May 10th, 2008
Budget European travel links for 10-May-2008
- USA Today: Europe still expensive
- Forbes: traveling on the weak dollar
- Dallas News: Americans going overseas anyway
Enjoying this blog? Check out the rest of the Travel & Culture Channel ![]()
Here at the b5 Travel & Culture channel, we occasionally have theme days. This month’s theme is photos, and here’s Mary Jo’s great round-up of the posts. Go check out the lovely views!
I had a fabulous time at Queen’s Day in Amsterdam last week, on April 30th. Queen’s Day is a huge celebration of the (former) queen’s birthday, and there is fun to be had all over the country.
In Amsterdam, DJs and bands were set up on stages all over the city on the evening before Queen’s Day, and the city felt like one big outdoor party. The celebrations continued early the next morning, with people getting up extra-early to take part in the free market - anyone is allowed to set up shop and sell items on this day. It’s kind of like a city-wide garage sale. The city and its canals were packed for most of the day, with orange-wearing revelers all over the place.
Queen’s Day offers a whole lot of free fun - the hard part is finding a hotel room. Book well in advance for next year!
This charming town in the Alsace region of France is so cute it might make you weep.
Photo source: personal collection
Tags: Colmar, Europe, France
As I’ve mentioned before, I sometimes like to match my leisure reading to my travel destination. If you’re a fan of John Irving, you might be interested in A Widow for One Year, which is partially set in Amsterdam.
There’s also his classic The World According to Garp, which has several scenes in Vienna. As one reviewer explained, reading Garp before heading to the Austrian capital might lead to fits of laughter at everyday scenes in your pension.
The highlight (well, one of several) of my recent trip to Italy was a visit to the Giardino dei Tarocchi, a whimsical, creative sculpture-filled garden created by the artist Niki de Saint Phalle. The garden is a bit of a drive north from Rome (or south from Siena), making it somewhat out-of-the-way for most tourists. But for fans of the artist’s work, the trip (and the EUR 10.50 entrance fee) are more than worth it. Check the garden’s website for opening hours and days (it is closed for most of the winter).
Photo credit: personal collection.
Some of my favorite posts on Europe String from April:
And on my other blogs (Veggie Chic and This non-American Life)… I visited a great (vegetarian) restaurant and a fun bar in Berlin. Plus I managed to procure a German driver’s license with very little pain.
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