Volterra’s been on my list for a long time. The Tuscan hilltop town that dates from Etruscan times caught my attention years ago and, with a stroke of luck, I was able to visit on my latest trip to Italy. Here’s what I thought and what I recommend (and don’t recommend) doing.

A History of Volterra

It’s believed that Volterra was inhabited since around the 9th century BC and was one of the major cities of the Etruscan world. The town was quite big for the time with 20,000 inhabitants, and it was a major center of trade.

The Romans … Continue reading

Venice is one of the must-sees of Italy. There are so many places in the world nicknamed after it – “the Venice of the north,” “the Venice of the east,” “little Venice.” But there’s only one real Venice. It has a mixed reputation of being a magical place and one of the most overrated places in the world. My first trip, I found the city to be absolutely beautiful. No doubt it’s touristy, but on my second trip, I found Venice just as charming.

Most people carve out a day to visit Venice and, after a 2020 cancellation, etc., I … Continue reading

Florence is one of Italy’s most popular cities, and it’s very deserving of the status. This beautiful place is steeped in history, mainly Renaissance history, and of course art. Florence is an absolute must-visit for art lovers, who will find that there’s a lot to do.

The History of Florence

Florence actually dates to the times of Julius Caesar when it was established as an ancient Roman city. It’s even in this period that Florence was part of “Tuscia” (Tuscany). But as Rome is famous for its ancient history, Florence is famous for its Renaissance history. Florence became a central … Continue reading

The childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Hever Castle was an easy choice for a day trip from London. It’s a wonderful castle with expansive history and several rooms to explore – not to mention the wonderful gardens and grounds. I was also quite happy to find the town of Hever very small but very charming. It makes a wonderful day trip for everyone.

Anne Boleyn at Hever Castle

The castle was initially built around the 13th century and became part of the Boleyn family property in 1462.
Anne Boleyn’s birth date is debating, but it’s speculated that Anne Boleyn wasn’t … Continue reading

London needs no introduction. I’ve now been to this city three times and it was actually my first international destination ever. I have to be honest: when I went for the first two times, I was a little put off since I was expecting something different, maybe something a bit more cohesive or something that felt older. I most recently went back to London in 2022 with the hopes of knowing the city better. Armed with a travel blogger mindset, I made a list and visited a lot of fantastic places.

Since London has so much for tourists to do, … Continue reading

Jane Austen is almost synonymous with Bath, England. It’s ironic considering that she didn’t even like the city. In once instance, she wrote to her sister Cassandra, “It will be two years tomorrow since we left Bath for Clifton, with what happy feelings of escape.” But it doesn’t matter that places like Chawton and Steventon are places she loved more dearly. Having lived in Bath for several years and using it as a backdrop, and even a secondary character, for many of her novels, Jane Austen’s most associated city is Bath. Fans flock here every year and it can even … Continue reading

I got to do a bit of island hopping on my trip to Croatia and Korcula was one of the stops I needed to make. Done as an all-day trip between Dubrovnik and Split, Korcula ended up being one of my favourite destinations in Croatia!

(Please note that the town called Korcula is on an island also called Korcula. While some people have explored more of the island, my focus was on the walled town.)

Korcula History

Korcula Island’s history goes way back to when it was inhabited by the Greeks and Romans. However, the town of Korcula was built … Continue reading

I love Harry Potter. I’ve been a huge fan since childhood, have seen all the movies in theatres (which at this stage is admitting how old I am), and a nice collection of Harry Potter plushies. I even once hosted a Harry Potter-themed Christmas.

But you don’t need me to tell you how much Harry Potter means to millions of people around the globe. I don’t need to convince you to visit London’s Harry Potter Studio Tour. You’re already planning a trip there and screaming “take my money!” to see props, costumes, and behind-the-scenes looks at eight movies that helped … Continue reading

Split’s an excellent city in its own right but due to its proximity to other towns, it’s a great place to base yourself to explore northern Dalmatia via day trips. Though I didn’t get to visit all the amazing places around Split, here are six places I did visit and what I thought of them.

Hvar

When I was researching where to visit in Croatia, Hvar was a name that came up repeatedly. I have to admit that I didn’t see much appeal in visiting Hvar since I’m more of a city person, but I opted to visit anyway. Even … Continue reading

On my way from Split to Zadar, I opted to make a few stops at different towns to see the most of Croatia. One town I’d heard good things about was Sibenik, a little bayside town with a lot of charm. It’s a bit of a hidden gem but easily accessible, so I stopped in little Sibenik for a few hours. It was incredibly gorgeous and one of my favourite stops in Croatia.

The History of Sibenik

Sibenik (chi-ben-ick) has an unusual history for Croatia since it was founded by the Croats. It’s first mentioned in 1066 and was made … Continue reading