I can’t adequately explain how this happened. A couple of months ago, we finalized a commitment to an 18-day trip to and through Spain and Portugal. Not a crazy idea, considering we are already close to the former, which is attached to the latter. Also, not crazy considering that 1) we have spent little time […]

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As the capital city of Portugal, Lisbon was one of the world’s most important cities in the early days of the Age of Discovery. Portugal was, by almost a century, the first European nation to seek out trade and conquest in areas previously unfamiliar to the rest of Europe. In particular, in sub-Saharan Africa, India […]

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Portugal seems to be a bit off the grid, among American tourists. Inexpensive, lots of sun — but not a priority. In practice, it is a country Yanks visit only after seeing the leading sights of Europe, led by those in France and Britain. It turns out that Portugal’s second city, Porto, is in itself […]

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Americans tend to think of Europe as a small place. Physically small. Especially when compared to North America, let alone Asia. And Europe is fairly compact. Especially the western half of it. From Ireland to, say, the borders of the former Soviet Union. But, and it’s big but … Europe is not dinky. If you […]

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And I thought it was my idea. No, really. Someone already on the continent who is keen to see some well-known capitals of Europe that are not the usual London, Paris, Berlin, et al. Let’s get out a map … Hey, wait! Budapest, Vienna and Prague are arranged more or less on a straight line […]

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It wasn’t only because we found meals in Vienna to be expensive, compared to nearby cut-rate European capital cities Prague and Budapest, that we avoided Vienna’s restaurants for most of our stay in the Austrian capital. Though that was much of it. Another major factor? A chance to binge on American-made movies in VO (version […]

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A canal separates the monument-rich “inner city” of old Vienna, Austria, from the newer neighborhoods to the east. Behind those housing districts is a sprawling park named the Augarten, where citizens and tourists can frolic or exercise or relax. However, the Augarten has two squat, ugly towers that look out of place. In fact, they […]

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Living in France, one comes to appreciate the daily niceties, at least in the country’s small towns. It is considered declasse’, bordering on overtly rude, to pass someone — anyone — in the street without saying hello. The encounter can be with young or old or snarky teen, and still social conventions call for a […]

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Not making this up. The three words in the headline are an actual bit of explanation for an item entitled “Tewa’s cheesecake” on the menu of the comfy bio-bistro where we had dinner, in Vienna. It reinforced what I have been learning, here in Austria: I may be able to conjugate common verbs and translate […]

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If you hope to dine like a local, in central Europe, you start by accepting one condition: You must order a beer with your meal. Or else you are an even bigger poseur than most of the rest of the tourists visiting the region. Which has led me to drink beer for nine consecutive days […]

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