TravelswithCharie

  Graz is the second largest city in Austria. Just two and a half hour by train from Vienna, it's the perfect long weekend getaway. With loads of history, architectural diversity and lots of terrace cafés, this UNESCO City of Design has plenty to offer and will easily keep you longer than planned. The Kunsthaus or art museum has been called many things - the friendly alien, whale and porcupine. It looks like a giant pickle to me from this angle. The rooftop of the Kunsthaus that gave it the nickname, friendly alien. View of the red rooftops of the old town with the Rathaus in the center, taken from the Schlossberg. Old town Graz is a Unesco designated World Heritage Site. How to get up to Schlossberg (Castle Hill)? There are 206 steps to climb to the Schlossberg. Thank goodness there are other choices to reach the top. There’s a lift at the bottom of this hill and a funicular just down the street. The funicular fare is included with the day transport pass and the lift fare is €1.30

Church of St. Mark’s Zagreb is a city of museums. The Museum of Broken Relationships tops the list of the most intriguing place to visit in the capital city of Croatia. And I must say that I had some of my best meals in Europe in Zagreb. Here are some highlights from my recent visit.  The 13th century Church of St. Mark’s bears the coat of arms of Zagreb (3 towers) and the medieval emblem of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia. This colorful tiled roof was constructed in 1880. Ban Josip Jelačić Count Josip Jelačić was Croatias’s ban (governor) from 1848 and 1859. He was the military leader of Croatia under the Habsburg Empire and during the Hungarian revolution (1848-1849).  Jelačić Square This is a busy square leading to the main shopping street of the city. There are lots of outdoor cafés here and the funicular to the old town or if you prefer, the stairs to St. Mark’s Church and the Museum of Broken Relationships are close by. The high reliefs of this building caught my eye. I wonder if

According to legend, Lake Bled was created by fairies. Bled Island was the setting for their joyous dancing on starry nights. No wonder this place is magical.  Bled Island I walked along the south shore of the lake from the pletna boat station near the Grand Hotel following the trail that’s parallel to the Cesta Svobode road. I passed some beautiful mansions, an abandoned house and a tunnel on the way and stopped at a lookout point where I had a good view of Bled Island. Forgetting to bring a hat was a huge faux pas as the sun was so unforgiving. It was an easier walk back to the center of Bled with the sun behind me. I did bring bottled water and that was clearly a bright idea. Pletna Boats These colorful boats take passengers to Bled Island for 12 euros. There is a scheduled hourly departure. It doesn’t include the entry fee to the Church of the Mother of God and the Clock Tower. Bled Castle and the neo Gothic Church of St. Martin Notice the turquoise blue waters of the lake and ho

Triple Bridge Ljubljana is a compact city and easy to navigate. Start with a free walking tour from Prešernov trg Square to learn more about the history of the country and the significance of their landmarks. Then take the funicular to Ljubljana Castle for a panoramic view of the city. End the day at a terrace café by the river and order some of the fine Slovenian wines.  At Triple Bridge (above) with Prešernov trg Square and the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation in the background. Jože Plečnik is the architect of this famous bridge. Dragon’s Bridge One of four large dragons guarding Dragon’s Bridge. Slovenia’s mythological history is entwined with Greek mythology and the story of Jason and the Argonauts. Butcher’s Bridge Butcher’s Bridge is also the love bridge. Notice the thousands of love locks rusting away with age. I hope the same is not true of the love shared by owners of the padlocks. In the background is Jože  Plečnik’s covered market. Terrace cafés by Ljubljanica River Ca

  Vondel Park The Netherlands is open to US travelers and flights to Amsterdam from the US have been full. But despite the new arrivals, Amsterdam is still a sleepy town compared to past summers. You can really enjoy the city without crowds jostling for space and attention. It’s the best time to take it slow and appreciate the many attractions Amsterdam has to offer.  Tourists from green listed countries including the U.S. may enter the Netherlands if they have proof of full vaccination or a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of their flight. The vaccine must be one of approved vaccines by the European Medicine Agency (EMA) and the last dose must have been administered 14 days prior to arrival. There is also a health declaration form to be submitted to Immigration Control at the airport but the officer who handled my documents at Schiphol International Airport didn't bother to check my form. Face masks are required in public transportation, at airports, in the aircraft,

Jazmin Gaite and Al Manahan in Viña de Mar, Chile Where and when was your first trip outside of your home country? My first trip was  with my  ex-husband   to the US in 1985 to plan our relocation from the Phili ppines to the United States. It  was a trip around the US to scout for a place to relocate. Our trip took us to California, Illinois, New York, Washington DC, Missouri, and Florida. By this time, all our 3 children have been born, but they were 3, 5 and 7 years old. We decided to settle in California and in the City of Los Angeles as it is a bigger city with lots of business opportunities. After settling in California, I spent most of my time raising my  3 kids and taking care of my  retirement home business  s o there was no time nor money to spend on leisure or  travel. I made sure all the 3 kids were finished with college before starting to travel. My first trip for pleasure was with my mother after my father died. As soon as we buried my father in the Philippines, I took m