How to Sleep Like a Baby on Long Flights

There are two types of travelers, those who nod off moments after “wheels up” and those who spend countless hours worrying about the mysteries of sleeping on long airline flights. I’ve been both and I know the benefits of starting a trip after a nourishing nap on a long flight. Dreamless, not drugged or otherwise made unnaturally unconscious. This assumes that yours is not the ergonomic/temperature controlled/gourmet nourished/ pink-noise lullaby-ed …

O Jerusalem! What You Need to Know Before You Go

Of all the sacred ground on earth, Jerusalem is one of the most prized; its history marked by bloody sieges and transfers of power, leaving wounds too deep to be addressed by politics or priests alone. You can’t possibly see everything, so choose the sites most important to you. Know before you go! Hotel and a Guided Tour First, book a centrally located hotel. If you do this, most sights …

Five Really Cool Facts About the Matterhorn

The Matterhorn which means “peak in the meadows” in German, is a nearly 15,000 foot tall mountain on the border between Switzerland and Italy. K2 and Mount Everest may outshine it in sheer stats but it’s the stuff of legends for any climber worthy of the calling. It looms, majestic and snow covered, purpled in shadows. I visited in the fall while temperatures in the village of Zermatt below were …

The Big Deal about Waterloo, Napoleon and the Butte du Lion

Ever have one of those songs you just cannot get out of your mind? It’s there when you wake up, you find yourself humming it in the grocery store or on the train. People stare. Someone asks, ”What IS that song?” Mine is Waterloo. Made famous by the Swedish rock group ABBA in the 70’s. I recently visited the place behind the song and the legend on a trip through …

The Intimacy of Yad Vachem and Why You Should Visit

Yad Vachem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem is a place of beauty, hope and acknowledgement. It is also a place of unspeakable pain. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, the building is a prism-like structure penetrating Mount Herzi from one side to the other with both ends cantilevering into the open air. I experienced walking through the dark, interior galleries, a warren of small rooms, each purposed to tell …

Can I Drive? How to Rent a Car in Europe

Is the question a little daunting? Understandably yes. Of course you can drive a car in Europe but whether or not you should, based on your travel plans, is another question. More on that in a minute. First, having the freedom to go where you want, when you want is an attractive option for the solo female traveler. Let’s assume you want to explore this option. What’s the process? Is …