Quenching your thirst for travel
Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland has been a popular filming location for decades. Some of you may recognize it from films such as Rob Roy, Entrapment, or The World Is Not Enough. I best remember it as the ancestral home of Connor MacLeod from the Highlander franchise. And if you remember it the same way … Read more Eilean Donan Castle – Home to Kings, Clans and Colonels
If you’re a history buff, you will love visiting Stirling, Scotland. You can hit the highlights in one very full day, or spread out your visit over two days. Here are my top picks for some of the most interesting historic sites in Stirling: 1. Stirling Castle Stirling Castle is probably the biggest draw in … Read more 7 Cool Historic Sites in Stirling, Scotland for History Buffs
St Andrews, Scotland is one of those towns that’s compact enough to see in a day or two, but interesting enough to make the stop worthwhile. The earliest known name for this area was Cennrígmonaid, in Old Gaelic. As the story goes, a 4th Century monk named Regulus (or Saint Rule) brought relics belonging to … Read more The Highlights of St Andrews, Scotland in 24 Hours
What better place to spend your birthday than at a castle? My husband and I share the same birth date, which just happened to coincide with our trip to Portugal. We decided to spend the day in a sweet, picturesque little town called Sintra. Sintra has a ridiculous number of castles and palaces littering its … Read more Exploring the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle), Portugal
A visit to Germany just isn’t complete without seeing the spectacular Neuschwanstein Castle. We booked a day trip through a local Munich-based tour group to get there. The tour also included a stop at Linderhof Palace. Both Linderhof Palace and Neuschwanstein were built by King Ludwig, also known as the Mad King Ludwig. Ludwig II was … Read more A Day Trip to Linderhof Palace and Neuschwanstein Castle
For some reason, it never occured to me that Japan would have castles. But when my husband and I took a day trip to Himeji Castle, we discovered a side of historic Japan we never expected. Himeji Castle is located in the city of Himeji, which is about an hour-long train trip west of Osaka. … Read more Taking a Day Trip to Himeji Castle, Japan
Probably the most iconic (and touristy) thing to do in Ireland is to kiss the blarney stone. In fact, I think it’s mandatory. They won’t let you out of the country until you do it. Sometimes, the touristy attractions draw a crowd for valid reasons. The theory around the blarney stone, of course, is that … Read more Come for the Blarney, Stay for the Castle
Once we reached the end of the chairlift ride, we hopped off and started walking toward Vianden Castle. The trail is a little tricky in spots and can get slippery when it rains, but it is such a pretty walk, you won’t mind taking your time. Little glimpses of the castle through the trees piqued … Read more A Day Trip to Vianden – Part 2, Exploring Vianden Castle
A visit to Luxembourg would not be complete without visiting a castle or two. Since my husband and I were staying in Luxembourg City, we decided to take a day trip to one of the nearby castles. We chose Vianden Castle, based on its proximity, lengthy history and natural beauty. It did not disappoint. There … Read more A Day Trip to Vianden – Part 1, Exploring The Town
Just a short walk up the hill from the Moorish Castle in Sintra, Portugal, is the spectacular National Palace of Pena. Painted in vivid shades of yellow, red and blue with highly detailed ornamental trim, it’s the kind of palace one would expect to see at Walt Disney World. But the only roller coaster you’ll find … Read more The Palácio Nacional da Pena (The National Palace of Pena)