How do you define an old town? For purposes of this post, I define an old town as a separate, distinct part of a modern city that is historical, beautiful, protected from further development, and often holding UNESCO World Heritage designation. London and Paris don’t have old towns, for instance, while Venice and Valletta are …
In late July, two special ladies ratlew across the Atlantic to Latvia. For the first time in my nearly five years of travel, family members were coming to travel with me. My mother, Debbie, and my sister, Sarah. Wait? When did you mention a big family trip?! I didn’t mention it, actually. My mom is conservative when …
The Genealogy Trip: Tracing Our Roots in Latvia, Sicily, and Scotland Read More »
Looking back over the years, my New Year’s celebrations have been mostly low-key, largely unexceptional. Oh, I’ve had some good ones — my Bangkok New Year’s was so much fun, and I’ve had a few memorable nights in Boston — but most of the time the night hasn’t lived up to the hype. It’s hard …
With Christmas freshly finished, I’ve got my next trip planned: Blogmanay! I’ll be celebrating New Year’s in Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh, which I’ve long extolled as one of my favorite cities, has one of the world’s best New Year’s celebrations. People come from all over the world to celebrate Hogmanay. I’ve been invited to be part …
New Year’s in Scotland — It’s Time for BLOGMANAY! Read More »
Edinburgh is famous for its wild and unpredictable weather, categorized by frequent rain showers, fog, and chilly winds — the kind of weather that makes you want to bundle up with a tartan scarf and wile away the day in glorious cafes. Well, most of the time, that is. I happen to have incredible luck …
Throughout the world, I’ve found places that I’ve fallen in love with — perfect beaches, isolated islands, wild and interesting cities of all sizes. New places are constantly being added to my list of favorite places in the world. But could I live there? That requires a whole different set of criteria. In an ideal …
My whirlwind jaunt to Edinburgh was filled with a surprising amount of sightseeing for the short time that I was there. Get enough travel bloggers in one place and that will happen, more often than not! I always recommend visiting a city where your friends live and having them show you their favorite places. It’s …
Haggis is the quintessential Scottish food. And it sounds pretty scary. According to Wikipedia: Haggis is a dish containing sheep’s ‘pluck’ (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal’s stomach for approximately three hours. Yeah…I know. Despite the description, lots of people …
“Bring warm clothes — Scotland is the only place in the UK that makes me shiver!” Anthony told me a few days before we left for Edinburgh. He didn’t have to tell me twice. I packed my new winter coat, two pairs of jeans, and wondered whether I’d be shivering in dresses and leggings. Then …
I guarantee that everyone reading this site has had a memorable travel friendship at some point. And in this modern age, social networks make it easier than ever to keep up these friendships. So, as we technologically dependent individuals ask ourselves so often, HOW DID WE SURVIVE back in the day? And with that, I …