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Wachau Valley, Austria
During our four-night stay in Vienna, we devoted one day to exploring the Wachau Valley, the historic and pastoral region along the banks of the Danube only an hour west of the city. It gained UNESCO world heritage status in 2000 to preserve the region’s unique cultural landscape, which includes steeply terraced ancient vineyards separated by quaint historic villages. Walter Juraschek, our guide from two days prior, picked us up from our hotel and led our day-long private tour. We…
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Como, Italy
The city of Como is charming, walkable, and relatively non-touristy. It’s located at the southern tip of Lake Como’s Ramo di Como branch, and very accessible to the cities, towns, and lakes of northern Lombardy and Piemonte. Charles and I drove through Como en route to Filario Hotel, where we stayed for several nights while exploring the Lake Como region. I originally wrote off the city as being just a transportation hub for connections from Milan, but after getting a…
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Cartagena, Colombia
I recently embarked on a winter jaunt to Cartagena, Colombia with my best friend Steph. We had a yen for a warm-weather getaway, but wanted something different than the standard all-inclusive experience found in Cancun or Punta Cana. Cartagena had been on my short list for some time. I’d read about its burgeoning food scene and historic walled Old City filled with colorful Spanish Colonial mansions, cafes, boutiques, galleries, and artisan street markets. Steph was on board the moment I…
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Castles of Bellinzona, Switzerland
Bellinzona is the capital of Ticino, the only Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland. Located in a valley at the foot of the Alps, the city straddles the Fiume Ticino, which empties into nearby Lago Maggiore. Perched on hillsides surrounding the town are the three Castelli di Bellinzona, some of the best-preserved examples of medieval fortifications, which gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000. Castelgrande, the oldest of the three, has been fortified since the late 1st century BC during the reign…
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Greenway del Lago di Como, Italy
The Greenway del Lago di Como is a pleasant seven mile trail that stretches along Lake Como’s central western shore. Starting in Colonno, the Greenway passes through the bucolic villages of Sala Comacina, Ossuccio, Lenno, Mezzegra, Tremezzo, and Griante. There is plenty to see along the way, from lavish villas and gardens to Romanesque and Baroque churches…and not to mention the endless stunning mountain and lake vistas. After a morning visit to the Villa del Balbianello, Charles and I grabbed…
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Villa del Balbianello, Lenno, Italy
Perched on the wooded promontory of Il Dosso d’Avedo, the 18th century Villa del Balbianello commands panoramic views of Lago di Como, making it one of the most exclusive estates in the Italian Lakes. A Franciscan monastery first occupied this site in the 13th century, its twin campanili remaining a part of the present-day design. In 1785, Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini purchased the property and converted the monastery building into a villa and added the loggia for optimal viewing of…
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Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Tierra del Fuego was very different from how I initially pictured it. Knowing this is the bottom of the Western Hemisphere and only 600 miles from Antarctica, I was expecting to see sharp, icy peaks surrounded by a barren landscape. The sharp, icy peaks were accurate, but the landscape wasn’t barren at all. It was flourishing with emerald subantarctic forests and fields of grasses and wildflowers, all bordered by crystal-clear inlets and coves teeming with fish, mollusks, and 90 species…
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Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina
“Otherworldly” is how I describe our experience trekking Patagonia’s Perito Moreno Glacier. At 19 miles long and three miles wide, Perito Moreno is the third largest reserve of fresh water in the world…and it is one of only a few glaciers left that is still advancing. Upon approaching this colossus of ice, you see arêtes spiking to 20 stories above Lago Argentina—but the ice actually starts at a depth of 50 stories below the water level. The glacier is surrounded…
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Ein Gedi Reserve, Israel
This wasn’t any ordinary hike. We were 1,300 feet below sea level in a canyon oasis carved out by the Nahal David, a seven-mile trickle of a stream with biblical proportions. It was here that David sought protection in the Rocks of the Wild Goats from the murderous intentions of King Saul. There was no trace of David or King Saul on that June afternoon, but we did encounter herds of wild ibex, traversing the near-vertical canyon walls surrounding us.…
