It is no wonder that northern Europeans flock to the south coast of Spain in droves! Cheap, delicious food; blue skies and a wonderful temperate Mediterranean climate; and history and culture around every corner: my husband and I became as infatuated with Spain’s Costa Blanca (White Coast) as any other tourists. Our visit in mid-May last […]
Category Archives: History Charlemagne (c.742-814), the medieval emperor who ruled much of Western Europe from 768 to 814, dreamed of traversing the European continent, from the North Sea to the Black Sea by water. All that was needed, in theory, was a trench around 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) long, connecting the Rhine River and the Danube. In the absence of pumps, […]  Is there anything that says “Mediterranean” more than bright sun bouncing off blue waters and old white-washed walls? Add fresh seafood and salads bathed in rich olive oil, and the picture is complete. The tiny islet of Tabarca, just off the coast of Alicante in Southern Spain, is the real deal. The island was originally […]  Steering the car off the turnpikes and onto the Blue Ridge Parkway is like stepping back in time. One has to slow down instantly: the posted speed limit is never higher than 45 mph (72 kph), and the winding mountain curves ensure slower speeds in many sections. For the 469 miles (755 km) that snake through the valleys and passes […]  Oh, Saigon! It was a name familiar to those of us who grew up in the West: first as an exotic part of France’s colonial empire, until – as Saïgon – it achieved a hard-won independence in 1955, and then as a component of the evening news for its pivotal role in the Vietnam War; the city now known as Ho Chi Minh (HCM) has been at a […] |
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