Lawrence of Arabia Was Here! Thoughts of the desert always evoke a sense of mystery, of camels and caravans winding among sand dunes and between surprise oases, ancient spice trade routes, and yes, Lawrence of Arabia. Wadi Rum has all of these elements and it’s no wonder why UNESCO inscribed it as a world heritage site in 2011.
A Flowering Art Surprise! When we drove the Bollenstreek, we had no idea of some of the events and customs surrounding the flower season. Our goal was to take in spring; its brilliant colors, its fresh aromas, its Vitamin D. We wanted to cleanse ourselves of the dreariness of winter. So, we headed north to the flower region of the Netherlands and not only did we get what we had hoped for, but boy, did we get more!
What to do in Riga for a Weekend City Break “Have you ever had pudding made from old, stale rye bread?” asked one of my self-appointed hosts. “It’s what I grew up on, and it’s probably the most famous dessert in our country!” With a recommendation like that, who could turn down this mysterious pudding. Rye bread, for me, conjures up visions of pastrami, mustard, and maybe even some sauerkraut, but it most definitely doesn’t make me think of dessert. Without another thought, I grabbed the pudding from the cafeteria shelf, resolutely put it on my tray the cashier, by way of the beer tap. My entire lunch, made up of all the local specialties recommended by my hosts, totaled …
A City of Contrasts and Beauty – Tel Aviv “A little over one hundred years ago, Tel Aviv was a nothing more than an empty beach. Settlers in nearby Jaffa had been overflowing the old port city’s boundaries and living space was at a premium. So a small group of immigrants met on the beach to plan and layout what would become Israel’s newest city,” our tour guide was relating the origins of this UNESCO World Heritage site on The White City free walking tour. She had a binder full of old black and white photographs that helped to bring alive the past. We could almost imagine the wind blowing sand around us in a desolate and empty corner of the …
On a hot summer day, one of the best things you can do is just go underground. That’s what Jim and I decided to do the last time we were in Krakow. Part of the greater Krakow area, Wieliczka Salt Mine is an easy walk from the train station, so we headed in. Not only do we love salt, but this mine is famous for its salt carvings and statues as well as elaborate chapels and chandeliers.
One day we were on a road trip in Eastern Turkey and we had the most amazing experience. This was an experience that we could never have planned or would have ever expected to have, one that will stay with me forever and ever. Sheep, Sheep, and more Sheep!
Who wouldn’t want to go on a Scotland road trip? There’s so much more to this amazing country than just Edinburgh and Glascow. Beautiful vistas await you at every turn, over every hill. You’ll be driving along the rugged coast, or a mysterious loch, or through a highland meadow popping with colorful wildflowers. You might not exactly have the road to yourself, but you won’t find too many others so you can go at your own pace, stopping for photographs whenever you want. In fact, this lack of traffic can be problematic for us right side of the road drivers. Turning into the road with no visual cues to remind you keep to the left often means pulling out and …
Italy has more world heritage sites than any other country so you don’t have to go far to find one. While we were traveling around northern Italy we knew one city we had to get to was Ravenna. Ravenna was the short lived capital of the Holy Roman Empire for part of the 5th century and most of the architecture from that era still remains in pretty near perfect condition today. The Byzantine mosaics are said to be some of the finest examples of their kind. While driving into the city, we couldn’t see much in the city skyline to hint at what was to come. These aren’t you’re towering cathedrals found in other European cities. Byzantine structures were much lower to the …
When I knew that I was going to Stockholm I had one thing on my mind; shopping. Which, yes, I know, is a major shocker. Shopping is not something we talk about very often on the blog because honestly, none of us here at Reflections Enroute HQ are big shoppers, in fact, when it comes to material possessions we’re pretty minimalist, though not completely, let’s be honest. I don’t care very much about clothes, I am far too picky when it comes to shoes and aside from food and eating out, our buying needs are generally pretty low. But there is one thing that I do love that is pretty much completely unnecessary and a total indulgence; interior design, and …
The Best Shopping in Stockholm – Get Your Design On! Read More »
The Ultimate Gondola Experience in Venice Italy To Gondola or Not to Gondola, That is the question! What’s the iconic thing to do in Venice? Take a gondola ride. In our heads we have visions of the striped shirt gondolier serenading us with the likes of “Amore” or another Italian love song as we glide romantically through the pristine canals of the city. Tell me this isn’t on your bucket list! It was definitely on mine, but I had been a few years ago with my girls and some friends. We attended Carnivale, and oh was it crowded and fun. At that point, we did hire a gondola, and after I got over the sticker shock of way too many Euros, …