TravelswithCharie

Nyhavn

"Nuremberg shines throughout Germany like a sun among the moon and stars." Martin Luther Half timbered houses in the Alstadt

    Wieber

A picture paints a thousand words. So without further ado, here's Hallstatt. Hallstatt

Buaya Beach It was summer in the Philippines and we really wanted to go to the Gigantes group of islands. But we had no desire to join the throng of beach pilgrims who wanted to take the iconic selfie from the hill above the white sand beach of Cabugao Gamay. So here we were on Buaya (crocodile) beach in Sicogon, waiting for our lunch to be served, enjoying a cool drink under the shade of this old Talisay tree and looking at the Gigantes islands from our comfortable roost. Tumaquin Island We could also see our motorized outrigger bobbing in the water and behind it, Tumaquin Island. You can swim to Tumaquin or wait until low tide and walk to it. There was a group of students learning to scuba dive in the clear waters offshore. The sun was mercilessly hot so we opted to stay put. We were happy campers under the tree. Scallops And just about the time we were running out of snacks (which we picked up from the market in the town of President Roxas), Melinda brought

"Framed by mountains, crowned by the Hohensalzburg Fortress and divided by the turquoise Salzach River, the Salzburg landscape is pure drama.” Frommers This view

    Church of Santa Maria, Jeronimos Monastery, Belem

It's a beauteous evening, calm and free The holy time is quiet as a nun Breathless with adoration, the broad sun Is sinking down in its tranquility The gentleness of heaven broods o'er sea Excerpt from It's a beauteous evening by William Wordsworth

Mantalinga Island or Good Luck Island beckons from across the sea. Just under 20 minutes from Baybay beach in Roxas City, it's rocky shores, tidal pools and sweeping view of Baybay are enough reasons to make the short crossing.     Mantalinga Island

Pack your bags and travel now while the U. S. dollar is soaring in value against foreign currencies. This Frommers' article discusses the strength of the USD vs. the euro, the English pound, the Japanese yen, the Mexican peso and the Chinese yuan. http://www.frommers.com/tips/money-and-currency/the-us-dollar-continue-to-soar-against-virtually-every-foreign-currency-cutting-the-cost-of-rooms-and-meals-abroad In this article from Mashable, it seems the U.S. dollar is the preferred currency even in the afterlife. http://mashable.com/2017/03/30/usd-hellnotes-malaysia/?utm_cid=mash-com-Tw-main-link#km0F8n1Nmaqf

There has been a lot of buzz lately about Mararison Island. For good reasons. How can one not rave about the crystal clear waters around the island and the long stretch of beach with nary a soul? Or the opportunity to take a hike up the hills for a panoramic view of the "land where the mountains meet the sea"?  We docked by the pile of ginormous jackstones which serve as breakwater for the island. Someday these will be properly redistributed so the beach will be well protected and halt the sea's reclamation of the beachfront.  The sea was calm in February when we visited Mararison. It didn't rain though the sky was heavy. And as it was low tide, the curving sandbar, Kawit, was visible from our open cottage on the beach. The hut rental was P300. After leaving our things in our cottage, we went in search for grub. We found fish and vegetables for sale just a short distance from the beach. And we were pointed to a

"Pleasant Verona! With its beautiful old palaces, and charming country in the distance, seen from terrace walks, and stately, balustraded galleries. With its Roman gates, still spanning the fair street, and casting, on the sunlight of to-day, the shade of fifteen hundred years ago. With its marble-fitted churches, lofty towers, rich architecture, and quaint old quiet thoroughfares, where shouts of Montagues and Capulets once resounded....."  Pictures from Italy, Charles Dickens, Chapter 8 The walls of Verona When Romeo was forced to leave Verona, he despaired: "There is no world for me outside the walls of Verona, except purgatory, torture, and hell itself. So to be banished from Verona is like being banished from the world, and being banished from the world is death."   Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Arena di Verona Still standing since the first century AD, the Arena no longer hosts gladiator fights but it still draws a crowd. It is the v

Miami Beach South Beach

Basilica of San Petronio and Piazza Maggiore

The European Parliament has voted to end visa-free travel for U.S. citizens after the U.S. failed to agree to allow visa-free entry to five members of the European Union namely, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Poland and Romania under a visa-free reciprocity agreement. "The vote urges the revocation of the visa-free scheme within two months." The European Commission has been given two months to take legal steps to require visas for U.S. citizens entering the EU. The Commission, for its part, advocates "continued engagement and patient diplomatic contacts".  How would this affect travel plans to Europe if the visa requirement is imposed? It will certainly add an extra inconvenience, acquiring a visa. How easy would it be to get one? How much will it cost? What is the duration of the visa? So many questions yet to be answered. If you're planning on traveling this summer to EU countries, you might want to hold off getting your ticket until the visa issue has been resolv

1. Visit Santa Monica Parish Church, a National Historical Landmark. 2. Try "puso", a specialty of Holy Grounds Coffee Shop located in front of the Church. 3. Go to Buntod Beach which has a commanding view of Olotayan Island. 4. Visit a heritage house, Balay ni Nanay Lording, and try their choriwich with thick hot chocolate. 5. Order pica-pica at Dante's Taberna on Friday and Saturday nights then dance the night away.

    View of Cebu City from the Marco Polo Hotel