Happy October from this French ghost village, too steep for its own good

If Gordes and Ménerbes weren’t enough to quench your South of France thirst, let me show you around Oppède. There are actually two parts of the sleepy little town: 1.) Oppède 2.) Oppède-le-vieux For centuries past, the region saw much violence, forcing early inhabitants up the rocky outcropping to fortify themselves. This area is now…

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A British Author Moved to This Perched City in the South of France. His Book Set the Tiny Town on Fire.

Next up on our tour of the French countryside is Ménerbes, another breathtaking commune atop the Luberon mountains. With a population just under a thousand people, the small town feel is painfully cute in all the best ways. British author, Peter Mayle, settled in Ménerbes in the 1980s. His most popular book, A Year in…

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The City That Took on Mass Tourism and Won

Y’all, I have good news. Italy banned cruise ships’ entry into Venice starting August 1st. The once-upon-a-time-city-state’s lagoon has been declared a national monument. 2020 reminded citizens and ecologists alike how healthy the waters were without the larger than life vessels. So a few weeks ago, when the first cruise ships since COVID-19 barreled their…

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The City of Museums

Welcome to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia! It also happens to be the largest city in the country. Like much of Croatia, the city dates back to Roman times. The remains of Andautonia, the Roman settlement during the Middle Ages, were discovered in the 1900s, revealing a sewer system, streets, and city walls. Now, the…

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Exploring Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia

Plitvice National Park is incredible, and crowded, and has more waterfalls than I’ve ever seen. Plitvička Jezera, as it’s said in Croatian, is the country’s biggest and oldest national park. It’s made up of 16 lakes and over 90 waterfalls. The waters are brilliant blue greens, attributed to minerals and organisms. Over a million tourists…

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Split was so incredible, I had to post about it twice.

Good morning from an ancient city. If you like sunrises, this is the place for you. Split gets over 2,800 hours of sunshine every year. The following images are views from the patio of the Airbnb where I stayed in Split. Terra cotta shingles are an iconic part of Croatian architecture. These brilliant red tiles…

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Visit a place you’ve never heard of before. Maybe Split?

Sometimes, you have the rare occasion to sleep somewhere incredible. Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo have opened a whole new set of locations. Like the Cube House I stayed in back in 2016, the barrel hut on an Icelandic farm, or this incredible one room cabin overlooking a glacier fed lake in Norway. After arriving…

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3 Reasons to Visit Dubrovnik (besides being a GOT fan)

As you’ve seen in my last few posts, I spent a good bit of time in Dubrovnik. It was the first stop on a Croatian road trip I took a few years back. Here are a few snaps and thoughts before leaving the city. 1.) Dubrovnik is for foodies. from fish paste, to crni rižot…

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The Fort Dedicated to Archivists and Comedians

Fort Lovrijenac overlooks Old Town in Dubrovnik. Three terraces make up the triangular structure above the West Harbor. Perhaps you recognize bits and pieces of it from Game of Thrones. It was the location of the Red Keep on King Joffrey’s Name Day Tournament. The fort was named for Saint Lawrence, who was burned alive in…

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The Best Bars in Dubrovnik, Including an Actual Hole in the Medieval City Wall

Take a tour of 3 very different bars in 3 very different Dubrovnik neighborhoods. But you better wear your sneakers. It’s a hell of a walk.

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