It may be self-proclaimed, but it may also be true! Who is to say, really, which is the most beautiful bookshop in the world? As a graphic designer and artist, I would have to say that their sign in no way indicates the beauty that awaits any book lover inside Alta Acqua Libreria, hidden somewhere in Venice… After all, how many bookshops display their wares in an antique gondola? And how many have a secret staircase out back, made of...

How can you not love Venice?! It’s a magical place where you feel as if you’re walking through a dream. There are, of course, the classic scenes – the gondolas… St. Mark’s square (Piazza San Marco, the main square of Venice, which Napoleon supposedly called “the drawing room of Europe”)… The many famous bridges, like the Bridge of Sighs, which connects the New Prison with the interrogation rooms...

What do you do when you want to go to Venice, but the hotels are way out of your budget, and you’d really rather get to know the locals anyway, than stay in an anonymous hotel in a crazy tourist area? You try couch surfing! Couch surfing is more of a cultural exchange than a free place to stay. True, there is no charge (although it’s suggested that you bring your host a small gift, or cook them a meal). If you are not familiar with...

Split is a vibrant town on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, which is known for Diocletian’s Palace, a fortress-like structure erected by the Roman emperor in the 4th century. Now it’s full of restaurants, shops, cathedrals, hotels, and tourists. Note that the cruise ships dump huge crowds here, but if you see the tour guides holding up a flag followed by the masses, just head the other direction. They usually go for the area with...

One of the advantages of long-term travel is that less than perfect weather doesn’t throw you into a frenzy of frustration – you have several days to hang around (6 in my case on the island of Korcula) so good weather is likely to find you at some point. You can relax and enjoy the moment, raindrops and all, and the bottle-green sea-glass color of the ocean makes a lovely contrast with the gray of the sky. If all of your photos were...