Tag: travelogue
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A Day at Versailles: Visiting the Palace of the Sun King
On a September day that was replete with sunshine, we voyaged to Versailles, the decadent Baroque palace of France’s roi soleil (sun king). As Shawn and I wandered among the palace’s 250 gardened acres and peered through windows into the gilded interiors — just as a subject might have done 300 years ago — I was reminded…
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The Beauty and Tragedy of Sevilla, Part II
We arrived at Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Sevilla in the evening hours. The summer sun was still blazing down, the stadium grand with elegant trimmings. It is Spain’s oldest bullring; its construction began in 1749. There was anticipation in the air as merchants peddled striped seat cushions, cigars, frozen…
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The Beauty and Tragedy of Sevilla, Part I
Sevilla. The name evokes a variety of passionate images: Flamenco-dancing women clad in vibrant, polka dot-studded dresses, their feet striking a floor with thunderous blows… A matador de toros poised to enter a ring facing possible goring or death… Spirited bodega-goers clinking glasses overflowing with jewel-toned sangria and amber cerveza… On a balmy long weekend earlier this summer, Shawn…
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Our Peterhof Gardens Promenade
Often referred to as Russia’s Versailles, the Peterhof Palace gardens (Петерго́ф) offered us a picturesque — albeit congested and hectic — spot to stroll during a visit to St. Petersburg earlier this month. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peterhof was commissioned by Peter the Great in the 18th century.
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Golden Moments in Burgundy, France
Shawn and I experience a serendipitous meeting in Bourgogne. A gregarious Frenchman invites us inside for a bottle of wine and conversation, as we uncover his ancestral home’s hidden history.
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Why I Adore Heidelberg, Germany: Celebrating Ten Years in the Loveliest of Cities
Ich hab’ mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren, (I Lost My Heart in Heidelberg). So goes a line from a German musical of the same name. For the past ten years, I have called Heidelberg, Germany home. Along the way, I’ve also fallen for this extraordinary place’s charms. What do I most adore about this graceful city…
