Amsterdam, Netherlands: The Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum houses the 200 paintings owned by Vincent’s younger brother, Theo — laid out as the story of Vincent's life.
Prague, Czech Republic: Old Town Square
Prague’s Old Town Square is filled with beautifully preserved landmarks: the Gothic Týn Church, a memorial to Jan Hus, and a 15-century Astronomical Clock.
Güzelyurt, Turkey: Beautiful Land
Güzelyurt is the kind of discovery I love to feature in my guidebooks — almost no tourism, lots of history, plenty of character.
Tel Aviv, Israel: Beautiful Beaches and Tasty Cuisine
Tel Aviv is a young, modern city with gleaming new buildings, a beautiful beach scene, and delicious, locally-sourced cuisine.
Ramallah, Palestine: Cultural Capital
Ramallah hosts the Palestinian government and international agencies, and is filled with positive energy from the students at nearby Birzeit University.
Monterosso al Mare, Italy: Cinque Terre Resort Town
Monterosso al Mare is the Cinque Terre's most resorty town of the group, with cars, larger hotels, rentable umbrellas, and the best beach around.
Cheverny, France: Château and Hounds
The stately hunting palace of Cheverny is immaculately preserved, having stayed in the same family for five centuries. The kennel is also worth a visit at dinnertime, when the 70 hunting hounds are fed.
Antalya, Turkey: Relaxing Gulet Cruise
A popular excursion from Antalya is a cruise on a gulet — the traditional Turkish sailboat. Sailing away, we marvel at the dramatic shoreline under snow-capped peaks. Resorts, park-like beaches, and ancient ruins clinging to cliffs are all tucked into this rugged-yet accessible Riviera playground.
Haarlem, Netherlands: Herring and Heritage
Haarlem is a “Dutch Masters” kind of town, with plenty of 17th-century architecture. Dodge bikes down narrow lanes to discover some of Haarlem’s gems — pickled herring, masterpieces by Dutch Masters, and, at 100 feet high, Holland’s greatest pipe organ.
Berlin, Germany: Trendy Prenzlauer Berg
Young, in-the-know locals agree that Prenzlauer Berg is one of Berlin’s most colorful neighborhoods. There are no real sights -- just a lively, laid-back neighborhood ignoring its wonderful late-19th-century architecture high overhead.
Verona, Italy: Ambience and a Grappa Taste Test
About two hours from touristy Venice is Verona — a welcome sip of pure, easygoing Italy. Its main attractions are its wealth of Roman ruins and its 21st-century quiet, pedestrian-only ambience.
Prague, Czech Republic: Charles Bridge and a Czech Language
One of Europe's most pleasant strolls is along Prague's historic coronation route. Use it as a spine, but make a point to venture beyond, and learn enough Czech to interact with the locals.
Chartres, France: Pure Gothic Cathedral
A great side trip from Paris is the city of Chartres — and its famous cathedral, arguably Europe’s best example of pure Gothic architecture. It was built quickly, so the cathedral has a unity of architecture, statuary, and stained glass that captures the spirit of the Age of Faith like no other church.
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Coffeeshops and Red Light District
Amsterdam has plenty of examples of their progressive approach to subjects many people consider unsavory: curbside urinals, prostitutes who are unionized, taxed, and regulated
and “coffeeshops” that sell marijuana.
France's Loire: Château Country Preview
Along the Loire River Valley, the beautiful French countryside is studded with evocative châteaux. Home-basing in Amboise, we visit four unique castles: elegant Chenonceau, massive Chambord, stately Cheverny, and fragrant Villandry. Along the way, we tour Leonardo's home, feed hunting dogs, enjoy the local cuisine, and savor a princely garden.
Central Turkey Preview
We marvel at the fascinating landscape of Cappadocia from high above in a balloon...and from deep below, prowling an underground city where Christians once hid out. We'll join a circumcision party, explore troglodyte ghost towns, shop for sheep at the market, and chat with an imam. Then we enjoy the modern capital, Ankara, and pay our respects to the father of modern Turkey, Atatürk.
Western Turkey Preview
Turkey is a mighty nation whose ancient heritage, Muslim faith, and western ways are coming together...and we'll see how.
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