Author Profile: Christy Swagerty

The Hague has the Mauritshuis museum, and that museum has the Vermeer painting of "Girl with a Pearl Earring." The Hague also has a lot to offer for great food as...   view more

Berlin is a lot to handle. Definitely too much for a weekend. But when the weekend is understood to be a simple introduction, Berlin flashes a quick smile with a hasty, "Wie geht's?" Berlin beckons you to follow it around, showing every bright side and dark corner of itself without...   view more

The Spielzeug Museum is housed in the tower of the old city hall in the main square, Marienplatz. I entered through an opened wooden door to a spiraling castle staircase. There are only three exhibit rooms, but the arrangement is full and...   view more

I spent this sunny afternoon in the 9th arrondissement, taking the long ways, walking slowly, and backtracking when I felt like it. You'll find wonderful museums, restaurants, and architecture off the beaten tourist path in this...   view more

This entry is dedicated to the most delicious foods we enjoyed in Madrid over Christmas break, 2014. Tapas bars, breakfast places, and desserts,...   view more

We had a pretty simple agenda. Arrive in London. Check-in to the AirBnB hotel. Eat lunch. Take the tube to the Sherlock Holmes Museum. Return to hotel to get ready for dinner and the show. Sleep. Get back on the first Eurostar the next...   view more

Paris is forever fabulous, and one of the best and only places you can experience the rosiness of Monet, the grit of Rodin, and the intricacies of medieval art in the same...   view more

The whole Vienna cafe scene really made me curious. Would it really be better than Paris? How could cake actually be that amazing? Was the Sacher torte even...   view more

Whether you believe in actual miracles, happy coincidences, or good luck, it's all the same. Milan is an incredible city. I loved wandering in and out of churches, walking down as many alleys as I could find, and realizing that Milan is yet another wonderful place I could really...   view more

I flew next to a couple from Seville! Alejandro and his wife were a wealth of information and we put it to use, especially when deciding where to eat. We only spent two days in Seville, but we ate well and saw a few of the key...   view more

Two of these museums were the homes and studios of the artists, and, while not quite as impressive as Monet's gardens in Giverny, it was interesting to observe where Delacroix and Rodin found the most inspiration for their...   view more

I'm not one to naturally pay attention to green spaces. If I hear something special about a park area, though, I will look into it and probably follow up with a...   view more

Whether you've got 3 hours or 3 days in Budapest, these suggestions will get you off on the right foot and on your way! Tips on how to get there, where to stay, how to exchange currencies, and everything about what to do and...   view more

Dresden was so young. I felt like I was walking around a college campus most of the time, what with the laid-back, creative hipster clothing styles, interesting haircuts and colors, and student-aged people relaxing in coffee shops and colorful bars around each...   view more

On my last day in Barcelona this summer, I decided to leave! It was high time for me to reach beyond the borders of that awesome town, and, after many moments exploring Google Maps, I selected Tarragona for my daytime...   view more

Basically, if you're a fan of churches, parks, and beaches, you will love San Sebastian. I had an alright weather day, as you will see from my photos. The morning and evening both had cloud cover, but the entire afternoon the sky was bright...   view more

Bilbao, Spain, is home to one of three fantastic Guggenheim museums (the other two are in New York City, USA, and Venice, Italy). I haven't been to the other two, but my trip to Bilbao was sure to include this...   view more

I am happy to say I finally have a reasonable and interesting two-hour loop to get acquainted with Munich's history and identity that I know I will continue to enjoy taking my friends and family on for many years to...   view more

Segovia deserves to be recognized as maybe the inspiration for all of the fake kingdom names! Segovia has some of the best preserved Roman, Gothic, and Romanesque architecture, in addition to the Jewish quarter that has retained much of its original...   view more

One of the many reasons I love Salzburg is because it is actually impossible to get lost. On the approach to the center, the river is on the left, the mountain is on the right, and once you've hit the highway, you've gone too far. My perfect scenario for...   view more

Strolling through several art museums can make for an expensive walk! However, Madrid has great options for free museums and even offers affordable moments for their more fancy museums as...   view more

Karlovy Vary is a little bit hilly but well-designed with walking trails to get to lookouts and good sidewalks in the city center. I recommend you start at the top of the mountain and wind your way down the Teplá River to where it joins the Ohře River at the base of the...   view more

I think Leipzig is one of those great cities that is usually experienced as an after-thought or out of convenience. It's not on most people's Germany tours or itineraries, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have amazing things to...   view more

If you’ve been considering Granada as a destination, but maybe it’s not “on the way” to your next place, I encourage you to commit to it and make it a priority to get there...   view more

The only sad thing about this idea is that you only have 24 hours in Paris. After 5 years of visiting and living in this city, I can tell you that it still isn’t enough time to completely delve into this incredible...   view more

There are certain places in the world where it's extra awesome because an annual event will bring you back every year! Annecy, France, is one of those places for us, for...   view more

I don't think Z-town is making anyone's "Top 10" list of anything anytime soon, but if you've got a spare couple of days, Zagreb is sure to provide a really great...   view more

The larger cities of Toulouse and Marseille anchor this beautiful area that includes both mountains and coastline, and Narbonne is planted between them near the coast. Another gorgeous city nearby is Carcassonne, also complete with its own walled-in city and...   view more

Malaga is delightfully known as one of the warmest cities of continental Europe. This makes traveling here wonderful throughout the entire year, and it is nearly always a beautiful day for walking around town for...   view more

Santiago de Compostela has been a tourist destination for over a thousand years. It has been a very interesting place to spend six days. This is my list of sights, food and coffee places, parks, stores, and services that I found useful and helpful during my time...   view more

Whether you have the chance to stay in Siena over an extended period of time, or you're just in town for the day, Siena has plenty to offer in sights, walks, and Italian history. I was able to spend a sunny early afternoon in Siena on a day trip from Florence during our Christmas trip this...   view more