The morning dawns cool and clear, a lovely respite from the heat of my apartment for the month in Florence. As I make my way down to my hotel lobby, I am asked if I want breakfast inside or out on the terrace. The answer is a no-brainer, and my cappuccino and I make our…
For years, whenever I was asked if I liked everywhere I traveled, my stock answer was, “Except Naples. Naples sucks.” I spent a single day in Naples in 2009 as part of a western Mediterranean cruise, and while I only really saw the city between the cruise terminal and train station (on my way to…
It tastes different here. I say that after my first bite of perhaps the most simple pizza I’ve ever consumed in my life. Just a basic crust, tomato, basil, and an amount of cheese I’d have never thought could satisfy my desire for the stuff… and I find myself closing my eyes after every mouthful,…
Editor’s note: sometimes the best destinations are those nearest to home. This is a lovely few-day itinerary for Ventura, California from Jackie. For more of her trip ideas, click here to visit her index page! Most of us enjoy the peacefulness of the beach, watching and listening to the waves, watching sea birds and just…
Editor’s note: I have to admit that my experience in the Twin Cities is rather limited, having only been here for a wedding as an adult, and to visit the Mall of America as a child. Perhaps it is time for a return trip, especially to eat some of the amazing food Sam describes in…
It is impossible to overstate just how overwhelming Rome is. There is so much to do and see, both in terms of sights we all know about, and just in walking around and stumbling across something amazing. The city is chaotic, fast-moving, unpredictable. There are tourists everywhere in the center, and navigating around them physically…
It is easy to see why this place has been a retreat for Rome’s elite since imperial days. Tivoli, a small town in the hills about twenty miles outside the city, is - quite literally - a breath of fresh air from the chaotic Italian capital. Today a town of about 50,000 (although walking around…
Editor’s note: Sam Spector captures his take on a place I’ve written about a lot: Cincinnati. My father has lived outside Cincinnati for years, so I am in the area frequently. For a full guide on the city, click here for the Ultimate Guide to Cincinnati. And for more of Sam’s writing, click here to…
It’s a tale as old as time, one seemingly repeated everywhere I go. Jews settle in a place, and all is well for a while. Then we become scapegoats, used by the political powers as outsiders, as people to blame for whatever is going on. This escalates into forced conversions, ghettos, expulsions, and attempted exterminations.…
There is, perhaps, no more famous symbol of Ireland than Guinness. The dark, almost black, stout beer has been exported to all corners of the globe, an ambassador in a glass for the country and for Dublin, its home city. And although the traditional Irish pub long predates this famous beverage - and would exist…