Filling the valley between the mountains with blue-white light. Vatnajökull Glacier in Iceland is the largest glacier in Europe, covering eight percent of Iceland’s landmass. This glacier looms in the distance. It appears to breathe, a living organism. I can imagine it shape-shifting under its own weight, a moving sea of many century’s old ice. […]
Blue is the Color! Iceland’s Monumental Glaciers Read More »
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
Chasing Waterfalls in Iceland: My Three Most Beautiful Picks Read More »
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
The Amazing Story of the Remarkable “Herring Girls” of Siglufjörður Read More »
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
Iceland’s Once in a Lifetime Blue Lagoon Experience Read More »
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
Beautiful, Macabre and Delicious Otranto on The Italian Stiletto Read More »
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.
Visit Italy: See These Spectacular Ruins of Ancient Greece Read More »
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
Trulli Unique: My Top Reasons to Visit Alberobello Read More »
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
Poland’s Buried Treasure: The Grandeur of the Wieliczka Salt Mines Read More »
This is a difficult post to write. It should be. The inconceivable horrors that took place here, and in over 450 other concentration camps in Poland alone, are memorialized on a scale equal to the evil of their complex, messianic perpetrators. The people of Poland and the Baltic countries do not doubt that this evil
Walking Among the Ghosts of Auschwitz-Birkenau Read More »
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
The Mysterious and Miraculous Black Madonna of Czestochowa Read More »