Europe

A thriving Roman city, Pompeii peacefully existed in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius for hundreds of years. As early as 6th century BC, the city walls were first constructed. By 80 BC, Pompeii was an official…

The Amalfi Coast is undeniably one of Europe’s most beautiful and awe-inspiring coastlines. While staying in Sorrento, we knew we wanted to experience the iconic coastal drive to the quaint little town of Amalfi. Opting for…

Perched on a cliff overlooking the Bay of Naples, Sorrento is a pleasant town to while away a few days. From Rome, we traveled south by train into the area known as Mezzogiorno, or Southern Italy.…

Just 90 minutes away by bus, Toledo is a fascinating day trip from Madrid. It’s hard to think of Toledo without thinking of the famous exclamation, Holy Toledo! The most plausible story of its origin dates…

The French equivalent of Rome, Nîmes is home to impressive ancient sites rivaling those in neighboring Italy. On our quick afternoon stop-over en route to Nice, we did a whirlwind tour of Nîmes. We were surprised…

Set in the Alpilles mountains, Les Baux is named one of the most beautiful medieval villages in France. We made a day trip to this quaint, fortified town during our stay in Arles. Ironically, a place Rachel had visited 15…

Encircled by a 2-mile border, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world. The independent city-state mints its own euros, prints its own stamps, and even has its own flag and anthem. The next smallest…

After the tranquil small towns of Tuscany, we headed where all roads lead to: Rome. Leaving sweet Volterra behind, we took a local bus to Saline. From there, we caught a tiny two-car only train to…

Under a Tuscan rain cloud. That’s how we spent most of our time during our stay in Tuscany. But a rainy day in Italy’s wine country is still better than a sunny day in most places.…