We were not that far south of Lyon, when we stopped at a gas station on the Autoroute du Soleil. As I rolled down the window, I was surprised to get a whiff of a strong natural fragrance, instead … Read More
To all the castle lovers out there: did you know that Luxembourg has more than a hundred castles? When we came back to Luxembourg in 2013, we swore we would explore all the castles in our homeland. It took … Read More
Imagine roadtripping through France, driving from fairytale castles to romantic Renaissance châteaux. Climbing up ruined fortresses and wandering through enchanting royal gardens. If you are a history buff or love exploring châteaux, France is actually filled with splendid castles to … Read More
From afar, we spotted the glitter of the Royal Monastery of Brou’s glazed patterned roof tiles. Its burgundy, terracotta and emerald mosaic gleaming in the July sunshine. I pulled over at the next intersection and found an empty … Read More
Oh no! Nooooo! I can’t believe I just said “Venice”! Noooo!!! Never had I wished so hard to be able to turn back time! Just one minute. Or maybe even 2 seconds would have been enough. Suddenly, tears rolled … Read More
Mei turned down the volume when we almost reached the Arcachon Bay. I was going to make a right turn to head towards the town of Arcachon, when I suddenly spotted the road sign “Dune du Pilat”. I hit … Read More
Have you ever heard of the “Malta Convention”? It’s a European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage. Also dubbed the “Valletta Convention” or the “Valletta Treaty”, since it was adopted in Valletta, the capital of Malta. Due … Read More
Venice never quite seems real, but rather an ornate film set suspended on the water. -Frida Giannini When our Alilaguna boat reached the Grand Canal and slowly moved forward along the majestic palazzos, I still couldn’t believe we were … Read More
(updated in February 2023) “Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” – Jenny Han. I might be biased because I was born in July. And Kerstin in August. For us, July and August are … Read More