Festa del Redentore, Venice

The third weekend in July is a very special occasion on the Venetian calendar. This is when Festa del Redentore, the Feast of the Redeemer, celebrates the end of a devastating plague that killed 25% of the population of Venice. I first read about the festival in Rosanna Chiofalo's debut novel, Bella Fortuna.

Redentore Church, Venice

My 5 Favourite Food Moments

I love to try different foods while visiting other counties. Even within individual European nations there can be so many different regional cuisines. It was a difficult task to narrow my choices down to only five, but here are some of my favourite food moments in France and Italy.

1.  Beef Bourguignon in Beaune, France

Home to grazing Charolais cattle and sun-drenched vineyards, the region of Burgundy was the ideal place to try the local specialty, Boeuf Bourguignon.

Boeuf Bourguignon, Beaune

Travel Theme: Exits

As I looked through my travel photos for samples of exits I realized I was much more likely to take photographs from the point of view of the entrance, a time of anticipation. When I leave a place my mind has often moved on to the next. There are a few notable exceptions. The sculpture of Seated Hermes in the sculpture loggia of Villa San Michele in Capri drew me in to the pergola covered pathway beyond.

Villa San Michele, Capri

Art: Larger than Life

Works of art are no longer confined to the hallways of museums and galleries. Contemporary pieces sometimes appear outdoors where you least expect them – like this colourful bouquet of metal flowers in Place Antonin Poncet in Lyon. The piece was designed by Korean artist Jeong Hwa Choi for the Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2003.

The Flower Tree, by Jeong Hwa Choi

The Setting Thesaurus Books are Here!

Today's post is for my writer friends.

I've always loved a good thesaurus. And what's armchair travel fiction without a fabulous setting? So of course I had to help Becca and Angela celebrate the release this week of their two new books: The Urban Setting Thesaurus and The Rural Setting Thesaurus. (There's even a vault full of prizes to be won!)

European Luxury Cars

I’ve never been much of a car person but I must admit there are some pretty incredible automobiles on the streets of Europe. These aren’t just any old vehicles but iconic sports models like Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren. I thought I’d share some photos of these cars in honour of Father’s Day on Sunday.

Ferrari Sports Car