A Moment of Magic and a Breath of Summer
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A Moment of Magic and a Breath of Summer

In these bleak mid-winter days of sleet, snow and icy winds: what could possibly bring more joy than a trip to a place where you can still feel the breath of summer on your neck, a place where, while the season’s paraphernalia (parasols and pleasure boats) may have been mothballed, the spirit of summer is…

The Thames Path: Madness, Modernism and an Unruly Princess
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The Thames Path: Madness, Modernism and an Unruly Princess

There cannot be many major rivers in the world that have a proper hiking trail attached to them all the way through, from the source to the spot where they join the sea. The Thames, Britain’s most famous river, is lined by such as a “source-to-sea” footpath – which, with a total length of well…

The Booze and the Views of Würzburg’s Wine Trail
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The Booze and the Views of Würzburg’s Wine Trail

If last week’s destination of Bamberg is worth a detour, near-by Würzburg is worth a trip. Würzburg, the unofficial capital of the Bavarian Baroque, bursts at the seams with architectural drama and spectacle, most famously on the Alte Mainbrücke Bridge … … and in the grandest Bavarian Baroque palace of them all, called simply the…

Wiesbaden and the Sweetness of Life
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Wiesbaden and the Sweetness of Life

Germans are an industrious people, and the looks of their country reflect that. Wherever you are traveling, you can see industry in action: roadside and railside, power stations are pumping out steam, factory chimneys spout smoke, and containers are shipped in and out of warehouses. Quite clearly, Germany is a country that still makes stuff….

The Storied Mansions of the French Riviera
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The Storied Mansions of the French Riviera

The French Riviera has been copied and imitated a lot over the years. Nowadays, nearly every coastal country in the world appears to have a “Riviera” of its own – including Albania, for crying out loud. But there is one ingredient in the recipe for the French Riviera’s lasting appeal which is particularly difficult to…