Is the Blood of Christ in Europe?

Is the Blood of Christ in Europe?

Relics have long been part of many religious traditions, and indeed Europe is brimming with churches and cathedrals built to venerate literally thousands of these precious remnants of martyrs and saints.  In Bruges, Belgium, there is a relic sacred above all others...
Biking in the Low Countries

Biking in the Low Countries

They don’t call Belgium and the Netherlands the “low” countries for nothing.  The “nether” in “Netherlands” actually means “lower”. With most of the land at or below sea level, and nary a hill in sight, you...
Shop for clothes like Parisians do

Shop for clothes like Parisians do

Nobody is going to accuse me of being a fashionista (I’m not even sure that term can be applied to a male?).  But I know from having taken thousands of travellers through La Ville Lumière (the city of light) that a “break” from the landmarks and...
Staying connected on the road

Staying connected on the road

If you want (or need) to stay connected with home or work while you’re traveling in Europe, or you want the ability to easily call ahead to hotels/restaurants, you may want to invest in a European SIM card.  Though it is possible to use your North American phone...
“You don’t even have a tan”

“You don’t even have a tan”

Upon return from one of my trips to Europe in 2012, a neighbour asked me, “So what do you do when you’re over there?  I mean, you don’t even have a tan.”I actually did have some colour from hiking under the warm Italian sun in the...
What Child Is This?

What Child Is This?

The famous Christmas carol, penned in 1865 by English writer William Chatterton Dix on his “death bed” (he later recovered), asks the question “What child is this, who laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping?” and answers “This is...