International

Looking up at the ceiling and choir of Glasgow Cathedral.

Likely the oldest surviving structure in Glasgow, construction of the city’s mighty Cathedral began in the 1100s. The style is ornate and distinctly Gothic, with similarities to other large cathedrals of the day like Notre Dame and The Se in Lisbon...

The ruins of Carnasserie Castle in Scotland on a sunny day.

Scotland is stuffed with castles, with a higher density of them than anywhere else in Europe. Our first visit to Scotland revealed the huge variety in structures, functions, and states of preservation or decay amongst the castles in this gorgeous country....

The front of medieval Doune Castle in Scotland.

Out of the many castles we visited in our two-week trip to Scotland, Duone Castle (pronounced “doon”) was one of my favorites and one I highly recommend. ...

Red sandstone makes the creek appear like blood in The Devil's Pulpit, Scotland.

The Devil’s Pulpit is a beautiful and unique gorge in picturesque Finnich Glen less than an hour north of Glasgow whose popularity is growing quickly thanks to the location being used as a filming location for several Hollywood movies and big-name TV productions like Outlander. ...

Goatfell rises behind verdant Glen Rosa on Arran Island, Scotland.

Arran is often described as “Scotland in miniature” featuring highlands and glens in the north and gentler rolling terrain in the south. With so much beauty and variety within a day trip’s reach of Scotland’s most populous city it’s no wonder that Arran is a popular place to visit....

A side view of the front of red-toned Brodick Castle on Isle of Arran, Scotland on a pleasant day.

Brodick Castle is well worth a visit. We spent two hours here but we could have easily spent the entire day. In two hours we saw the castle and garden but barely any of the trails....

Lookiing up Upper Glen Nevis with Steall Waterfall crashing down the distant slopes.

Of all the hikes I did in Scotland, this was my absolute favorite! Glen Nevis is way beyond scenic - words like idyllic, inspirational, and iconic are more appropriate....

Darkening skies gather above Dunstaffnage Castle in the Argyll region of Scotland.

Dunstaffnage Castle is in a state of partial ruin. The castle gatehouse does have a roof and wood floors on the three explorable levels, accessed by the original stone spiral staircase which eventually leads up to the castle wall walk. What a view! The kitchen section of the castle is in a much more advanced state of ruin....

Castle Stalker stands on a small island in Loch Linnhe, reflected in a pool in a tidal flat.

Castle Stalker, set on an islet in Loch Linnhe at the mouth of little Loch Laich near the village of Appin, is one of the more iconic Medieval castles in Scotland. Monty Python fans will surely recognize it as “Castle Aargh!”, the setting for the final scene of Monty Python and the Holy Grail....

The Fairy Bridge, a wee stone bridge built in the 1500s, crosses a stream in the forest in Scotland.

The Fairy Bridge was an exciting adventure to find and a magical place to discover. Finding a place like this, lost in time and forgotten, makes you wonder how many more little hidden treasures lie out there in the Scottish forests waiting to be found....

Looking up at the north side of Edinburgh Castle from Princes St Gardens.

Edinburgh Castle is perhaps Scotland’s most iconic landmark as well as its most visited single attraction with around 2.25 million visitors annually. Contained within the imposing stone walls are the country’s most treasured possessions, kept in the place where so much of Scottish history actually happened. ...

Three stacks of smooth stones stand on a rocky shore as a wave breaks behind them, with a sailboat gliding by in the distance over blue ocean water.

The biggest draw in Puerto Vallarta are it’s glorious beaches and tropical climate. They stretch for miles around the bay and continue northward in the Riviera Nayarit. The ocean temperature is cool and pleasant during the sunny Dec - April season, which is also the busy season. ...

A photo of the pretty red-brick exterior of Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is lucky to have a world-class museum like this. With several famous paintings and a mind-blowing number of art objects on display, it’s easy to discover aspects of art and history that speak to you within their vast collection....

A modern art installation of transparent multi-colored spheres resembling bubbles is displayed at moco Museum.

moco Museum Amsterdam, along with it’s two sibling institutions in London and Barcelona, curate works by modern and contemporary artists. The name of the museum combines the words MOdern and COntemporary to create the name, and is always in lower case letters…how edgy! At moco Amsterdam you will find a relatively small museum with works by Banksy, Basquialt, a piece or two by Warhol, and limited representation by several other artists from around the world....

A man in a black T-shirt is seated between two large wax figures of Shrek and Fiona.

Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is one of the premiere attractions in Amsterdam’s busy old town and is certainly worth the time. We visited in the middle of the day on a Sunday and had a great time. The Madame Tussauds brand produces incredibly realistic wax figures and displays them in fun, sometimes interactive environments in several cities around the world....

A view looking down a canal in Amsterdam at row of canal houses, most about five stories tall.

Amsterdam is known as “The Venice of the North” for good reason. From the city’s humble origins in the 1270’s to the metropolitan capitol city we know today, Amsterdam is bursting with history and culture waiting to be explored and experienced....

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