— Florence‘s cathedral, also known as the Duomo, is one of the most important and iconic buildings in Italy. It is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, and its dome is one of the largest in the world. The cathedral is … Read More

— Braga is the largest city in the northern Portuguese region of Minho. Although not a heavily visited destination in Portugal, the city is known as the oldest Portuguese city. One of the many attractions the city has is Igreja … Read More

— Part of our southwest vacation in 2010 included Aztec Ruins NM and Chaco Culture NHP. The first and foremost thing to learn about this national monument is that its name, Aztec, is a misnomer. A nineteenth century erroneous belief, according to … Read More

— We arrived early at the São Bento (Saint Benedict) train station to catch a train from Porto to the Algarve region in southern Portugal. Since we had ample time we walked around the station. We couldn’t help but notice … Read More

— When we traveled to Italy in 2012, one of the destinations we knew we wanted to visit was Pompeii. Its historical importance was simply a must for us. So, we traveled to Naples one morning and proceeded to Pompeii … Read More

— One of the things we had decided in advance we’d do while staying in Porto (Portugal) was to take a cruise down the Douro River. We thought it would be a relaxing day. We were right about that, and … Read More

— A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Portugal‘s Seven Wonders, the Pena Palace is majestic in its location and striking inside and outside. On our recent trip to Portugal, the palace was high on our list of must-see … Read More

— A trip to Fernando de Noronha (Brazil) is idyllic. Located off the coast of Northeast Brazil, this archipelago contains some of the most pristine and beautiful beaches you’ll encounter, such as Sancho Beach. The scene in the photo above … Read More

— Although Trip Advisor does not list this beach as the most beautiful in the world (Praia do Sancho gets that honor), Praia do Cachorro (Dog’s Beach) is a beautifully secluded beach right in the heart of Fernando de Noronha … Read More

— On this day on March 1, 1872 — 145 years ago — the first national park was established in the USA. Yellowstone National Park was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant. That event took place years before … Read More