Europe

Italy conjures up images of homemade pasta and fresh mozzarella. When I think of France, it’s wine, butter, and the flavors of Provence in summer. But what is Baltic food?

Provence is the stuff that dreams are made of. We fell in love with all the sights, flavors, and history of this divine place, and these photos will show you why.

Barcelona’s most famous son is the architect Antoni Gaudi. His creative and whimsical designs have left an indelible mark on Barcelona and indeed the Catalan region, and are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On our recent trip to Spain, we sought out the works of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona.

It’s not apparent at first what’s taking place in the lush, green orchard. As far as you can see, glass bottles hang from the trees. But once you see the sign for Manguin Distillery, it all makes a bit more sense.

Sweat dripped down the sides of my hairline as I breathed in the steamy air of the sauna and contemplated the bucket. Just outside the door, people filled a bucket with ice-cold water and dumped it on themselves. Intentionally.

Our expectations of Andorran wine were not high, but maybe they should have been. Wineries like Casa Auvinya are producing beautiful vintages from their soaring mountainous vineyards.

Fireplaces and accent pieces complete the feel that staying at the Stikliai hotel is like being in someone’s (very upscale, well-serviced) French country home.

In the frigid winter of 1999, I visited Nuremberg for the first time. From my first walk down the Koenigstrasse, I was smitten. That first trip was the beginning of my love affair with this historical city – a love affair that continues to this day. The city is extremely photogenic, so I can’t resist sharing some of my favorite Nuremberg photos.

Provence takes its food seriously. It’s rustic and flavorful, featuring olives, garlic, and dozens of other delicious ingredients. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Here are a few of the things that I learned in my attempt to cook in Provence.

A pointed dagger made of glass piercing the sky. That’s the first thing you see when you arrive in Andorra la Vella. This is the amazing Caldea INUU spa complex in the principality of Andorra. And it is an amazing experience!