Dublin Castle on a blue sky day

Dreaming of Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day – Plan Your Trip to Dublin

The only tradition my Irish family has for St. Patrick’s Day is finding “Irish potatoes” for my mom.  This sugary sweet Philadelphia candy is definitely not from Ireland nor does it have any connection.  I don’t know when or why my mom, who generally hates candy, became addicted to the […]

Naples train cars graffiti

Visiting Naples, Italy: Gritty, Chaotic and Beautiful (Just Like Life)

I’ve just watched Stanley Tucci’s new show, Searching for Italy and his Naples episode took me back to my first visit there and how much it different it was to the other cities/regions in Italy. As Stanley travels, I want to revisit my Italy visit and share favorite posts to […]

Amalfi Coast Beautiful Photo View

The Amalfi Coast Photo Tour – A Great Day Trip from Sorrento or Naples

I love to visit the Amalfi Coast in September/October so sharing an older post of my memories from this glorious part of Italy while I’m grounded in the US for a while.  If you are planning a visit to Italy in 2021 or 2022, consider spending time along the Amalfi […]

Herculaneum building materials

Visit Herculaneum – Surprising Details In the Shadow of Pompeii

  Revisiting a few of my favorite memories in Italy.  Planning your 2021 trip to Italy? Don’t forget to add Herculaneum (and Pompeii) to compare/contrast the ruins. Lost in the shadow of Pompeii popularity is Herculaneum.  Everyone has studied the history of Mt. Vesuvius and its aftermath the most famous […]

London Tower Bridge view from the Tower of London tour Context

London Travel Quarantine for Visitors – When can I travel to London again?

Every year, I visit London in May/June/July timeframe and this is the first time in over ten years that I’m not in the city and to be honest, I miss it.  I even miss the political discussions that ensue once the black cab driver hears my American accent. I miss […]

The Wallace Collection painting plethora on wall

Hidden Gem London – Review The Wallace Collection (of Art) in Marylebone

London Art museums can be overwhelming for me as I don’t know where to look first and how to navigate the vast space packed with tourists to ensure I experience the art and the curation properly on my own timeline.  My first visit to the V&A was supposed to be […]

NCL Getaway Forward View of Bridge and Atlantic Ocean

My Travel Year in Review – Goodbye 2019 – Time for a Reset

As I get older, the days and years really do seem to speed and the highlights become flashes of memories whereas the low points, the really low points in life seem to be set on slow motion torturing me even longer. That doesn’t seem quite far – 2019 has been […]

Hard Rock Hotel London bedding decor

Review Hard Rock Hotel London – Rock and Roll Design and Family Rooms

Part of the charm of London is its old buildings and townhomes which often get converted into unique hotel rooms.  Not so charming are the small hotel rooms which limit to two people (maybe three) in a room.  It gets tricky (and expensive) when traveling with your family of four […]

Southbank view of London Parliament and Big Ben

Celebrate Thanksgiving in London – Memories, Turkey Dinner and Christmas Lights

My family is planning for Thanksgiving and asked me “when do you leave and/or when does your flight land?” as I have spent many years away for Thanksgiving (great award flight availability) as an add on to my birthday trips.  I’ve landed in Perth (Australia) on Thanksgiving, celebrated with friends […]