There is no question that the medieval walled city of Carcassonne is one of the most unique and beautiful places to see in southwestern France. While the surrounding modern city is home to about 50,000 people now, it is the tiny walled portion that attracts visitors in droves. And it rightly should. This is my…
Cities are never one-dimensional. They aren’t defined by a single aspect, or one industry. And yet, for some - even for some truly major cities - there is one things that stands out above all others for which they are known. Los Angeles and the entertainment industry comes to mind, or Frankfurt and finance. Here…
Editor’s note: I loved my week in Seoul. I wrote about it. It was great. But there is a vast difference between spending a few days as a visitor and living there, as writer Mike shares with us here. For more of Mike’s writing, click here to visit his index page on The Royal Tour,…
Do you all remember last year, when I was invited by Visit St. Maarten to come to their amazing island? I spent a week exploring the history of both the Dutch and French sides, and experiencing some of the culture of the world’s smallest divided landmass. It was amazing, and you can check out my…
Friends, we have done it! After two months in the south of France exploring artists via their national museums and homes, we have reached the final one, at least for this trip. (You can find links to articles about Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-August Renoir, and Marc Chagall by clicking on their names.) Welcome to…
Editor’s note: ramen occupies a place in my heart and in my soul. And while I prefer gourmet ramen, even the instant variety still has meaning in my life. While I have not been to Yokohama, I’ve had incredible ramen experiences all over Japan, but now Sam Spector has inspired a ramen pilgrimage for my…
There is something magical waking up in Toulouse. I emerge from my apartment in the Saint-Etienne district, one of three that makes up the historic Toulouse center, and walk outside. I am immediately greeted by blue skies, briskly moving white clouds in the wind (Toulouse gets almost 300 windy days per year, a result of…
Editor’s note: I’ve never seen an episode of Ozark, but I’m still always game for a beautiful lake and some cool caves. Our resident rock hound. Morgan, offers even more in this awesome glimpse at a place most of us have heard of, but few have visited. For more of Morgan’s writing, click here to…
Toulouse, France isn’t exactly the first city that comes to mind when it comes to places in the world with interesting churches. Rome? Sure. (Click here to read about the churches of Rome.) But Toulouse? Not really. And yet, France’s pink city has some of the more fascinating - and huge - churches I’ve seen…
This is the center of Toulouse. That statement is true both from a literal standpoint - the Place du Capitole is about halfway between the Saint-Etienne cathedral and Saint-Sernin basilica, the two most important religious sites (arguably) in the city - and from a practical one. This is, after all, both Toulouse’s current city hall…