Tag: Europe

Beer, Europe, Ireland

“Stone upon stone upon fallen stone”, the wall reads. St. James’s Gate Brewery, now the Guinness Storehouse, welcomed us to Ireland, the Emerald Isle.

The boys reminded me today that they had to wear green to school or else they will get pinched by leprechauns (or their mean spirited classmates) because it is St. Patrick’s Day. I stared at them with eyes that expressed: “I’m sorry, didn’t we just take you to Ireland one year ago, where you learned that this is not the case?” Those poor leprechauns, a type … Continue reading “Stone upon stone upon fallen stone”, the wall reads. St. James’s Gate Brewery, now the Guinness Storehouse, welcomed us to Ireland, the Emerald Isle.

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Europe, France, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Paris, the City of Lights, the City of Love and also, the city where the ‘3 second rule’ does NOT apply.

Ah! The City of Lights, the City of Love. Paris in the Spring is probably in everybody’s bucket list. I just highly doubt it includes two toddlers but since we are the crazy traveling family, with toddlers we went. We spent almost a month in France in 2005 and to ease the jet lag (we were novices at this…) we rented an apartment in Paris … Continue reading Paris, the City of Lights, the City of Love and also, the city where the ‘3 second rule’ does NOT apply.

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Europe, Monaco

The lifestyles of the not so rich nor famous in the playground of the really rich and famous. Monaco with kids?

The glamorous and glittering setting of Monaco, at the time familiar to us from movies only, is where the rich and famous come to R&R from their ‘hectic’ lives or to play with their equally rich and famous friends. The resort of choice for royalty. It is that nice and that fancy. So, why go with kids? In 2005, during our south of France wanderings, … Continue reading The lifestyles of the not so rich nor famous in the playground of the really rich and famous. Monaco with kids?

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Asia, Europe, Israel, Italy, Middle East, The Vatican, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

A Pope resigns. A palace and a cave. Enlightened by reality at the Vatican and Jerusalem.

Pope Benedict XVI resigned or ‘stepped down from Peter’s chair’ in February 2013. Just a month earlier we were traveling through Israel. When the Pope announced his retirement, I had one of those moments where you understand, one more time, the importance of traveling to, walking through and reading about historical sites. It is well known that you should not speak about politics or religion … Continue reading A Pope resigns. A palace and a cave. Enlightened by reality at the Vatican and Jerusalem.

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Europe, Nature, Switzerland, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Frozen by the beauty of the Jungfraujoch, the Top of Europe.

During our tour of Switzerland in 2008 we wanted to see the breathtaking panoramas of the Alps and conquer it’s highest peak. The Jungfrau (German for maiden/virgin) is one of the main summits in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. Together with the Eiger and Mönch, the Jungfrau forms a massive wall overlooking the Bernese Oberland and is considered one of the most emblematic sights of … Continue reading Frozen by the beauty of the Jungfraujoch, the Top of Europe.

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Europe, Luxembourg, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The very elegant and quiet Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg or just plain Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe. French, German, and Luxembourgish are the official languajes and proficiency in all three languages is required for graduation from secondary school. The city of Luxembourg itself is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, on account of the historical importance of its fortifications. We visited Luxembourg in 2007. The city is perched … Continue reading The very elegant and quiet Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

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