Dawdling Around Dingle

Dawdling Around Dingle

This time I got lucky on a farm (at least in terms of accommodations!) I was a little leery after my other nightmare stay on a dairy farm, but Murphy’s Farmhouse, my B&B for the night near Castlemaine, was delightful. It’s a lovely place, perfectly situated at the start of the ring around Dingle, and they had a single room available, which is something you find quite often in Europe that I rarely find in the US. As a solo...

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Cinque Terre, Italy’s String of Gems

Cinque Terre, Italy’s String of Gems

Cinque Terre (translated The Five Lands), a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a necklace of 5 seaside villages strung along the Italian Riviera. It’s some of the most beautiful and dramatic coastal scenery anywhere in the world (my opinion, but also that of countless others). The colorful villages are linked by hiking trails that wind along the coast, up high through olive groves and vineyards, and down low along the water. The whole trail...

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A Day on the Isle of Capri

A Day on the Isle of Capri

The Isle of Capri, even the name sounds romantic! To stay on the island would be lovely (and cost a king’s ransom), but for a much smaller sum, you can take an all-day tour. The driver met me in the lobby of my hostel and brought me to the harbor in Sorrento, where the boat captain and the rest of the guests were waiting. We climbed aboard Blu Toy, a medium-sized dark blue powerboat, and whizzed off across the azure sea. I sat out on the...

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Positively Positano, Amalfi Coast

Positively Positano, Amalfi Coast

Positano and the Amalfi coast are gorgeous, no question about that. But they have price tags to match. So what is a budget traveler to do? After a little research, I discovered that you can stay in tiny Piano de Sorrento and take buses and trains that link the pricier towns together at a fraction of the cost. And even better, I got to stay in a super affordable hostel in an old Monastery, with bells chiming, lovely staff and some of the nuns...

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The Best of Beautiful Barcelona

The Best of Beautiful Barcelona

When mentioning Barcelona, many are familiar with Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, with it’s soaring sandcastle-like facade, and interior reminiscent of an enchanted forest. It’s been a work in progress since 1882, and is scheduled to be completed in 2026, 100 years after Gaudi’s death. And Parc Guell, Gaudi’s failed residential project, equally enchanting, with its colorful mosaic work, fanciful architecture and panoramic...

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