakow, I had arrived at the luxurious 5-star Hyatt Regency Hotel in Warsaw, which has a great …
Exploring Krakow: A Visit to Nowa Huta, the Slowacki Theatre and St. Mary’s Basilica
My time in Krakow was quickly coming to an end, but before my afternoon train to Warsaw I still wanted to get to know some …
Bicycling in Buenos Aires: A Visit to the Plaza de Mayo, Reserva Ecologica, Puerto Madero, San Telmo
On November 5, 2011 our bicycle tour group with Biking Buenos Aires had already seen the famous Recoleta Cemetery and the Plaza San Martin with …
Bicycling in Buenos Aires: The Recoleta Cemetery, the Plaza de las Naciones Unidas and the Plaza San Martin
After a couple of days in Buenos Aires, this was the day for deepening my knowledge of the Argentine capital. To do so I had …
Presenting: Ingrid Folkers and Her Inspiring Story of the Camino de Santiago – Part 2
In Part 1 of this interview Ingrid Folkers told us a bit about why she decided to embark on an 800 km pilgrimage on the …
Presenting: Ingrid Folkers and Her Inspiring Story of the Camino de Santiago – Part 1
Ingrid Folkers and I connected via Facebook some time ago and we realized we that we both share the same birth country – Austria – …
Paris Travel: My Last Outing to Vincennes
April 25, 2012 was my last day in Paris and I was planning to embark on one more excursion before heading out to the airport. …
Paris Museums: Immigration Museum, Sewer Museum & a Visit to the Gare de Lyon & Promenade Plantee
So far, my stay in Paris had been very enjoyable and interesting, despite all the rainy weather. Well, not surprisingly, April 24, 2012 was another …
Loire Valley Discoveries: A Walking Tour of Tours and a Return to Paris with a Visit to La Madeleine
The weather during my spring visit to the Loire Valley just did not want to cooperate much as April 24, 2012 was also a pretty …
An Excursion to the Loire Valley: the Chateau de Chenanceau, Chateau d’Amboise, Clos Luce with its Connection to Leonardo da Vinci
On April 23, 2012 I had an out-of-town excursion planned from Paris: a train trip to the historic city of Tours, which is located right …
Discoveries of Paris: Notre Dame Cathedral, Tour St. Jacques, City Hall & the Marais
After my adventures in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, one of Paris’ most beautiful urban parks, I hopped on the Metro again and exited on …
Buffalo Travel – Art Deco Splendor at the Buffalo City Hall, Lofts on Pearl & Lunch at the Pearl Street Grill
After visiting two iconic destinations on the outskirts of Buffalo (the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Garden and the imposing Our Lady of Victory Basilica) …
Buffalo Travel: The Splendour of Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna
After our colourful visit at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens we did not have to go far to our next destination: a few …
Buffalo Travel: A Splendid Natural Oasis at the Buffalo Botanical Gardens
September 23, 2013 was our last day in Buffalo and we had a few more hours to explore Western New York State’s metropolis. We started …
Buffalo Travel: The Forest Lawn Cemetery and Dinner at the Blue Monk
As the sun came out we continued our walking tour of the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo and admired the large collection of mausoleums and …
Buffalo Travel: Exploring the Elmwood Village and the Forest Lawn Cemetery
After our architectural education during the Open Air Bus tour of Buffalo, we arrived back in the Elmwood Village and headed for lunch to Ahskers …
Buffalo Travel: A Buffalo Architecture Tour in an Open-Air Bus
Our third day in Buffalo was a bit windy and cool, but we were off on another great adventure: an open-air bus tour with OpenAirBuffalo, …
Buffalo Travel: Outstanding Modern Art at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery
On this rainy day in Buffalo we continued our program with a trip to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the city’s modern and contemporary art museum. …
European Travel: Top European River Cruise Ideas for Christmas 2014
Christmas river cruises are becoming increasingly popular in Europe, particularly among American travelers. What sets these special journeys apart from others is that they offer …
European River Cruises Explained
European river cruises are a great option for exploring the historic cities and regions of Europe. This continent is criss-crossed by a number of large …
Presenting: Shirley and Ed from Abadin B&B in L’Orignal, Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario, particularly the Ottawa River Valley, is an area I have wanted to explore for quite some time now. Located between Ottawa and Montreal, …
Buffalo Travel: The Hotel Lafayette – An Astounding Transformation from Flophouse to Architectural Jewel
Day 2 in Buffalo was a rainy day, but we had a great indoor program: a visit to the historic Hotel Layafette which was opened …
Buffalo Travel: Dinner at the Pearl Street Grill & a Walk to Buffalo’s Theater District
After our extended explorations of Canalside, Buffalo’s recently revitalized waterfront district, we were now ready for dinner and chose to head to the Pearl Street …
Buffalo Travel: Exploring Canalside and Going Inside Silo City
As a passionate architecture lover, I am always on the lookout for great destinations that feature historic architecture. With a home base in Toronto, I …
Zurich Switzerland – Exploring the Old Town: Grossmünster, Fraumünster, Lindenhof Hill
May 15, 2013 was my last full day in Switzerland and my amazing month-long adventure in Europe was rapidly coming to an end. The 120 …
Zurich Switzerland: Riding on the Dolderbahn, a Visit to the Zürichhorn & the Chinese Garden and a Final Dinner
On my last day in Europe I only had about six hours to explore Zurich, Switzerland. By mid-afternoon I had explored both the east and …
Bern Switzerland: Exploring the Minster, Bern City Hall & the Botanical Garden
During my explorations of Bern Switzerland on May 14, 2013 I left the Old Town, crossed the River Aare on the Nydeggbrücke and arrived at …
Bern Switzerland: Explorations in the Old Town – the Zytglogge and Marktgasse
In the morning of May 14, 2013, before departing for Bern,Switzerland, I had a chance to sit down with Rene Klopfer, who is the owner …
An Electric Bicycle Tour of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and Dinner in the Mountains above Interlaken
Finally, on May 13, 2013, my last full day in Interlaken, the weather had improved just a little bit, which was important for my plans …
Salzkammergut Discoveries: Hallstatt in the Rain, a Hike by the Toplitzsee Lake and Lunch in Bad Aussee
On May 7, 2013, we started our drive back south from the Upper Austrian Salzkammergut region to Styria. It started out as a rainy and …
Discoveries in the Bernese Highlands: A Visit to Meiringen and Thun
Following my visit to the Ballenberg Open Air Museum on May 12, 2013, I drove to the small village of Meiringen, the location of the …
Salzkammergut Discoveries: A Visit to the Attersee, Bad Goisern and the Imperial Villa in Bad Ischl
Our Salzkammergut tour on May 6, 2013 took us from St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen past the Mondsee lake to the Attersee, another picturesque Alpine …
Swiss History in Action: The Open Air Museum of Ballenberg
May 12, 2013 was another rainy day and I was originally planning to go biking that day. But with the bad weather I decided to …
Salzkammergut Discoveries: St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee Lake
On an initially cloudy May 6, 2013, we started our excursion of the Austrian Salzkammergut lake district. From Bad Ischl we drove to St. Wolfgang, …
Interlaken Adventures: A Train Ride on the Jungfraubahn & a Visit to Brienz and Interlaken
May 11, 2013 started out as another overcast, grey and drizzly day. On this day I had big plans: a trip up to the famous …
A Story of Transformation & a Second Career: Ken Faulkner – From Banker in England to Holiday Rental Owner in Austria
I am always fascinating with stories of how people reorganize their lives and start a completely new second career later in life, particularly when this …
Canadian History Travel Destinations: Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver
Our first article in this series already covered the historic cities of Halifax, Quebec City and Montreal. Moving westwards from the east coast, Canada has …
Canadian History Travel Destinations: Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal
Canada has some amazing history travel opportunities. Let us start on the east side of the country, with three of Canada’s oldest and most historic …
US History Travel Destinations: San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Charleston, Savannah
In our previous article we introduced you to a few select history travel destinations in New York City, Chicago, Boston and Detroit. Here is the …
US History Travel Destinations: New York City, Boston, Chicago and Detroit
History travel is an amazing way to learn first-hand about significant events in the past. These destinations, New York City, Boston, Chicago and Detroit, offer …
Interlaken Discoveries: Lunch on the Harder Kulm, Souvenirshop Zryd and a Chocolate Show
With our impromptu visit to the Grand Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau complete, we strolled by a series of historic hotels on the main street of Interlaken during …
Interlaken Discoveries: Unterseen, the Bödelibad, the Kurpark and the Iconic Hotel Jungfrau-Victoria
Following a soggy evening in Lucerne, I checked out of my hotel in Beckenried and got on the highway during the morning of May 10, …
Lucerne in the Rain: Still one of Switzerland’s Jewels
After a few gorgeous hours on Lake Lucerne, it was now late afternoon on May 9, 2013, when I finally drove into Lucerne. As I …
Sorrento Travel: Villa La Terraza, La Sorgente Agriturismo and a Visit to Massa Lubrense and Sant’Agata
April 26 was my last full day in Sorrento and in the morning I moved from the Hotel La Favorita, which was fully booked, to …
The Island of Capri: Villa Jovis, the Natural Arch, Anacapri and Monte Solaro
I had been really lucky so far – the weather in Sorrento had just been absolutely perfect, and April 25, 2013 was another magnificent day. …
Sorrento Travel: An Electric Bicycle Tour to Villa Nella
On April 24, 2013 I started another gorgeous day with a stroll through the narrow medieval alleyways of old Sorrento and watched as the locals …
Presenting: Eva Schreiner – Camping & Female Solo Travel Expert – Part 2
Part 1 of this interview already introduced you to Eva Schreiner, a very interesting and adventurous woman from Constance, Germany. Eva and I met while …
Presenting: Eva Schreiner – Camping Expert & Female Solo Traveller – Part 1
One of the wonderful things about travel is the people you just coincidentally bump into and have a connection with. One such individual is Eva …
Salzkammergut Travel: A Visit to Traunkirchen and Bad Ischl
After our explorations of the pretty town of Gmunden we drove south on the west side of the Traunsee and stopped at Traunkirchen, a beautiful …
Salzkammergut Travel: Discoveries of Gmunden, Seeschloss Ort and the Traunsee Lake
In the morning of May 5, 2013, my brother, sister-in-law and I departed early from Styria for a two-day excursion to the Salzkammergut Region, the …