3 Scenic Hill Towns

Some of the most scenic towns I've visited are those that are perched high atop a hill. These towns offer great views of the surrounding countryside and medieval buildings add to their charm. From Provence and the Cote d'Azur in the south of France, to the region of Tuscany in Italy, here are some photos of my three favourites.

Eze Village, France

The Flowers of Spring

Yesterday was the first day of spring. I don't know what the weather is like where you live but we just had another large snowfall. It will be quite a while before it looks like spring. Nothing signals the change of season to me like gardens in bloom so here are some flowers I've enjoyed during my spring travels in Europe, beginning with Kensington Palace in London.

Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London

The Market of Campo Santa Margherita

I love visiting markets when I travel, especially food markets. You can learn a lot about the local cuisine by browsing the stalls filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables, fresh seafood and beautiful flowers. The squares where markets take place are often a neighbourhood gathering place and this is true for Campo Santa Margherita, the largest square in the Dorsoduro district of Venice.

Tuileries Garden, Paris

It’s the last day of February and I’m craving a little dose of summer. How about you? One of my favourite cities is Paris so I went back through my photos (some very old) and decided to share some images of the city’s oldest public park, the Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries).

Tuileries Garden (1981)

Campo San Barnaba, Venice

It's Oscar time! The 88^th Annual Academy Awards are coming up on Sunday night. In keeping with this yearly celebration of excellence in film, my post this week features a small square in Venice with a large presence on the silver screen: Campo San Barnaba.

Ca' Rezzonico: Museum of 18th Century Venice

The name Casanova is synonymous with the city of Venice. The exploits of the notorious womanizer have become legend and I was eager to take a look inside one of the Grand Canal palazzos where Venetians like Casanova would have socialized. I got my opportunity at Ca' Rezzonico, the Museum of 18th Century Venice.