DESTINATIONS – Where would you like to visit?
“Traveling is not something you’re good at. It’s something you do. Like breathing” – Gayle Foreman
I like to write about countries I have visited or lived in and I have lived in several dominantly in Europe and Canada. Being a Canadian/Irish citizen has allowed me to wander and live in countries including Ireland, N. Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Spain, Cyprus, Mexico, and Canada.
I have had the privilege of visiting many European and USA destinations over years and I like to write about details I see other travel writers neglecting like where to park in an area, and what the terrain is like for those who have mobility issues.
I am also a huge history buff and will go out of my way to visit a medieval castle, Tudor or Plantagenet site. I worked in the food industry for many years as well so I am fascinated by food culture, culinary tourism and trying as many new foods as possible.
Ireland
The Republic of Ireland occupies most of the island of Ireland, off the coast of England and Wales. Its capital, Dublin, is the birthplace of writers like Oscar Wilde, and home of Guinness beer. It is a member of the EU and uses the euro currency.
N. Ireland
Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the northeast of the island of Ireland. Northern Ireland shares an open border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland. N. Ireland is a perfectly safe country to travel in after years of civil war and it uses the pound sterling as its currency.
United Kingdom
United Kingdom, is an island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom comprises the whole island of Great Britain—which contains England, Wales, and Scotland—as well as the northern portion of the island of Ireland. The name Britain is sometimes used to refer to the United Kingdom. It uses the pound sterling as its currency as in no longer a part of the EU.
London
London is the capital of the United Kingdom. It is among the oldest of the world’s great cities—its history spans nearly two millennia. London is situated in southeastern England, lying astride the River Thames some 50 miles (80 km) upstream from its estuary on the North Sea.
Scotland
Scotland is the most northerly of the four parts of the United Kingdom. Scotland derives from Latin Scotia, the land of the Scots, a Celtic people from Ireland who settled on the west coast of Great Britain about the 5th century CE. They use the Scottish pound Sterling or the British pound Sterling as their currency.
Wales
Wales is a United Kingdom member on the Island’s west coast. The capital and main commercial and financial centre are Cardiff. Famed for its strikingly rugged landscape, Wales comprised six distinctive regions and was one of Celtic Europe’s most prominent political and cultural centres. It retains aspects of culture that are markedly different from those of its English neighbours. Wales uses the pound sterling currency.
France
One of the world’s oldest nations France is historically and culturally among the most important nations in the Western world, France is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps and the Pyrenees. France is a member of the EU and uses the euro currency.
Food Travel
Food is about communication, history, stories, authenticity and culture. Food triggers memories both good and bad. Food is more than just what you eat every day. This site is dedicated to exploring food in all its various guises – you won’t find stacks of recipes here but what you will find will encourage you to explore the world of food, travel for it, taste it, and learn about it.
Armenia
Culturally, historically, and politically, Armenia is considered to be part of Europe but it is not in the EU. However, its location in the southern Caucasus means that it can also be considered to be at the border between Europe and Asia. Armenia uses the Armenia Dram as its currency.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a Southeastern European country located in the western Balkans, bordering the Adriatic Sea. Formerly one of the states of Yugoslavia until it declared its independence in March 1992. Bosnia is recognized as a candidate for EU membership and uses the Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Marka.
Canada
Canada is a country in North America and is part of the British Commonwealth. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over 9.98 million square kilometres, making it the world’s second-largest country by total area. Canada uses the Canadian dollar as its currency.
Croatia
Croatia is on the northwestern edge of the Balkan Peninsula in southern Europe. Formerly a republic of Yugoslavia. Five countries border Croatia – Bosnia, Hungary, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. On 1 January 2023, Croatians rang in the new year with their country joining the Schengen and the eurozone. Croatian currency is now the Euro.
Cyprus
The island is located about 80 km (50 mi) south of the coast of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel, north of Egypt and east of Greece. Despite joining the EU as a de facto divided island, the whole of Cyprus is EU territory. Cyprus is a member of the EU and uses the euro as its currency.
Denmark
Denmark is a country occupying the peninsula of Jutland (Jylland), which extends northward from the centre of continental western Europe, and an archipelago of more than 400 islands to the east of the peninsula. Denmark joined the European Union in 1973. However, it negotiated an opt-out from the euro and uses the Danish Krone.
Egypt
Egypt is a country located in the northeastern corner of Africa. Egypt’s heartland, the Nile River valley and delta, was the home of one of the principal civilizations of the ancient Middle East and, like Mesopotamia farther east, was the site of one of the world’s earliest urban and literate societies. Egypt uses the Egyptian pound as its currency.
Germany
One of Europe’s largest countries, Germany encompasses a wide variety of landscapes: the tall, sheer mountains of the south; the sandy, rolling plains of the north; the forested hills of the urbanized west; and the plains of the agricultural east. Germany belongs to the EU and uses the euro as their currency.
Greece
Greece is a member of the EU and is the southernmost of the countries of the Balkan Peninsula. The total land area of Greece (one-fifth of which is made up of the Greek islands) is comparable in size to England or the U.S. state of Alabama. Greece has more than 2,000 islands, of which about 170 are inhabited. Greece uses the Euro as their currency.
Iceland
Iceland is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. Lying on the constantly active geologic border between North America and Europe, Iceland is a land of vivid contrasts in climate, geography, and culture. Iceland is not an EU member but it is integrated into the European Union via the Agreement on the European Economic Area and the Schengen Agreement. They use the Icelandic króna as their currency.
Italy
Italy is a country in south-central Europe, occupying a peninsula that juts deep into the Mediterranean Sea. Italy comprises some of the most varied and scenic landscapes on Earth and is often described as a country shaped like a boot. Italy is an EU member and uses the Euro as its currency.
Malta
Malta is an island country located in the central Mediterranean Sea. A small but strategically important group of islands, the archipelago has through its long and turbulent history played a vital role in the struggles of a succession of powers for domination of the Mediterranean. Malta is a member of the European Union and uses the Euro as its currency.
Mexico
Mexico is a country in southern North America and the third largest country in Latin America, after Brazil and Argentina. Mexico uses the Mexican peso as its currency.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a country located in northwestern Europe, also known as Holland. The kingdom includes its former colonies in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands is a member of the EU and uses the Euro as its currency.
Portugal
Portugal is a country lying along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. Once continental Europe’s greatest power, Portugal shares commonalities—geographic and cultural—with the countries of both northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Portugal is a member of the EU and uses the Euro as its currency.
Poland
Poland is a country in central Europe. Poland is located at a geographic crossroads that links the forested lands of northwestern Europe to the sea lanes of the Atlantic Ocean and the fertile plains of the Eurasian frontier. Now bounded by seven nations Poland is an EU member and currently uses the Polish Złoty as their currency but is working to use the Euro.
Romania
Romania is a country in southeastern Europe. The national capital is Bucharest. Romania was occupied by Soviet troops in 1944 and became a satellite of the U.S.S.R. in 1948. The country was under communist rule from 1948 until 1989 when the regime of Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu was overthrown. Romania is a member of the EU and uses the Romanian Leu RON as its currency which will eventually be replaced by the Euro.
Spain
Spain is a country located in extreme southwestern Europe. It occupies about 85% of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with its smaller neighbour Portugal. Spain is a country of stone castles, snowcapped mountains, vast monuments, and sophisticated cities. It is a member of the EU and uses the Euro as its currency.
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Slovenia
Slovenia, in central Europe, was part of Yugoslavia. Slovenia is a small but diverse country that includes the Alps, the Pannonian and Danubian lowlands and the Mediterranean coast.
Sweden
Sweden is a Scandinavian nation with thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, along with vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains. Its principal cities, eastern capital Stockholm and southwestern Gothenburg and Malmö, are all coastal. Stockholm is built on 14 islands. They use the Krona Sek currency.
Turkey
Turkey is located in Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia. European (or Balkan) Turkey is relatively small compared to the Asian part, the Anatolian Plateau, which is a large peninsula.