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A Dozen Delights in Monaco
Monaco is the second smallest principality in the world (the Vatican is the first). Covering only 1.5 square miles it is more like a large city than a small country. As the second most densely populated area in the world it has had to find ingenious ways of accommodating all the people who have…
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Limone sul Garda - The Garden of Lake Garda
Approaching Limone from the Lake Garda the visitor is immediately struck by an abundance of lemon groves and olive trees. The buildings along the shore-line are festooned with the brilliant blooms of bougainvillea and its long promenade is lined with oleander trees. Even its name suggests a plant…
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Malcesine - Captain of Lake Garda
I love to visit Malcesine on Lake Garda because it is home to one of my favourite restaurants – La Pace. As soon as I get off the ferry I push through the crowds lingering on the quay wondering what to do and where to go. I know exactly where I am going ...
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Riva del Garda - Guardian of Lake Garda
Riva del Garda occupies pole position at the Northern end of Lake Garda in Italy. As you approach through the Valley of the Lakes colourful oleander bushes and silvery olive trees line the route. Beyond these field upon field of vines interspersed with patches of Kiwi fruits stretch as far as the…
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Pinzolo - A Traditional Town in the Italian Dolomites
You may wonder, as you enter Pinzolo, why the first thing you see is a statue of a knife grinder with his barrow. A bit strange you might think and something more likely to be seen on the streets of London. In fact, the knife grinders who pounded the streets of London originated from this small…
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By the Seaside in Umag on the Istrian Coast of Croatia
When we arrived at our hotel, Sol Umag, in Umag on the peninsula of Istria in Croatia we were too early to check in. We were directed to the Pool Bar where we could get drinks and snacks. Outside we found ourselves right on the sea front, just a band of shady trees between us and the water. A…
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Montecatini Alto in Tuscany - Medieval meets Modern
The medieval town of Montecatini Alto (Upper Montecantini) in Tuscany is two hundred and ninety metres above Montecatini Terme. I know because I have walked every one of them both up and down. But it was worth every step to explore this hamlet frozen in the past yet embracing the present ...
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Montecatini Terme in Tuscany - A Very Special Spa Town
Montecatini Terme is the ideal base from which to explore its more famous neighbours in the Italian region of Tuscany. Early every morning cavalcades of touring buses roll down the wide, tree-lined avenues to collect their passengers. But those who take the time to stroll around its streets will…
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Two Aerial Experiences in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria
My first aerial experience was at the top of the Alpspitze. But first we had to get there. Like excited children we pressed our noses against the Perspex window of our little cable car. We pointed out some landmarks below as we rose above the Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. We traced…
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Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Beautifully Bavarian
As soon as I stepped out of my hotel I was enchanted, there is no other word for it. Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria is surrounded by the Ester Mountains also known as the Bavarian Alps, a spur of the Alps. These mountains form a dramatic backdrop for this popular year-round resort - or more…
