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London, England
Charles and I just returned from a quick jaunt to London. Oh, how I love that city, and for so many reasons. It’s urban, yet genteel. The streets are clean and the buildings are mostly low-rise, which provides a democratization of sky – whether blue or gray – for all to see and experience throughout the day. London is a true city, so there exists a hustle-and-bustle energy, but it’s a calmer, more courteous flurry, made even more civilized by…
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Lisbon, Portugal
Even before arriving, I knew I would love Lisbon. From what I’d read and the pictures I’d seen, it seemed like such a colorful and vibrant place. Plus, there have been many parallels drawn between Lisbon and San Francisco – my favorite U.S. city – like the undulating hills with beautiful views, the distinctive neighborhoods, each with its own unique character, and, of course, the big red suspension bridge crossing the bay (or the river, in Lisbon). So, after spending…
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam had been on my travel shortlist for quite some time. In October of 2022, Charles and I were in London and tagged on a long weekend to visit the “Venice of the North,” as Amserdam is affectionately called due to its numerous scenic canals. I was hoping for a love affair, but the charm and allure receded after the first day – due in part to ADE, an annual electronic music festival that commandeered the city and had the…
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Madrid, Spain
Madrid is the first city in a long while that swept me off my feet. My inaugural visit was in May of 2022, and it was love at first sight. I wasn’t expecting to be so easily charmed, but the affable Madrileños, the beautiful buildings and squeaky clean streets, the abundance of green space, the distinctive cuisine – they all made it nearly impossible not to fall for Marid. This love story began – believe it or not – with…
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The Alhambra, Granada, Spain
Every trip has its favorite moment. On a recent vacation to Spain, mine was the afternoon Charles and I spent in Granada touring the Alhambra. The day began in Málaga, our base for four nights, where we got an earlyish start to make the 80-mile journey to Granada in our rental car. We took the coastal route along the A-7, Spain’s meticulously maintained Mediterranean corniche. It was a gorgeous spring day, with a cloudless sky and a beaming sun blanketing…
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Bergamo, Italy (Revisited)
Bergamo is one of the most attractive cities in Italy. Located at the foot of the Orobie Alps, the city proper is divided into two main parts: the historic Città Alta, perched on a hill and fortified by the impeccably maintained 16th-century Venetian Walls, and the modern Città Bassa, with a fin de siècle framework that extends into the plains of Lombardy. While the Italian centro storico is often a tourist trap, the well-heeled Bergamaschi inhabit both parts of town,…
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Neubau & the Ringstrasse, Vienna, Austria
Last fall, the Well-Traveled Fella planned a tour of Vienna and Budapest, and Charles’ two oldest friends from childhood, Meryl and Sharon, tagged along. Here are some scenes from our first day in Vienna. We began by exploring Neubau, Vienna’s 7th district—a vibrant, young, and artistic neighborhood. We then walked the Ringstrasse and had lunch at the illustrious Café Landtmann. Afterwards, we traipsed through the Volksgarten and made our way to the Leopold Museum in the MuseumsQuartier, where we spent…
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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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Milan, Italy
I had heard mixed reviews about Milan: there are no sites to see; it’s too industrial; it’s too work-a-day and no play. It turns out, these are the exact reasons why I loved Italy’s number two. Charles and I stayed at the conveniently located ME Milan Il Duca on Piazza della Repubblica and walked everywhere. We were: We had one of our finer meals at Michelin-starred Contraste in the buzzing Navigli neighborhood, where it seemed all the young Milanese hung…
