~ Carmen Bergamo is an eastern Lombard town located about an hour’s drive (1 1/2 hours by train) from Milan.  Situated at the foot of the Orobie Alps, it is a baroque and Renaissance lover’s paradise.  Divided into Upper and Lower Town, there’s something to do for everyone.  One step on the ancient hilltop of Città......

~ Carmen Once know as Mediolanum, Milan was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 286 to 402 AD.  Although Florence, Rome, and Venice get more adulations, Milan is the second most visited city in Italy (Rome is #1), and the 24th most visited city in the world!  It was called the “New Athens” during the......

~Carmen Joe and I love a good road trip.  We have made some of the best memories exploring the great USA by car.  Come to think of it, we’ve also had some of our biggest arguments on those same road trips.  Our most recent road trip through the San Juan Islands would be no exception!......

~ Carmen Victoria is the capital of the Canadian province of British Columbia.  It is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and is on Canada’s western side of the Pacific Ocean. One of my earliest travel memories involves a visit to Victoria, British Columbia at part of a LONG road trip from Pine......

~ Carmen The first time we traveled to Greece, it was part of an organized tour that included a Greek Island cruise.  As a teacher of ancient history, I knew I wanted to return to Greece.  This time I wanted to be able to spend at least 2 weeks (14 days) absorbing the history and......

~ Carmen When Joe and I were first planning our trip to Greece, Crete wasn’t even on the itinerary.  We’d been to Crete once before, but it was just a pit stop (1/2 day) on our Greek island cruise, so we hadn’t really been able to truly experience what all Crete has to offer.  This......

~ Carmen Everyone knows about the glorious sunsets in Santorini.  It’s on many bucket lists, must do lists, most beautiful list, you-name-it lists.  However, we’ve been to Santorini several times, and although the sunset is amazing, you would be amiss if that was the only activity on your Santorini itinerary.  Hopefully, Joe and I can......

~ Carmen Santorini is a Greek island that is known for its stunning beauty.  In the 16th century BC, a devastating volcano eruption forever changed the rugged landscape.   Sometimes the crowds (especially from the cruise ships) can make getting a good photograph of the gorgeous scenery difficult.  However, we found that one of the......

~ Carmen Mykonos is a beautiful Greek island in the Aegean Sea.  As one of the closest Cyclades Islands to the Greek mainland, it is easy to take a ferry or plane from Athens to Mykonos.  We opted for a plane and the flight was only 30 minutes long!  This was our second visit to Mykonos.  This......

~Carmen We’ve been to Athens, Greece before, but it was with an organized tour group.  As a teacher of ancient history, I wanted to go back and spend more time doing the things that interested me.  Joe and I also love good food.  In an organized tour, you can’t always pick and choose your dining......