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Category Archives: Europe
Ålesund—Picture Perfect
Ålesund, Norway is one of those places on earth where the description “picture perfect” easily applies. Established in early 19th century, the town of 50,000 is the most important fishing harbor in Norway. Since the North Sea oil boom began … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Norway
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Oslo—The Nature of Being Norwegian
On a recent sunny day in Oslo, Jay and Tanya went searching for what defines the Norwegian character. What is it that makes Norwegians, and their descendants, think and act the way they do? Essentially, what is “Norwegianness”? Tanya has … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Norway
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Helsingør: Famous for Hamlet and Tax Collection
Perched on the very eastern tip of Denmark is the historic port city of Helsingør, or Elsinore as it’s called in English. This windswept town of 62,000 is most famous for Kronborg Castle, the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The castle … Continue reading
Posted in Denmark, Europe
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Sevnica, Slovenia: The Town Melania Left Behind
A few weeks ago we took a roughly 2-hour drive from Ljubljana, Slovenia to the small 5,000-person town of Sevnica, where Melania Trump grew up. We had read that the town was trying to capitalize on its famous former resident … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Slovenia
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The Day of Living Danishly: Legoland
On a recent trip to Denmark we embraced our inner child and visited one of the country’s top attractions, Legoland. After reading Helen Russell’s book, The Year of Living Danishly, we couldn’t resist the Legoland experience. Russell describes her year … Continue reading
Posted in Denmark, Europe
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Hagenbeck’s Animal Park, Hamburg
On our recent visit to Hamburg we took the U-Bahn out to the suburb of Stelligen. Our objective was one of the most amazing and beautiful zoos we had ever seen, the Tierpark Hagenbeck. This private zoo was the brainchild … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Germany
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Searching for Roots: The Emigration Museum, Ballinstadt Hamburg
For many Americans, the search for their roots often takes them to the entry and exit points of their ancestors. It might be Ellis Island in New York, Gorée Island in Senegal or Bremen and Antwerp. On our own quest … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Germany
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Ghent, Belgium
Ghent, the capital of East Flanders, Belgium has been one of Jay and Tanya’s favorite places for years. Ghent is often passed over in favor of nearby Brugge when travelers visit Belgium but this is a big mistake. Although Brugge … Continue reading
Posted in Belgium, Europe
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Brest & Cherbourg, France
A few weeks ago, Jay and Tanya visited the Brittany and Normandy coast with stops in Brest and Cherbourg. First of all, Brest is not one of those places tourists usually flock to. For one thing, it rains a lot … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, France
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Have Some Madeira, My Dear-ah
There is definitely something different about islands. And, we mean islands in general. OK, it’s not the obvious that they’re all surrounded by water. It’s that people who live on islands need to be somewhat self-reliant. Consequently, they develop their … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Portugal
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