Travel | Paddock Post

15

Oct

Gstaad, Zermatt, or St. Moritz?

Switzerland is a mountainous country that has numerous mountain resorts but the big three are: Gstaad, Zermatt, and St. Moritz. The dilemma of whether to go to Gstaad, Zermatt, or St. Moritz comes down to personal preference. Each town is different and has special characteristics, so best to look at the following five (5) areas and decide for yourself.

Location
Sports
Environment
Town
Ambiance Read more

13

Oct

Getting to Know Zermatt, Switzerland

Zermatt, Switzerland, home of the Matterhorn (pictured at right) is about 40 miles from Sion in the southern region of Switzerland (see map below) and is the only place in Switzerland that I’ve always left wishing I had more time to stay because there is so much to see and do. Although there is an airport in Sion, most international flights arrive in and depart out of Geneva or Zurich because weather conditions can change so rapidly in this mountainous region. Read more

7

Oct

Berlin, Germany With Kids

Berlin, Germany has more than 150 museums, some of which are truly amazing especially for children. In addition, Berlin has a variety of other sites that will interest and entertain your children including: Read more

5

Oct

Getting to Know Berlin, Part 2

Berlin, the capital of Germany is the largest and most populous city in the country with a fascinating history and an abundance of sights. The “city of pieces” has been put back together over the last twenty years with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the redevelopment of Potsdamer Platz. Berlin has numerous neighborhoods but the central district called Mitte (pictured below center) has an abundance of impressive sights. All are within walking distance from each other and are part of Berlin’s significant cultural treasures. Read more

27

Sep

Getting to Know Berlin, Germany

Berlin is the capital of Germany and the largest city in the country with nearly 3.5 million residents. Located in northeastern Germany, Berlin is truly unique and not just another city among cities. Nearly destroyed by bombing during World War II and then divided by the Cold War until the Berlin Wall came down twenty-two years ago, Berlin appears to be a series of parts that make a whole but not like New York City where there are seamless changes from one neighborhood to the next. No, Berlin is a city that seems to have been broken apart and put back together again and that is part of its charm. Read more

21

Sep

Paradores of Spain

Spain is a the third largest country in Europe with approximately 45 million residents that live in 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities (in northern Africa and on the coast of Morocco). The residents of these communities are as different from each other as the residents of the American states are from each other which makes traveling the country so interesting. There are also tremendous climate differences in Spain with the north well-known for rains that make the countryside green and the south splashed with warmth and sunshine on mediterranean beaches. In between, there are as many variations as there are weather reports..and within all of these regions are the Paradores of Spain. Read more

15

Sep

Top Ten List For Gstaad, Switzerland

Gstaad, Switzerland is located approximately 90 miles (150 kilometers) from Geneva or 110 miles (180 kilometers) from Zürich in southwest Switzerland. Easily accessible by auto or train, Gstaad conjures up thoughts of a “scene” and the town can be quite the happening place, but it’s also possible to go to Gstaad and have a low-key stay. There are choices galore to fill your day and the best place to start is at www.gstaad.ch or go to the Gstaad Information office, located in the center of the village at Promenade 41. The Gstaad Information office is a one-stop information resource – either on-line or in person. Read more

13

Sep

Fleeing Hartford, Connecticut

Last year the Wall Street Journal ran an article about dying cities in the United States and Hartford, Connecticut was one of the cities included on the list. Once known as the “insurance capital of the world,” Hartford had fallen victim to flight: loss of industries and the vital population that keeps a city thriving. Read more

11

Sep

A Day in Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia – one of 17 autonomous regions (similar to states in the US) – located in the northwest corner of Spain. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Santiago de Compostela (below in red) is most famous for being the destination of “pilgrims” that complete El Camino de Santiago which means The Way of St. James or simply The Way. In addition, the town is famous for a cathedral called “Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.” Read more

5

Sep

Four Days in Jordan

Jordan is a country roughly the geographic size of Indiana that was established in 1946 as an independent sovereign state (previously under a British mandate) with a constitutional monarchy. The Parliament proclaimed King Abdullah the first king in 1946 but when he was assassinated in 1951, his son, Talal assumed the crown but abdicated in 1952 leaving his son, Hussein to ascend the throne and rule the country until his death in 1999. Read more