Art – The Travelphile

Once Upon a Time in Tuscany

A few years ago, I was gifted a ticket to see Andrea Bocelli in concert at the theater he helped create in Tuscany called Teatro del Silenzio. Full of gorgeous operatic and pop music, guest performers, dancing, fanfare, spectacle, and even a white tiger, it was a mesmerizing, unforgettable event. And it gave me anContinueContinue reading “Once Upon a Time in Tuscany”

Game of Thrones: The Touring Exhibition Hits Belfast

Belfast is hosting Game of Thrones: The Touring Exhibition until September 11, 2019. And it is awesome!

Rome by the Dozen: 12 Images of The Eternal City

Anyone who’s ever been to Rome knows that it’s impossible to contain all of its magnificence in a handful of photos, but that doesn’t stop most travelers from trying. There are (quite literally) millennia of things to see, explore, taste, and experience in this city that was once the center of the largest empire inContinueContinue reading “Rome by the Dozen: 12 Images of The Eternal City”

Italian Experiences with Rick Steves

It’s been more than Rick Steves has led one of our Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, but you’d never know it. His enthusiasm, energy, stamina, knowledge, and love of Europe seems only to have increased with those passing years. Along with 28 happy tour members, my guide colleague Ben Cameron and I (we’re Rick’s assistants onContinueContinue reading “Italian Experiences with Rick Steves”

Summer Nights in Beaune

France. Burgundy. Beaune. Any one of these place names might conjour thoughts of remarkable wines, pungent cheeses, or exquisite meals—and rightly so. But in the last few years, Beaune has been luring visitors to linger after their decadent dinners and explore the town with its Animations Nocturnes (Evening Animations). Beaune is a picture of bustlingContinueContinue reading “Summer Nights in Beaune”

Remembering Nice

Earlier this year, my travels brought me to Nice. Since my first visit there 15 years ago, I have been under its delightful spell. And now, like so many, I am deeply saddened by the horrific act of terror inflicted on so many in this Riviera city on the 14th of July. And also likeContinueContinue reading “Remembering Nice”

Chicago: Travel Shows, Tours, and a Birthday

One of my favorite “side gigs” as a Rick Steves’ guide is promoting our tours at the Travel & Adventure Show every winter. This 2-day event happens in a different major city almost every weekend from January to March. Thousands flock to the city’s convention center, which is jammed aisle after aisle with travel boothsContinueContinue reading “Chicago: Travel Shows, Tours, and a Birthday”

How to Find Great Values in Venice

Centuries-old former palaces crackle and peel away in the thick, briny air. Bottom floors of old merchants’ warehouses sit empty and still cling half-heartedly to their romantic patina of a time long past, slowly but beautifully decaying under the Venetian heat, humidity, and rising waters. As I glide down the canal on a slow vaporetto,ContinueContinue reading “How to Find Great Values in Venice”

Best of Europe: There’s No Place Like Rome

For 21 days, Rick and I are tour members on one of his own tours: the Best of Europe. We’re trying to combine vacation with quality control and research. And it’s going great! Join us as we traipse from the Netherlands to Germany, Austria to Italy, and Switzerland to France with a terrific tour guide andContinueContinue reading “Best of Europe: There’s No Place Like Rome”