In the irresistible city of Inverness, Scotland, an enviable selection of bed and breakfasts can easily immobilize you into a state of inertia when trying to decide which one to make your home. One B&B seems as charming as the next, they’re all in great locations, and you simply can’t make up your mind. Let me make it easy for you: Book your stay at the Ardconnel House. Read more >
Tag Archives: Europe
Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens: An Amusement Park for All Ages
One of Copenhagen’s most visited attractions has a multiple personality…well, I would hardly call it a disorder. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. A multiple personality salubrity, perhaps? Tivoli Gardens is every child’s fantasy, a panoply of diversions for teenagers, and a fanciful urban oasis for adults. At night, lovers inevitably grow all saccharine amid the fairytale lighting, and travelers of every age will be enthralled by an amusement park smack in the middle of one of Scandinavia’s largest cities. Read more about this venue that has something for everyone >
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Ambling Around One of the World’s Most Beautiful Gardens at Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry, Ireland
One of the best things about Dublin, Ireland, is the ease with which you can reach other destinations outside this hectic metropolis, whether it’s another city, like Belfast, or the famed Irish countryside. I took advantage of the abundant connections by hopping on a double-decker bus to the village of Enniskerry to see the famous gardens at Powerscourt Estate — 47 acres of spectacular grounds, including Italian and Japanese gardens, the tallest tree in Ireland, and a pet cemetery that includes a tombstone for a 17-year-old-cow named Eugenie. Read more>
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Split’s Marjan Hill: Perfect View, No Tourists
For a fantastic view of the second-largest city in Croatia, I headed to the top of the ancient St. Domnius Cathedral. From the observation level, I was enchanted by everything around and below me, but I was also attracted to the big green hill off to the right, a tremendous contrast to the built environment next to it. This was Marjan Hill, and the view of Split from the top of it proved to be even better than the one I was enjoying at that moment. Read more >
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Tulip Mania at Keukenhof
I’ve booked vacations around available time off from my job, around seasonal weather in my destinations, around fluctuating airfares and hotel rates. But only once did I plan a vacation around a flower.
Spring in the Netherlands is all about the tulip. Given the fairly short lifespan of this iconic flower in the country that sparked the “Tulipomania” in the 1630s that nearly ruined it, I had little leeway in the weeks I wanted to spend here. So, with some careful planning, I arrived at the best time of year, when tulips of all varieties and colors greeted me wherever I went — in parks, markets, planters, and shop windows. But it wasn’t until I visited Europe’s largest garden, Keukenhof, and its seven million flowers that I truly appreciated my good timing. Read more >
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First-rate Dining at Café Christiania in Oslo, Norway
Consistently ranked at or near the top of lists of the most expensive cities in the world, Oslo can easily break your budget. While you’ll want enough money to last throughout your entire trip, you won’t want frugality to prevent you from enjoying the finer things that this friendly city offers. The key is balance. For instance, you can spend your day ice skating at the free rink in the middle of the city and admiring the 212 bronze and granite sculptures in fee-less Vigeland Park while snacking on excellent cheese and bread from a local grocer, then put all the krone you saved into a superb dinner. And one of the best restaurants to enjoy that superior meal is Café Christiana. Read more >
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Unexpected Masterpieces in the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art
I didn’t know any of their names, and I had never seen their works before. But the artists exhibited in the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art in Zagreb completely captivated me, particularly because just about all of them had never received any formal training or schooling. Despite that, these naïve artists, akin to folk or so-called primitive artists, have created a unique style with their use of striking colors and a common disregard for distance perspective. This museum is easy to miss, and its collection is fairly small, but it’s also one of the most surprisingly delightful and impressive in the capital of Croatia. Read more >
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Five Train Stations That Will Make You Rethink Flying
Not that long ago, when travel by train was the preferred and quickest way to embark on a vacation or business trip, railroad companies made sure their passengers were impressed by and made comfortable in their stations, whether it was a charming small-town depot or a massive big-city terminal. Many of these stations are still in use today, offering a far more pleasant experience than generic, isolated airports with countless hassles, endless lines, and crushing rules and regulations. Although some have been repurposed to function as everything but what they were originally intended for, they remain architectural jewels in our urban landscape. These are my five favorite train stations in the world. Read more >
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Lake Bled Remains a Romantic Idyll in Any Weather
Slovenia is one of the greenest countries in Europe, thanks to its also being one of the wettest — a challenge to my plans to take in one of the most idyllic places on the continent after a week in brilliantly sunny Croatia next door. Ultimately, Mother Nature did not cooperate, but even a cloudy day at Lake Bled proved to be magical. Read more >
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Life in Bronze and Granite in Oslo’s Vigeland Park
In a city that is continually ranked as one of the world’s most expensive, it’s a wise idea to give your credit cards a little breather and take advantage of anything that doesn’t charge a fee in Oslo, Norway. One of the best krone-free venues is Vigelandsparken. Oslo teems with statues, but Vigeland Park takes it a step further, showcasing more than 200 sculptures by acclaimed artist Gustav Vigeland, earning it the honor of being the world’s largest sculpture park made by one artist. Read more >
Stephen Travels 