It is amazing how a room full of faces, many of which don’t even have full bodies connected, can be a window into history. But so it is here in Room 1 of the National Portrait Gallery in London. In this narrow room on the third floor of the museum - which is where you…
With my guided tour of Sicily coming to an end, it is time to head to part two of my 2024 Europe trip. I’m flying from Sicily up to Manchester, England to spend several days before moving on to a month in Scotland. I’ve never been to Scotland at all, and even within England I’ve…
Last summer, I spent a bit over two months in Italy. But the entire time was spent on the mainland, ranging from Naples in the south to Milan in the north. I loved my time, loved Italian culture, loved the food. I loved the chaos less. But all in all, it was amazing. So when…
Editor’s note: I spent a month in Portugal, but limited my time to its major cities, Lisbon and Porto. But even traveling between the two, it was apparent that the country had significant natural beauty. So I am grateful that Morgan explored a lot of that on her geological adventures, sharing it with us today.…
The tunnel is dim, barely lit by the lanterns provided to a few members of the tour group. Miles of tunnels are cut through the interior of Mount Saint Peter, a former limestone quarry turned tourist attraction. Both here in the Netherlands and just across the border into Belgium, the area once held more than…
When I was a teen, I decided one day that I was going to read the encyclopedia from start to finish. My family had a World Book set (this dates me, I know), and I picked up the A volume and sat down to begin. As you might imagine, I didn’t get very far, and…
For most Americans, Brussels is not a top-tier European destination. Heck, Belgium as a whole often gets completely skipped over. But while Brussels does not have the volume of sights as a city like London, Rome, or Paris, or the allure of Barcelona or Amsterdam, it is a truly incredible city. Consider, for instance, that…
Sitting roughly halfway between Brussels and Amsterdam, Antwerp, Belgium’s largest city (although Brussels is the much bigger metro area) and one of Europe’s highest volume ports, is a fairly easy day trip from either one. Or you can spend a night (or two) and have a bit longer. But other than being a big city…
My trip to Belgium has been in the works for years. My sister-in-law is a big fan of craft beers (don’t confuse that with a big drinker; I had to offer the disclaimer since my statement read funny to me) and has long said that Belgium has the best beer in the world. (You can…
Of my ten days in Belgium, this was the one I was looking forward to most. Bruges is said to be one of the prettiest and best preserved medieval cities in Europe, let alone in this small country. Formerly an important port city, made rich by merchants, and now mainly a tourist destination, Bruges seems…