If I asked you to find Vilnius on a map, could you? Before moving to Latvia, I certainly wouldn’t have been able to. I recently explained three times to a friend – who’s French, mind you – that Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania and I still don’t think she fully knows where I went […]
Museums
10 Highlights of the Louvre
I have a love/hate relationship with the Louvre. The famous museum in Paris has one of the finest collections of art in the world, with nearly 35,000 artifacts on display. It is a living, breathing humanities lesson. But fame comes with a price – the Louvre welcomes nearly 10 million visitors annually from around the globe, […]
Fun and Interesting Things to Do in Oslo, Norway
Oslo, Norway has come a long way since its founding during the Middle Ages. Much of medieval Oslo was destroyed by fire, and the city that grew up in its place stands at the forefront of modern Scandinavian art and design. Some might even say Oslo is too modern, but I felt the Norwegian capital […]
Why You Should Visit the Chateau de Fontainebleau
Before planning my week-long trip to Paris, I was only generally aware of the Chateau de Fontainebleau. It wasn’t an included stop on either of the two group tours of France I took as a teenager – we went to Versailles both times instead. But with the UNESCO-listed palace located a mere 56 kilometers from Paris, […]
Searching for Beauty in Jelgava, Latvia
The story of Jelgava, Latvia is heartbreaking. Founded in 1265 by the Livonians, the city grew prosperous and by the 16th century was the seat of the Duchy of Courland. The nobility built fine mansions and churches, and the city’s beauty was said to rival that of Riga. But in 1944 tragedy struck. Jelgava had the misfortune […]