Rome’s Taverna Trilussa – When in Rome, Eat as the Romans Did

Roman pasta

Taverna Trilussa serves really good traditional Roman food simply cooked in a rustic setting. In short, it's a great place to go if you're looking for something local. I think the highlight was definitely the pasta, which is served straight out of the pan.

After some disappointing eating experiences in Rome, I knew that I had to rely on a local. Taverna Trilussa was recommended by a friend knowing that we wanted something that would be uniquely Roman as we would be going to the...

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Casa Batlo – Gaudi’s Undersea Fantasy

Gaudi buildings

Casa Batlo is the most popular Antoni Gaudi designed landmark to visit in Barcelona after La Sagrada Familia. This house is an undersea fantasy with walls, colours and motifs that evoke the feeling of being under water or in a whale (sort of like Jonah). Being on the luxury shopping end of Passeig de Gracia, Casa Batlo is a convenient place to visit if you've got plans to do a bit of shopping.

When the Batlo family appointed Gaudi to build their home in 1904, he was already...

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Bar Canete – No Fuss, Just Fun and Good Tapas

Barcelona tapas

If you want a simple meal in Barcelona that lifts your spirit, Bar Canete is a great place to go. This is a buzzy tapas bar that has no gimmicks - just good food, drinks and a fun atmosphere helped by an enthusiastic team. In a nutshell, it's the ideal spot to come after a long day walking around.

We had a great time here, helped in large part by a our waiter David - great smile and jovial - reminding me a bit of Robin Williams. He makes good gin & tonics as...

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Palau Guell – Must See this Early Gaudi Masterpiece

Gaudi building

Palau Guell is, in my view, a must-see Antoni Gaudi building in Barcelona. As it's still relatively lesser known than Casa Batlo and La Sagrada Familia I don't think it's as crowded, which makes for an enjoyable visit. And with its location not far from the Barri Gotic, it's a convenient add on to a walk around the old quarter of Barcelona.

Antoni Gaudi, probably the best known art-nouveau era architect in the world, has left Barcelona with a number of amazing edifices. La Sagrada...

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Amsterdam – A Bike is a Great Way to Spend a Half Day

Amsterdam

Summer in the city brings about more possibilities and one of the nicest things we did on a visit to Amsterdam was to spend a half day cycling into the surrounding countryside. The Netherlands is pretty ideal cycling country, in my view, as it's flat so it's great for us who simply want a leisurely ride and not the Tour de France. So we joined a guided group and headed out.

We chose a ride out to the Waterland area north of Amsterdam, which is around a 35 km return journey. There are...

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