The primary Christmas Market in Avignon is located at the Place de l’Horloge, the central square of Avignon, in front of the Hôtel de Ville (town hall) and the Opéra Grand Avignon. The market is full of tempting Provençal-style handicrafts and gourmet items. In this winter village you’ll find the famous Savon de Marseille (Marseille olive oil soap), dried lavender and sachets, chocolates, olive tapenade, Provençal textiles, nougat, cheeses, sausages, vin chaud (hot mulled wine), crêpes, ornaments, jewelry, and toys. This market includes a beautiful carousel that seems quite popular. It’s a lovely place to stroll any time of day, but the evening is particularly magical with it’s lovely decorations aglow.
Tag Archives: Europe
A Nomadic Christmas
For the last 9 months of travel, we’ve carried all of our belongings on our backs. Every piece of clothing, important document, and electronic device that we need is stuffed into one of our backpacks. The limited space and the cumulative weight forces us to prioritize and simplify. We make choices based on how much each item weighs, how much space it will take up, how much we *really* need it, and if it has more than one use.
As we’ve travelled through Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, England, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, and now France, there have been countless items that we would have loved to purchase as a souvenir, but it’s simply not an option. Our backpacks are already stuffed to the gills. We sold our home back in the US, so we can’t ship it there. In the end, whatever it is, we don’t need it and it’s no great loss. We’ve learned that possessions aren’t what bring happiness. Continue reading A Nomadic Christmas
Budapest at Night
We could go on and on about how beautiful Budapest is at night. The buildings, monuments, and bridges are lit up, showcasing the beautiful architecture. The city bustles with activity, but it never feels hectic or overwhelming.
The evenings offer ruin pubs, cafes, restaurants, world-class opera, concerts, night cruises on the Danube, or any variety of nightlife that you can think of. And, it’s very easy to get around by foot or public transportation. Continue reading Budapest at Night
Ice Skating in Budapest
We came to Budapest looking to embrace the chilly weather and indulge in holiday cheer. The Christmas Markets are the perfect place to begin, but another great winter activity that we enjoy is ice skating. There is very little that so perfectly exemplifies the season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJxdRZ6sKRI Continue reading Ice Skating in Budapest
The Holidays in Budapest
We lounged comfortably on the couch of our rented condo in Malaysia as we talked about how and where we wanted to spend the holidays. It was September and, after spending 6 months in the extreme heat and humidity of Southeast Asia, the idea of spending Fall and Winter in the northern hemisphere didn’t sound bad at all. Plus, it was difficult to imagine that it would feel “Christmasy” to us in a tropical climate. I suppose that comes from growing up in the NE and NW regions of the United States.
We wanted chilly weather that allowed us to bundle up. We wanted holiday cheer and decorations. We wanted carolers and Christmas Markets. And, heck, we wanted ice skating. We looked into our destination options and we didn’t lack for choices, but ultimately we wanted the biggest holiday bang-for-our-buck. Continue reading The Holidays in Budapest
Friends Abroad
When you decide to travel long-term, many wonderful experiences lay before you, but you must also be willing to leave behind the comforts of home and loved ones. Of course, in today’s world it is easy to stay in touch with tools like Skype, Facebook, WhatsApp, and email. They all go a long way toward combating homesickness. With technology, you can often feel just as “in touch” when you are thousands of miles from home as you did when you were actually there.
We enjoy seeing what everyone is up to on Facebook and scheduling calls with friends and family, but the absolute best treat is when people come to visit. Not only do we get to see them in-person, but we get to play host and share some of our adventures with them. Continue reading Friends Abroad
Unexpected Challenges
People choose to travel for a number of reasons, but it often includes a desire to expose oneself to new experiences and cultures. It gives us an opportunity to grow and learn. To us, it’s what makes travel such a rich and worthwhile venture. However, putting yourself in unfamiliar situations, where you don’t always know the language, can sometimes cause stress and frustration. How you handle that stress and frustration will determine your success as a traveler and the satisfaction you get from traveling.
1) Be Prepared. This is partly about taking the time to learn a little about the place where you will be traveling, but it is also about preparing yourself mentally. Embrace the fact that there WILL be times when you are lost and confused. Expect it and accept it. Continue reading Unexpected Challenges
Ljubljana Central Market
We visited Ljubljana in mid-November. We were happy to find that the city was every bit as charming as we’d expected it to be, even more so. The fact that it was cold and rainy wasn’t a problem, because we were expecting that, so we came prepared with warm coats and umbrellas. However, there was one surprise that we weren’t expecting. Luckily, it was a pleasant surprise.
Charming Ljubljana
It was a rainy November day and before we’d even found a parking spot in Ljubljana (pronounced “lyoob-lya-nah”) we were already enamored. This picturesque capital of Slovenia is situated about halfway between Vienna and Venice and is often compared to Prague for to its outstanding architectural beauty. In fact, Jože Plečnik, the great Slovenian architect and urban planner, designed numerous architectural masterpieces in both cities, so the comparison is apt. Although, Ljubljana can be seen as a cheaper, smaller, and less-crowded alternative to Prague. Continue reading Charming Ljubljana
Exploring Pula’s Past
Pula is situated at the southern tip of Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula and is the area’s largest city. Like all of Istria it offers gorgeous beaches, stunning natural beauty, and gourmet delights. The city boast 3,000 years of history. But Pula and its immediate surroundings are actually much older. Prehistoric artifacts dating to 1 million years ago has been found in the cave of Šandalja near Pula. There’s also been evidence of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements.
About 3,000 years ago, Pula was part of Illyria, which describes the home of Indo-European tribes of the Baltic region during classical antiquity. It was at this time that the first hill-fort settlement was built on hill Kaštel and the fortification was named Histra, after the tribe called Histri.
Meandering Family: Beyond the Nest 