abroadtravelingabroad

Chasing Waterfalls in Iceland: My Three Most Beautiful Picks

Leave a Comment / Blogging, Natural Wonders, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel, Videos / Pamelahawthorne

The country has over three thousand NAMED waterfalls and countless unnamed. They thunder over rocky mega-crevasses left by million year old volcanic eruptions. Deafening. Hypnotic. Intimidating. These are Iceland’s “Foss” or falls which, along with their fjords and the glaciers, define the country’s landscape. Here are three of my favorites: Seljalandsfoss This 1.2-mile out-and-back trail […]

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The Amazing Story of the Remarkable “Herring Girls” of Siglufjörður

Leave a Comment / Blogging, Natural Wonders, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

How do you like your herring? Brined, pickled, smoked? Me? I prefer mine brought to my table marinating in cream in some swanky, upper East Side restaurant. Today, these tasty little fish are processed and packed by machines, but up until fifty years ago, this arduous work was done by the hands of women…from young

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Iceland’s Once in a Lifetime Blue Lagoon Experience

Leave a Comment / Blogging, Europe, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

Iceland’s thermal pools and hot springs are soul nourishing, skin rejuvenating and simply beautiful. There are many to explore in Iceland… Sky Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Myvatn Nature Baths. Start with Blue Lagoon. After landing at Keflavik Airport, hop on a shuttle straight into the heart of Reykjavík (there are a handful of shuttle companies that

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Beautiful, Macabre and Delicious Otranto on The Italian Stiletto

Leave a Comment / Blogging, Europe, Food and Wine, Shopping, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

The southeasternmost point the Italian Stiletto, Otranto has been a target for invaders and crusaders both. Otranto is a great day trip from anywhere in the Puglia region with charming shops, fascinating history and (very important!) many reasonable restaurant choices facing the crystal, azure waters of the Adriatic just south of Brindisi. Otranto is as

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Visit Italy: See These Spectacular Ruins of Ancient Greece

3 Comments / Blogging, Europe, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

Along the heel of Italy’s famous boot, in the region of Apulia you will find Paestum. A major ancient Greek city on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Magna Graecia in the Province of Salerno. Very different from Pompeii, Paestum’s ruins are smaller, older, more Greek and – crucially – a lot less overrun.

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Trulli Unique: My Top Reasons to Visit Alberobello

2 Comments / Blogging, Europe, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

At first glance, this community of conical dwellings looks like the predecessor of our modern day “tiny homes.” Situated in the Puglia region of southern Italy, the city of Alberobello houses the largest collection of homes built in the trullo architectural style. The original trulli date back to prehistoric times. But the most ancient trulli

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My Simple, Practical Tips on How Not to Look Like a Tourist Abroad

2 Comments / Africa, Asia, Blogging, Europe, Middle East, Solo Travel, Travel Resources / Pamelahawthorne

First, why is this important? As a solo female traveler, especially if you like going “off the grid” to explore on your own, you’re less conspicuous. Pickpockets are a factor in every large city, here and abroad. Also, there are cultural norms which, as a woman traveling in a different country, merit your attention. Here

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Poland’s Buried Treasure: The Grandeur of the Wieliczka Salt Mines

Leave a Comment / Blogging, Europe, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

The Wieliczka Salt Mines. A thousand feet deep, 200 miles of passageways first dug with hand tools by salt miners beginning in the 13th century when salt was precious as silver. Magnificent carvings in grey salt rocks. Chandeliers carved from salt crystals. There are over twenty separate chapels in the mine dating from the 17th

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The Mysterious and Miraculous Black Madonna of Czestochowa

Leave a Comment / Blogging, Europe, Holidays, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel, Uncategorized / Pamelahawthorne

Easter Sunday just outside of Krakow in Europe’s most Catholic country. This most important holiday is a celebration of food, family and worship. No shops are open and even the picnic tables at the monastery of Jasna Gora have been removed. Bells peal from the towers as we enter the small sanctuary where the Madonna

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The Hill of the Crosses: A Triumph of Relentless Faith

1 Comment / Blogging, Europe, Sights to See, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

It’s a simple shrine. Just outside of the northern city of Sialuliai, Lithuania on a hilly expanse of cleared land, forested on one side and bordered by streams; a monument like no other I’ve see. It’s origin is a mystery. It is a holy place. Thousands of metal and wooden crosses draped with rosaries, medals

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