Sometimes called a fry-up, a full English breakfast is a hearty plate enjoyed throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. It typically includes bacon, sausage, black pudding (a type of sausage), eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast and beans, though regional variations abound. In Georgian and Victorian times, the gentry enjoyed lavish breakfasts like these each day, and the tradition slowly emerged in…
Category Archives Europe
After endless summer heat and waves of tourists, Europe returns to a calmer, cooler state by the beginning of Autumn. With a similar climate to much of New England, Europe offers leaf peepers the chance to check out the fall foliage across the pond. In addition, you’ll find Europeans harvesting their bounties, especially the grape-drenched vineyards across the continent. The…
I am hungry. So hungry. I shuffle around the cobbled streets and peer in the windows of white stone shops and restaurants hoping something will be open. My legs and feet are sore from the nine-day hike I’m on. I arrived in the Bay of Cadaques the previous night to a gorgeous view of the sun setting on the sails…
If you’re planning to visit Italy, a beach may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But there’s no reason it shouldn’t! Europeans flock to southern Italy every summer for a beach vacation. Now, it’s your turn. Our list of destinations all have great beaches in common, but they each have their own cultural attractions worth visiting as…
Is the desire to discover unique cultures and unparalleled landscapes what fuels your travel plans? Did you know there’s an island in the Mediterranean with ruins older than the pyramids? Malta might not be the most well-known country in Europe, but that’s part of what makes it an exciting destination. This small island nation is located smack dab in the…
Nestled between tourist hot spots like Italy and Croatia, the little country of Slovenia is only slightly smaller than California, but has much of the same appeal. From the mountains of the Julian Alps, to an impressive wine region and a trendy capital city, Slovenia has a bit of something for everyone. When I first arrived in Ljubljana, I was…
I peg my tent into the grassy earth, wind whipping against the nylon as I try to fit the poles through the top. As I attempt to slide the pole in, the wind grabs my tent in a knot making me lose the opening. Ready to give up, I sit back and look around. I’m on the bank of the…
I had the awesome experience of visiting Switzerland in winter this season. No trip to Switzerland is complete without a visit to the Matterhorn, the iconic mountain peak. One of the cool things about the Matterhorn is that mere mortals can climb it. But this mere mortal quickly decided that it was not for me… it’s cold! And a lot…
To modern Americans, Halloween might mean costume contests, booze-fueled evenings of dancing, or munching on enough pieces of “fun-sized” candy to stir up a decidedly unfun gastrointestinal reaction. But the tradition of Halloween is way older than the absurd “sexy” costumes and ubiquitous plastic pumpkin baskets kids fill by trick-or-treating. In fact, Halloween’s origins reach all the way back to…
Palermo, Sicily was named the 2018 Italian Cultural Capital by Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage—and for good reason. The region had been conquered by every notable historic Mediterranean empire, including the Romans, Byzantines, and even the Normans. That history has turned the area into a melting pot of art and food, and the best of each of these cultures combine…