The Loire Valley is covered in castles, and after my inadvertent indentured servitude, I set out to see several. With dozens of castles, how do you choose?! 42 chateaux make up this UNESCO World Heritage area. Without a car, I was reliant on either a tour, trains, or buses, so for my first foray into fairytaleland, I opted for a tour. I usually avoid them, but this was a small tour of just 8 in a mini-bus, which stopped at 3 castles, or...

Musee d’Orsay deserves a post of its own, not only for the beautiful architecture of the old train station turned gallery (it’s the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built 1898-1900), but also for the incredible contents within. There’s a reason d’Orsay plays host to over 3,500,000 visitors a year! Musee d’Orsay is known for its outstanding impressionist and post-impressionist collection,...

Ahh, Paris! City of lights and romance, art and architecture, amazing food and wine. It’s one of my all-time favorite cities. There are, of course, the iconic sights, like the Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomphe, the River Sienne and the Tuileries, and the Louvre, which is equally as lovely in rain or shine. Stick around for a day or two and you might get both! As a tourist, you’re sure to enjoy all of this. But as a traveler, you get...