May 26, 2020Traveling PortugalFlags, Bags, and Portugal History of Portugal’s flag Portugal has quite an interesting history of how their flag came to be. Unlike other European flags, it is not the simple three stripes arranged in different forms with different colors. No, they have a nicely complex flag. The flag’s core shows a white shield with…Portugal7 min readPortugal7 min read
Mar 26, 2020Top Photo Spots BerlinAn ex-pat turned local’s favorite photo spots Intro to Berlin: If you have read any of my articles before, you know I love history. Huge fan. So indulge me as I walk you through a bit of Berlin’s history. Berlin first appears in the history books in the 1200s. Its strategic location along…Berlin5 min readBerlin5 min read
Mar 16, 2020Let’s stop with the “that is soooo touristy” nonsenseI normally try and focus my writings on places to visit and things to do, but this week I felt like writing about something that probably has been bothering me more than it should. Maybe because I am now self-quarantined in Berlin after having traveled to Switzerland last week and…Tourist5 min readTourist5 min read
Mar 9, 2020Traveling Northern FranceFlags, Bags, and France French flag and historyTravel9 min readTravel9 min read
Feb 7, 2020Flags, Bags, and Half-Timbered HousesMy love for half-timbered houses and where to find them History Half-timbered houses were first built in Northern Europe where the forests were thick and the people hearty. They show up mostly famously in France and Germany, but you can find them elsewhere like in England and Switzerland. …Travel7 min readTravel7 min read
Jan 23, 2020Traveling the NetherlandsFlags, Bags, and Holland Dutch flag and history: The Netherlands, AKA Holland, is quite a confusing mess of names and colors. Some people call the country Holland, some call it the Netherlands, the people are Dutch and speak Dutch. The flag is colored red, white and blue, but the color orange can be seen…Travel7 min readTravel7 min read
Jan 12, 2020Traveling ItalyFlags, Bags, and Italy Italy is obviously a must see in any visit to Europe. It has history, art, food, beautiful landscapes, literally everything you could want in a trip. As far as European countries are concerned, I believe that Italy offers the most variety for visitors. So let me…Travel9 min readTravel9 min read
Dec 29, 20195 Tips for Planning Your Next TripThe internet has made so many things easier. Unfortunately, planning a trip is not one of them. Remember the good old days — call your travel advisor/travel company, tell them what you want, pay them, and go on your trip? I actually don’t — but I have heard stories. They…Travel4 min readTravel4 min read
Sep 4, 2019Traveling SwitzerlandFlags, Bags, and Switzerland I come from Colorado — home of the Rocky Mountains. I have driven through the Canadian Rockies, and been all over Switzerland. I grew up with mountains and I love being in the mountains. And let me tell you, there is something about those Swiss Alps….Travel7 min readTravel7 min read
Aug 29, 2019Travel and HeritageFinding out my family’s past through travel Ihad heard the stories — our family used to own a castle in Norway, you are related to England’s King Edward I on your mom’s side, your great-great grandma came over from Wales with nothing but a suitcase and walked the plains to…Family4 min readFamily4 min read
