This category includes all my articles about my Europe travel. Because I live in the Netherlands, I can travel in Europe quite easily, and as you see here, I’ve seen a lot of it. Generally I don’t write “ultimate list” or “everything you need to know” posts. Instead, I tend to focus on just one or a few sights or experiences from my specific point of view. Enjoy!
Some UNESCO sites aren’t famous works of architecture like Himeji Castle in Japan or the 16th century canal ring of Amsterdam, for example, or ancient historical monuments like Petra in Jordan or Baalbek in Lebanon. Some are more modest, less showy, and exemplify local culture and crafts. The Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland, Sweden, are a…
7 Things to do in Thingvellir National Park (properly: Þingvellir), a UNESCO-listed site with historical & geological significance for Iceland. Home of Iceland’s first parliament and also the place where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet on dry land!
A review of the free walking tour of Reykjavik offered by City Walk. Such tours are a great introduction when you first arrive in a new city. walking tour | reykjavik | iceland
Ostia Antica was an important ancient port city, supplying goods to Rome. Its extensive ruins are a perfect day trip from Rome.
The Troll Expeditions Iceland glacier hike was, for my husband, a highlight of our trip around Iceland. Read here about his experience, including a first try at climbing an ice wall.
This comprehensive, extremely detailed 3-week Iceland itinerary is all you need for the best Iceland road trip!
There are so many Iceland waterfalls that you couldn’t possibly see them all. Here are 12 that are easy to reach from the ring road.
Iceland has lots of pools and baths that are heated geothermically. Read here about the best hot springs in Iceland and how to choose which one to visit!
Few Icelandic turf houses still exist, but the few that do give a glimpse of how Icelanders used to live. Read about two special ones here: Laufas and Glaumbaer (and a few others)!
Our Husavik whale watching trip with North Sailing didn’t go quite as I’d hoped. The weather was terrible, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat!
Reykjadalur hot spring thermal river is without a doubt worth the hike. How often do you get a chance to experience a hot river?
Travelers stop in Skogar, Iceland, to see gorgeous Skogafoss waterfall. But there are other, equally worthwhile things to see in Skogar! Read here about the other, less-known waterfall, and a surprisingly good three-part museum.
Things to do in Heimaey island, off the southern coast of Iceland: a small place with dramatic scenery and a dramatic history to match.
For a fearful flyer like me, airplanes hold a certain fascination. It can seem an absolute miracle that something so big and heavy can actually get off the ground. And then, of course, there are flying enthusiasts. Those fortunate people actually enjoy their time aloft, taking pictures out the window or just dropping off to…
Our first bit of travel, as the pandemic seemed to subside here in the Netherlands, was a simple weekend away in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, generally referred to as Den Bosch. It’s only a few hours from home, and I had to be near there for a couple of days to lead a workshop anyway. My husband and…
The picturesque harbor town of Tromso (spelled Tromsø in Norwegian), lies more than 300 kilometers / 200 miles above the Arctic Circle. It has a history of serving as a jumping-off point for varous polar activities like trapping, hunting and fishing, as well as polar exploration. Nowadays, it is home to a fascinating little place…
You’re visiting Holland, so of course, you want to see windmills. While windmills dot the countryside all over the Netherlands, Kinderdijk and Zaanse Schans are two popular places for viewing windmills and seeing inside them. I wrote about a visit to Zaanse Schans a couple of years ago. North of Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans has a…
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!
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…
Small museums, historical sites and activities all over the province of Groningen: something for every interest!
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.
The Amsterdam Tulip Museum is surprisingly interesting, especially when it tells the story of the tulip mania: the Dutch bulb-buying bubble that burst.
A review of the Amsterdam Cheese Museum, plus everything you ever wanted to know about Dutch cheese!
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!
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!
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.
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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 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!
