Back from Köln
The road to Cologne was the longest – distance-wise – of any of our weekend trips so far, but even the driving rain that followed us for over 200 kilometers on the way back did little to dampen our enjoyment of this little adventure.
Category Archives: State of travel
Disparity in travel costs
The cost of a weekly economy car rental (automatic transmission, A/C, unlimited mileage) in Andalucía for a UK resident: £157. The cost of the same rental for a US resident: $650. Something to be said about the inter-EU travel. On the other hand, business-class-only MaxJet tickets cost almost 50% more (at the current exchange rates)
Back from Loire Valley
Our last long trip of the year has come to its end, leaving us not exactly looking forward to the cold and drab months ahead. It was already quite cold in the Loire Valley (although, thankfully, no rain). It has long became clear to us that one of the biggest problems with our initial plan
Trip to Bath
The historic town of Bath, in Southwestern England, was for quite some time on our list of prospective destinations. We finally found our way over there last weekend. The weather was as typical English weather goes: Overcast skies, intermittent rain, short periods of sunshine. But the town and its charms did not fail to impress
Travails of travel (not really)
I was woken up this morning by the wonderful sound of jackhammer right under my window. Two nice blokes informed me that there was some water leak that they would be repairing for the next hour… Looking at the bright side, I might have overslept work if not for them… The jet lag normally does
Back from Brugge
Our official travel program for the foreseeable future is completed with our return from a weekend trip to Brugge. Yes, surprising as it may seem, we do not have any specific travel plans for a couple of months. Partially, it is due to a certain level of fatigue and over-saturation that we have undoubtedly reached.
Rethinking top cities
We perused our Amsterdam pictures and practically threw our camera away in disgust. The pictures come out unfathomably noisy. Even – or, rather, especially – the ones taken under more or less perfect lighting conditions. Natasha will work her magic and probably rescue enough to put together an album (in a couple of weeks), but
Back from Amsterdam
We are back from our trip to Amsterdam, and I am happy to report that it was another resounding success. We have not been to Amsterdam before, and the city duly impressed us. It is certainly unique, having been built on the expansive network of man-made canals. It is certainly vibrant. It is also peaceful.
Paris, Paris
The latest disruption in my posts was caused by a long-weekend excursion to Paris, which was immediately preceded by another round of problems with the website, which hopefully have now been resolved once and for all (but claimed as their victim the recent Tuscany gallery album, which I am yet to restore). Oops, famous last
Spring, impressionists and the map of Europe
In our many years in New Jersey, we cannot recall ever having a breakfast outside. Barbecues, parties – yes, but never a breakfast. There were several excuses for that, such as absence of a deck and complicated logistics of carrying stuff down wooden steps to the patio, but the fact remains. During our Tuscan sojourn,
Return from Paradise
And the Spring Break holidays came to the end. We are home, in excellent spirits and feeling perfectly rested after a week in Tuscany. I am quite sure that that feeling will not survive through Wednesday… But allow me to dwell on this pleasant week, and talk about Tuscany a little. Outside of the countries
Cotswolds
I will only manage to get in a single blog entry in between two vacation trips, so I better write as much about the first one as possible before going onto the second one. So, here we go, briefly about Cotswolds… Cotswolds is an area in Middle England that has similar significance for the country
Random happenings and advice on renting apartments online
The tree in front of our house is in bloom. Natasha says that it is either a cherry or an apple tree. The flowers are small and a frost may yet get them, but it is still quite amazing. It also produces a very strong scent, which I do not find particularly pleasant… Returning home
Getaway to Brussels
And we are back! Another trip is in the books, not entirely a success, but still a largely positive getaway. As I might have mentioned, our choice of Brussels as the next destination was largely influenced by the fact that Eurostar – high-speed train that links London with the continent – has a direct route
New Year in Switzerland (part 2)
If you have not read the first part of our report, you can do it here. Otherwise, read on. The first full day in Switzerland met us with springtime-like weather, warm and sunny. Internet reports told of very little snow on lower mountains, and since our family – Becky excepted – is made of mediocre
New Year in Switzerland (part 1)
Well, we’re back! We had a great time, despite having driven more than a thousand miles overall, and entered new year on a high note. Hope you all did the same! (I don’t mean driving) Our sortie to Switzerland ended up being quite a successful expedition (with the unfortunate exception of skiing, which will be