A Photo Journey Through My Best Rhine River Christmas Market Cruise With Riverside Luxury Cruises

Let these photos take you along with me on what I think was the best Rhine River Christmas Market cruise with Riverside Cruises.

What was my best Christmas present this year? A Christmas Market cruise on the fabled Rhine river with Riverside Luxury Cruises.

I grew up with a lot of German Christmas holiday traditions and it’s been my long time wish to experience the authentic Christmas Markets in Germany. My wish came true on a seven day Rhine River cruise from Amsterdam to Frankfurt where each day offered a new celebration of the holiday spirit.

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Bavaria’s Wieskirche – The Pilgrimage Church of Wies in Photos

Bavaria’s Wieskirche or the Pilgrimage Church of Wies is a UNESCO site in a beautiful stop if visiting nearby Neuschwanstein Castle.


Bavaria’s Wieskirche or the Pilgrimage Church of Wies,  is a UNESCO protected church in the bucolic, green foothills of the German alps. Built in the mid 18th century by two brothers, J.B. and Dominikus ZImmermann, the site became a pilgrimage destination to see the Scourged Saviour, a wooden statue that was purported to produce miracles to those who prayed to it.

When the existing chapel that displayed the wooden figure became too small for the pilgrimage rush, the local abbey commissioned the larger church and shrine – which is Wieskirche we have today. Continue reading “Bavaria’s Wieskirche – The Pilgrimage Church of Wies in Photos”

Off the Beaten Path in Japan – My Journey in Photos

These are some of my favorite photos that capture the essence of the many different Japanese locations I visited this past summer.

Tori gates are a classic symbol of Japan. These Tori gates snaked up the mountainside at the Takayama Inari Shrine. Though smaller and less visited than the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, I thought it was much more serene and beautiful.

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Exploring Japan’s Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park From Tokyo – A Look in the Mirror

Getting to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park from Tokyo was an easy day trip that I did on my own during my winter visit to Japan.

Ever since I watched the PBS Nature episode about Japanese snow monkeys, I hoped that one day I might be able to see them in person. When I had the chance to visit Japan in winter with my husband, we took the opportunity to do a day trip to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park from Tokyo.

The experience with the snow monkeys was as engaging and entertaining as anything I could have wished for. In many ways, it was like looking in a mirror.

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A Visit to Japan’s Most Sacred Island – One Day In Miyajima

I’ve been to Miyajima, Japan twice in the last few years and am sharing my experiences on how I spent one day in Miyajima.

Miyajima, Japan is most famous for the photos of its floating torii gate. But this lovely little island offers up lots of gorgeous scenery, both man made and natural. I visited Miyajima twice on recent trips to Japan and this is how I spent my day on Miyajima exploring its photogenic treasures.

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My Favorite Unique Japanese Experiences

After four trips to Japan, these are some of my favorite unique Japanese experiences and photos from one of my favorite destinations.

Japan is one of my favorite travel destinations. I’ve visited four times in the last few years and could easily go back again and again. The unique mix of east and west in this culturally rich country continues to fascinate me.

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Finding the Magic – My Harry Potter Studio Tour Review and Tips for a Perfect Vsit

As a huge Harry Potter fan, visiting Hogwarts in the Snow at the Warner Brothers Studios in London was magical. This is my Harry Potter Studio Tour review with lots and lots of photos and tips for experiencing this magical place.

Some days I wish I had a magic wand. Or that I also had received a letter on my eleventh birthday saying I was accepted into the Hogwarts School of Wizarding and Witchcraft. Of course the Sorting Hat would put me in the Gryffindor house and I also would have a beautiful white owl as my companion. For one day, I was able to be part of this magical world during my Wizarding World of Harry Potter London experience.

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My Favorite London Photo Spots that Make London Unique

London is one of my favorite cities to visit and these are some of my favorite London photo spots that show off London’s unique personality.

I have posted many individual photos of my London visits in my PhotoPOSTcard series. I thought I would put together photos from my favorite London photos spots that define some of the experiences that I think make London Unique (though it was hard to pare down the list to just 25).

These 25 photos are certainly not enough to showcase everything that London has to offer, but it is enough to show how colorful and charming and unique London can be.

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Discovering the Many Beautiful Churches in Iceland – A Photo Journey

As I toured the land of fire and ice, I discovered a wide variety of of beautiful churches in Iceland. In this photo essay, I share images of the many different church designs I saw during my travels.

During my visits to Iceland, I became infatuated (obsessed?) with looking for and photographing the many unique churches that I came across as I traveled around the land of fire and ice.

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In the Land of Fire and Ice – My Beautiful Photos of Iceland and Favorite Iceland Photography Spots

Sharing my 50 favorite Iceland photos after two trips to Iceland: driving the ring road on one trip and circumnavigating the island with Iceland ProCruises on the MS Seaventure expedition ship on a second trip.

I’ve been fortunate to visit Iceland twice in the last year, and both trips were extremely memorable. On my first visit, I drove all around the island over the course of two weeks, exploring the nooks and crannies as well as stopping to see the major tourist sites.

My most recent Iceland trip was a circumnavigation cruise on the expedition ship MS Seaventure with Iceland ProCruises where I had a chance to see Iceland from a different perspective.

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