My husband and I needed to be in Newry, a small city just over the border from the Republic of Ireland, for an event in late August. We decided to spend three or four days exploring beforehand. We had been to the better-known Republic on several occasions, and love the friendliness of the people and the spectacular scenery, but had avoided Northern Ireland for all the wrong reasons. We were pleasantly surprised to find the same Irish charm and friendliness, but with a touch of British reserve.
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Preparing to embark on my third walking tour in France - en pie - my big worry was, "am I going to get there?" The Icelandic volcano eruption had already caused a two-week delay for my friend, who was preceding me and with whom I would meet up in Paris. But all seemed okay; my airline assured me that it was a go, my pack was ready, and I was off. This time, the hike would be on the southwest Atlantic Coast, in the Charente-Maritime area, north of Bordeaux, an area of beautiful salt marshes and rugged coastline.
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Bonne chance. A dear and generous friend rented a spacious stone house in the Provençal village of Pernes les Fontaines to celebrate his 50th birthday. Guests came and went for three weeks. Each day began with the early risers filling the breakfast table with presents from the local patisserie. Chocolat du pain, almond sweets and croissants. Coffee was French pressed of course...
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In an idle chat with two friends last winter, I discovered that none of us had been to Belgium. That surprised us as we were all well traveled in Europe and the other two had been born and raised there. We made the decision to visit Belgium together in the spring. We particularly wanted to see the old Flemish cities, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp. We parted with promises that each would research possible itineraries.
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The splendid Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte lies at the heart of French Brie, a pastoral countryside of vast arable fields. Commissioned by Nicolas Fouquet, the Chateau tells a story of greed, ambition, extravagance, social aspirations, royal power and imprisonment.
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From the end of the 15th century till the start of the 17th, Poland enjoyed world-class status. Its empire stretched from the Baltic almost down to the Black Sea: it produced timber, rye, salt, coal, and other coveted exports. My paternal grandparents hailed from a small Polish town near Russia called Machover. And my husband's paternal grandparents came from somewhere in Silesia. So he and I were doubly excited to finally visit Poland.
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Throughout our two-week stay in Russia, we rode the rails in style between Moscow, Helsinki and St. Petersburg. My daughter and I talked long past midnight in a petite compartment just for two as the overnight train from Moscow cut its way through the inky Russian night.
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Wandering Helsinki's streets during White Nights is a dreamy pleasure. In this part of the world in midsummer, the sun doesn't wane until the early morning hours. At about 4a.m., the sun announces itself again with the determination of a Finn, knowing that once fall and winter set in the days will be unbearably short. Finland is not on most Americans' short list of travel destinations. It should be.
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