It’s human nature to compare foreign cities to those in your home country. Cape Town is different for this American.
While it has a similar feel to San Francisco, Cape Town’s look and vibe are all its own.
Hout Bay along the Atlantic side of the Cape Peninsula
“Are you ready?”
I nodded with some hesitation in response to the pilot’s question just before taking off in the cramped, six-seater Cessna 206.
Surprisingly, the ultra manual-looking controls didn’t completely wig me out. Nor the fact we only had one pilot who looked about 14 steering our plane. At least he looked healthy, I reasoned.
After a nerve-racking, five-hour drive from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye, the last thing we felt like doing the next day was spending more time in the car navigating the island's Trotternish Peninsula.
All I can say is muster up the energy to reignite your driving mojo. You will not regret it, especially if you are lucky enough to see it on a day with spurts of sunshine like we did.
To give you some perspective, our trip from Edinburgh had its challenges. It took us almost an hour to make it out of town thanks to some tricky roundabouts and an inept navigator (yes, that's me) cross-referencing multiple maps while using a GPS system. Not a good idea.
However, the views along the way made up for the struggle. What a surprise to find snow-capped mountains during our spring visit.
It might be hard to pull yourself away from a city as captivating as Paris for a day, but trust me. Colorful enchantment awaits you at Claude Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny.
Paris is a city whose mere mention conjures up a list of stereotypes – good and bad. Romantic and snooty are two that quickly come to mind.
For me, the word that best describes Paris is elegant. Or maybe it's gamorous. Sophisticated? That's the thing with Paris. Every person has a different response because it has so many sides.
It’s an open-air museum filled with fanciful architecture, stunning art, and interesting people who are proud of their city and country. Sure, pride can sometimes come across as snobbery, but we rarely saw it in our encounters.
Pont Alexander III