We recently visited 12 Louisiana plantations along Louisiana’s River Road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Louisiana’s River Road parallels the east and west banks of the Mississippi River for about 70 miles (about 100 miles of actual road) through the Louisiana parishes of St. Charles, St. John, and St. James. Prior to the American Civil War, this river road was lined with approximately 350 antebellum plantation homes, from relatively simple farm houses to grand Versailles-like mansions. Many early Louisiana plantations grew rice, indigo, or tobacco, but by the mid-nineteenth century the majority were growing sugar cane, which became the most profitable cash crop in the state. Louisiana would become the most wealthy state in the country by the onset of the Civil War, made possible only by the forced hard labor of thousands of slaves who worked at these plantations. Not surprisingly, the Civil War and the end of slavery… Read the rest
London Day Trip to Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds
Recently Laurence and I did a London day trip to Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds. London is a city that makes a great base for some really interesting day trips. Although we prefer to overnight in the places we visit, sometimes we are short on time and a day trip is a convenient way to see places that you would not otherwise have time to visit. We were very excited to visit Blenheim Palace and a couple of the Cotswolds villages on our private tour by car with a Blue Badge local guide. On our London day trip, we toured the grand Blenheim Palace and the photogenic rural Cotswolds villages of Bibury and Burford. We’ll tell you how you can plan your own day trip from London to visit these places whether you want to visit by car, public transit, or guided tour. We’ll also share details about our own… Read the rest
12 Things to do in Marrakesh Morocco
Marrakesh is a sensory-rich city in Morocco where you can experience a unique blend of ancient traditions and modern conveniences. A city where donkey carts, spice sellers, and snake charmers intermingle with luxury spas, coffee shops, and tour buses. The city contains a number of culturally and architecturally important sites and Marrakesh’s medina was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Laurence and I recently spent almost 2 weeks in Marrakech, both visiting the city as tourists and using it as a base to catch up on some work. During our time in Marrakech we had ample opportunity to eat plenty of the local dishes, shop in the souks, visit the city’s museums and palaces, check out the world-famous Jemaa el-Fnaa, stroll in the gardens, and sleep in a riad. We also encountered getting lost, haggling in the souks, being scammed, and getting sick in the city, so we’ll… Read the rest
London Pass Review & Tips: Is the London Pass Worth It?
If you are planning a trip to London and want to spend some time admiring great artwork and visiting grand royal palaces, you’ll likely save money and time by purchasing the London Pass. The London Pass not only allows for free admission to over 80 of the top-visited attractions in London (i.e., Windsor Castle, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, The Shard, London Eye), but it also allows you to skip the long entrance lines at several of these attractions and includes a 2-day free Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour ticket and a 1-day River Boat ticket. In many cases, the London Pass is good value and will save you money; however, in some cases, the London Pass may not be a good deal for you, especially if this is not your first visit to London or you have very limited time in the city. In this London Pass review,… Read the rest
Inspiration for Your Travel Themed Wedding or Destination Wedding
Planning a travel themed wedding? Here is all the inspiration you need to plan your own travel themed wedding or destination wedding. Over 100 ideas for travel themed wedding invitations, wedding rings, wedding decorations, cufflinks, table place cards, cake toppers, DIY ideas, wedding favor gifts, and more! Let your love of travel show on your wedding day!
All your Essential Travel Photography Questions Answered by Photographer Laurence Norah
Laurence is a professional award-winning travel photographer (and my husband!) and today he is going to answer some of those essential travel photography questions that we are often asked. If you have ever looked at other people’s photographs of a travel spot you’ve been to and wondered why their photographs were so much better that yours, this post will give you some helpful tips as well as point you to further resources if you are interested in taking your photography to the next level. This Q & A post is designed to share some of the basics on travel photography, including things like how a camera works, advice on camera gear, how to protect your gear while traveling, the essential basics of composition you should know, tips for mobile photography, best photography editing software, and even tips on how to take a better selfie! Laurence Norah has been traveling as… Read the rest
Oak Alley Plantation: Our Visit and Overnight Stay at a Louisiana Plantation
Oak Alley Plantation is one of over a dozen Louisiana plantation homes open to the public that line the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. In the mid-nineteenth century, over 300 plantations lined the river in this area, most of the plantations growing sugar cane which became the principal cash crop in this area by the early nineteenth century. Oak Alley Plantation is often considered the Grande Dame of the Great River Road with a lovely Greek Revival style main house and a number of dependencies built between 1837 to 1839. Oak Alley is no longer a working sugar cane plantation, but the original main house and a few other original buildings remain on the property as well as the famous 300-year-old alley of oaks that gives this plantation its name and photogenic fame. It is also famous for being shown in numerous TV shows and films, including Hush Hush… Read the rest
Inside the Vasari Corridor in Florence: Touring the Medici’s Secret Passage
The Vasari Corridor is an enclosed private passageway in Florence, Italy, built in the 16th century by the Medici family to connect the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti. This narrow elevated passageway allowed the Medici family and their privileged guests to travel freely and unnoticed and to have advantageous views of Florence and its populace. The Vasari Corridor snakes across many of Florence’s most important landmarks as it makes it way from the Palazzo Vecchio to the Pitti Palace, including the Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Felicita church, and the Boboli Gardens. The Vasari Corridor remained closed to the public until the 1970’s when it was restored and opened for select special openings and for group tours provided by specialist tour companies. Today, you too can enjoy the privilege of going inside the Vasari Corridor in Florence either by buying a special Uffizi Ticket or booking a guided tour…. Read the rest
Attending the Edinburgh International Science Festival in the World’s Festival City
We recently attended the Edinburgh International Science Festival which kicks off the annual festival activities in Edinburgh. Scotland may bring to mind images of rugged castles, grazing Highland cattle, lush green glens, sheep, bagpipes, haggis, and men in kilts. However, Edinburgh, the country’s capital, also lays claim to being the world’s leading festival city. Edinburgh is currently host to 11 major festivals held throughout the year, celebrating art, music, dance, storytelling, books, military tattoos, science, and even the arrival of the New Year. The Edinburgh International Science Festival is the first of these festivals, held for 2 weeks each Spring, and was founded in 1988 as the world’s first public science festival! The science festival hosts a variety of fun and informative workshops, demonstrations, and talks celebrating science and technology with events geared towards both children and adults. We attended several festival events around the city during the science festival… Read the rest
Planning an Oxford Day Trip: A Guide to Visiting Oxford from London
Oxford is a university city situated about 60 miles from London, making a Oxford day trip an ideal way to get out of the bustling capital for a day or weekend to explore this compact historical city. Nicknamed the City of Dreaming Spires, Oxford is best known as the home of England’s oldest university, the University of Oxford, which is still one of the most respected in the country. A trip to Oxford wouldn’t be complete without touring a couple of university buildings, but Oxford has much else to offer. A visitor might go on a walking tour of the downtown, browse for souvenirs at the Covered Market, go punting on the River Cherwell, take a tour of a medieval castle, stroll in a pretty garden, enjoy a drink in a historical tavern, or even take a short drive to visit one of England’s most beautiful and famous country homes…. Read the rest
Best Home WiFi Routers for Improved Internet Speeds
When we’re not traveling, we spend much of our time working from home which requires a lot of time spent online. Having a fast and reliable Internet connection that we can access throughout the house across multiple devices is really important. The heart of the Internet connection in most homes is a networking device known as a router. The router connects to the Internet, and your devices (e.g., computers, smartphones, tablets) connect to the router which allows them access to the Internet. Depending on the size of your home, you may even have multiple Wi-Fi points to ensure you can get a wireless signal everywhere you need. There’s a huge range of routers on the market, at a wide variety of price points. They are definitely not all created equal. The best home WiFi router for you will depend on a number of factors. Today, we’re going to share with… Read the rest
Guide to Visiting the Borghese Gallery in Rome Italy
The Borghese Gallery is the perfect place for art lovers to admire art in a beautiful space without big crowds in Rome. While the Vatican Museums are filled with treasures and are a must-visit site in the Eternal City, it is also one of the largest and most crowded museums on the planet! But luckily Rome is full of art, some contained inside museums, some tucked away in churches, and some weathering in its piazzas. The Galleria Borghese, or Borghese Gallery, features one of the world’s greatest private art collections assembled by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in the 17th century. The art is beautifully situated in his former Roman garden villa. The collection is particularly rich in ancient Roman, Renaissance, and Baroque art, with major works by Bernini, Titian, Caravaggio, Raphael, Correggio, Rubens, and Canova. A great thing about the Borghese Gallery is that it has a timed reservation system that keeps… Read the rest
Discovering the Romantic Poets on our Grand Tour in Rome
During our modern-day Grand Tour in Rome this past October, we had the opportunity to learn more about the English Romantic poets and their history within the Eternal City on a tour with Context Travel. From the 16th century until the mid 19th century, many wealthy young English men would travel to Italy on a Grand Tour in order to finish off their education and gain a better understanding of art, culture, and history. However, many used it as an excuse to gamble, drink, party, and visit prostitutes. Three of the most famous English Romantic poets: George Gordon Byron (Lord Byron), Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats, would all visit Italy and the city of Rome would serve as a backdrop for significant personal events in the poets’ lives and as an inspiration for their poetry. The guided tour includes a visit to the last residence of John Keats, a wander through a… Read the rest
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Train: A Luxury Train Journey from London to Venice
This past October we had the pleasure of riding the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train from London to Venice where we held our wedding ceremony. The original Orient Express train service ran from 1883 to 2009, and its name became associated with glamour, luxury, intrigue, and even murder! In its heyday, it was the most luxurious train in Europe and today this tradition lives on with Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE). The VSOE makes regular luxury train journeys across Europe, offering gourmet meals, private overnight cabins, and attentive staff within its wonderfully restored historical train carriages. The signature trip is the 36-hour luxury train journey from London to Venice which has to be one of the most elegant ways to arrive in Venice! We’ll share all you need to know to decide if this trip is a good fit for you, from the historical background of the Orient Express to how to book… Read the rest
French Tea Time: A Guide to Afternoon Tea in Paris
After many cups of tea, we’ve put together a guide to afternoon tea in Paris. People often associate Paris with outdoor cafés and coffee and wine culture, so you may be surprised to know that there are a number of great spots for savoring tea in Paris. The act of drinking tea in France dates back to the 17th century and it was long associated with being a pastime of the aristocracy. Whether you are looking for an indulgent afternoon tea served with a silver tiered tray of sandwiches and pastries at a grand luxury hotel or simply a cup of tea and a madeleine at a more casual spot, you are sure to find something that fits your taste and budget. We’ll also share some of our favorite French tea brands for those wanting to buy and savor tea at home. We are still exploring all the afternoon tea spots in Paris,… Read the rest