Changing of the Guards

One of London’s most popular tourist attractions is the ceremonial changing of the Household Troops with their iconic red tunics, bearskin hats and accompanying brass marching band. Large crowds gather in front of Buckingham Palace and around Victoria Monument to watch the spectacle unfold but London isn’t the only place to witness this traditional military ceremony. Similar events also take place at Windsor Castle and the Prince’s Palace in Monaco.

Changing of the Guard, London

My 3 Favourite Gardens

In honour of Mother’s Day on Sunday, I’d like to revisit three of my favourite gardens in France and Italy. These are special gardens filled with colourful flowers but they also have elements that make them unique: musical fountains at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild; Chinese white peacocks on Isola Bella; and spectacular scenery at the Gardens of Augustus.

The Old Customs House of Venice

In Venice there’s a triangular area of land where the Grand Canal converges with the Giudecca Canal. Sitting on this point, the Punta della Dogana, is the Old Customs House where merchant ships once stopped for inspection and to pay taxes on their cargo before proceeding down the Grand Canal.

The Old Customs House, Dogana di Mare,
on Punta della Dogana

Cruising the Rhone River

River cruising continues to grow in popularity and the Rhone is one of Europe’s major waterways, originating high in the Swiss Alps and flowing southward through France to the Mediterranean Sea. Along the way it passes through the rugged Ardeche and the scenic landscapes of Provence. Cruise itineraries operate in both directions and usually offer pre- or post-cruise stays in Paris. Here are some of the historic towns and cities you may visit on a Rhone River cruise.

River Cruise Vessels Docked in Lyon

The Roman Spa Town of Bath

The English city of Bath is perhaps best known for its association with Georgian era novelist, Jane Austen. She made the city her home for several years and set two of her novels here: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.  But Bath was also the site of a Roman public bathing complex that gave the city its name.

The Circus, Bath

7 Sights on Piazza San Marco

Piazza San Marco seems to be on the itinerary of every visitor to Venice. Napoleon described the square as the finest drawing room in Europe; powerful doges ruled the Venetian Republic from a pink marble palazzo; and Caffé Florian served the continent’s first cup of coffee. From the Byzantine basilica that gives the square its name to a colourful zodiac clock, here are seven sights you’ll see on one of the world’s most famous squares, Piazza San Marco.

Dusk on the Piazza