At first glance, walking down Deansgate in Manchester, we thought it was a church. And once you're inside, at times you could easily make the same mistake. But no, this is John Rylands Library, and it's never been a church. Enriqueta Rylands commissioned this library in memory of her husband John Rylands in 1889, and […]

When I arrived in Manchester, England, this morning, I was expecting plenty of beautiful Victorian architecture with along with some striking modern structures. Well, they definitely have that there — a great mix of old ornate buildings with some shiny and new. But what intrigued me the most as I wandered around the city jet-lagged […]

I’ve got sheep on the brain — and for good reason. I’m taking a trip to the UK at the end of the month, and I can’t wait! I’m going to Manchester and then heading to Scotland. I’m still trying to figure out my itinerary to Scotland, but I know that I’m sure to encounter […]

Last summer, I spent 8 days in Turkey. While I had ample time to explore the amazing city of Istanbul and the otherworldly region of Cappadocia, I was frustrated that I didn't get to see the rest of the country. So when Amanda Lobell and Neil Roach planned their Turkey trip in July so that […]

Could it really have been three years ago that I went to Barcelona? Wow, it feels much more recent than that. After only a few hours in Barcelona, it became my favorite city (next to my beloved hometown NYC, of course), and it has yet be dethroned. The first place we went (following incredible paella […]

Is Sea Life Oberhausen on your itinerary for your trip to Germany? What, you’re not even planning to make a pilgrimage to this industrial, northwestern German city? But it’s home to Paul the Psychic Octopus! Paul’s claim to fame is that he predicted eight out of eight World Cup wins — one for every arm. […]

(photos by Pete and Libby) In mid-May, Pete and Libby took a trip to the Basque region. First, they explored San Sebastian, Spain, which you can read all about here. Then they set out for Biarritz, France, which they liked even better. Here they explain what makes Biarritz, a chic resort town on the southern […]

When I made Switzerland a stop in my post-college backpacking spree 10 years ago, I was immediately impressed by how clean, beautiful and orderly it is. I went to Leysin, Interlaken and Lucerne. I didn't make it to Zurich, which is apparently so lovely that on Sunday a circus elephant escaped just to take a […]

(photos by Pete and Libby) There's Spanish culture, there's French culture, and then there's Basque culture. Pete and Libby (whom you may remember from their photos of the Winter Olympics and Lindsey Vonn) decided to explore the Basque region in early May. They flew into Toulouse, France, and then drove to San Sebastian, Spain, where […]

When I saw Robin Hood, something about it seemed very familiar. It wasn't the plot, which I thought was a very interesting take on legend, as it left off where most of the other films have chosen to begin. It wasn't Sherwood Forest which I got to visit on my trip to Nottingham, because the […]