UNESCO Sites in Switzerland
There are 12 UNESCO sites in Switzerland, covering history, architecture and natural wonders, and all of them are well worth seeing. Read about them here!
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28 things to do in Drenthe province
If you’re not from around here, you’ve probably never heard of Drenthe, a province in the east of the Netherlands. When I decided to make a list of things to do in Drenthe, I was surprised at how many there are. Some are a bit odd or obscure, but those are the places I like…
45 things to do in Groningen province
Small museums, historical sites and activities all over the province of Groningen: something for every interest!
10 things to know before moving to Switzerland
A general overview of 10 things you need to know if you are considering moving to Switzerland. Expat life takes a lot of adjustment; this is the first step.
Amsterdam Tulip Museum review
The Amsterdam Tulip Museum is surprisingly interesting, especially when it tells the story of the tulip mania: the Dutch bulb-buying bubble that burst.
Amsterdam Cheese Museum review + all about Dutch cheese!
A review of the Amsterdam Cheese Museum, plus everything you ever wanted to know about Dutch cheese!
Travel-addicted but can’t travel? 3 ways to deal with your wanderlust
Written during the pandemic, but still useful for anyone who loves travel but has to stay home a while.
A complete SAIL Amsterdam 2025 guide
Sail Amsterdam is a massive gathering of ships, from tall ships to rowboats, in the port of Amsterdam every 5 years. Read this complete guide to SAIL Amsterdam!
The Willet-Holthuysen Museum: An elegant Golden Age house in Amsterdam
In Amsterdam, you’ll admire the beautiful canals, lined with elegant Golden Age houses. But have you ever wanted to see the insides? Read here about visiting the Willet-Holthuysen Museum!
Hongik University Street: 6 best things to see
Hongik University Street, also known as Hongdae, is one of the most famous streets in Seoul, South Korea. Here are 6 of the best things to see there!
Ruminations on an Auschwitz Tour
Ruminations on a tour of Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, where Nazis turned genocide into an industrial enterprise, efficiently turning over a million souls to ashes.
The KGB Museum in Riga, Latvia
You could easily miss the KGB Museum in Riga if you didn’t know where to look. Commonly referred to as “the Corner House,” it looks on the outside like a quite stylish residential building. I walked right by it and had to retrace my steps a block or two away. Basically what the KGB did…
10 Must-Visit Singapore Film Locations Seen in Crazy Rich Asians
Read here about 10 incredible film locations in Singapore that were used in the hit movie, Crazy Rich Asians, and then go visit them yourself!
Castle De Haar: An extravagant vision of the medieval
Castle de Haar is one of the most fanciful castles I’ve ever seen, if you discount Sleeping Beauty’s castle at Disneyland. It’s got a moat, a formal garden, towers and turrets galore. Stunningly ornate, especially inside, it’s a medieval princess’s dream. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you click on one of them and…
What to do at Changi Airport, Singapore?
Lots of things to do at Changi Airport in Singapore. It’s a destination in itself!
A Riga City Tour: 10+ things to see in Riga
This could have been a review of a tour that doesn’t actually exist. What I mean is that the Riga city tour I took was sponsored by #LiveRiga, a campaign of the Riga Tourism Development Bureau, but it is not run on a scheduled basis. Rather, our guide, Juris Berze, is a freelance tour guide,…
Tenement Museum tours: A review
Back in 2013, I visited the Tenement Museum in New York City’s Lower East Side and loved it. When I visited again recently for a different tour, well, I didn’t love it. This article combines both reviews, with updated museum information. My family’s immigration history Three of my four grandparents were Ukrainian Jews who immigrated…
Two Latvian food tours
As you’ve probably guessed, I love food. I can’t call myself a foodie, exactly, because I’m not choosy about what food I eat. I’m likely to enjoy whatever national cuisine I try, or at least find it interesting. Generally, I’m happy with anything from street food to chic food. But tasting the difference between one…
Muiderslot Castle (a.k.a. Amsterdam Castle)
I’ve seen a lot of castles in my travels, but Muiderslot Castle is a real classic: a drawbridge over a moat and four corner towers, designed for defense.
Eating Europe’s Jordaan Food Tour: A review
Eating Europe’s Jordaan food tour allows a peek into a special section of the city with its own unique atmosphere while sampling excellent Dutch foods. Click to read the review!
Travel photo gifts for travel lovers
Gorgeous photos in the form of greeting cards, art prints, notebooks, coasters, etc.
Menkemaborg in Uithuizen: Dressed to impress
Groningen has three nearby manor houses or “stately homes” that are open to the public and furnished to allow visitors to learn about local history. I’ve written about one of them before: Fraeylemaborg, which I only half-mockingly referred to as the “ancestral home.” Another is Menkemaborg, a similarly impressive display of wealth and social position…
Boat Bike Tours: A review of “Hansa Highlights”
One of the first people I met on my recent week-long trip with Boat Bike Tours was a retired Canadian man named Peter, who told me right off the bat that this was his third tour with the company. I took that as a good sign. Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in that I…
Gammelstad church town UNESCO site in Sweden
Back in the 17th century, not long after the Reformation turned Sweden Protestant, a new law required church attendance, depending on one’s distance from the church. People up in the cold north of Sweden, despite living on widely-scattered farms far from the nearest church, still had to get to church. Disclosure: This article contain affiliate…
Things to do in Rovaniemi in the summer
Read here all about things to do in Rovaniemi, Finland in the summer: see excellent museums or explore the wilderness inside the Arctic Circle.
ExpressVPN review, by a digital immigrant
I am a digital immigrant. What I mean by that is that I didn’t grow up with computers like digital natives; the only computers I knew of as a child in Connecticut were the ones that filled whole rooms in banks and government offices. As far as I was concerned, they were equivalent to the…
10 Reasons People Get Addicted to Travel
In a guest post, Danny Newman explains the 10 reasons people get addicted to travel. Are you addicted?
Hurtigruten review: A breathtaking Norway coastal cruise
Hurtigruten cruises are unlike other cruises! This Hurtigruten review describes all aspects of a Hurtigruten cruise on the Norway coastal route: the cabin, the food, the excursions, and it gives lots of advice.
Amsterdam Historical Museum
The Amsterdam Historical Museum (more correctly called The Amsterdam Museum), housed in a former orphanage, covers Amsterdam’s whole fascinating history. Click here to read all about it!
Visiting Karlstejn Castle from Prague
Visiting Karlstejn Castle from Prague is quite possible in a day trip. Just make sure to do your research ahead of time, unlike me. This article will help.
Below the Surface in Amsterdam
Below the Surface in Amsterdam shows archeological finds from building a new metro line. It’s not a museum; it’s basically a teaser for the website. Read about it here!
Crathes Castle in Scotland
A so-called “tower house”, Crathes Castle in Scotland has been added to and changed over the centuries. First built in the mid-16th century, it was the home of the Burnett family of Leys, who lived there for over 300 years. It’s one of the 14 castles in Aberdeenshire worth visiting. Crathes Castle still has its…