Author Profile: Margo Lestz

Recently we were in Barcelona, and, as I do each time I’m there, I went to visit some of Gaudi’s amazing architecture. His buildings are like no others: they move in waves with nary a straight line in...   view more

If it’s been a while since you’ve read the Greek classics (or if you just never got around to it) no worries! There’s no need to pull out the books. In Nice, France you can take a quick 13-step refresher course on a hilltop overlooking the...   view more

The “Fontaine du Soleil,” or the Sun Fountain, stands in Place Massena, the very heart of Nice. Five bronze sculptures surround an impressive marble Apollo who is definitely the king of the square. You would think this giant would be admired and respected… but not by the...   view more

In Florence’s New Market (the same one where the bronze pig resides) you can find leather goods and all kinds of...   view more

I’m back in Florence studying Italian and my courses seems to be going better this time. I’m not confusing Italian and French anymore (at least during the first...   view more

Cours Saleya is the heart of Old Town Nice and it’s always pulsating with life. Striped awnings cover its centre and shelter the products on offer in the daily market. Crowds of locals and tourists come here to do their shopping or sometimes just to look and snap photos of the colourful...   view more

I have to say that normally I’m not a fan of modern architecture. I prefer the grand old buildings from the Belle Époque, and Art Nouveau just sets my heart...   view more

If you weren’t able to make it to Russia for the Winter Olympics, how about a trip to Nice, France? In Nice, a church, a chapel, and a cathedral remind us of three generations of Tsarinas who made this their winter...   view more

Do you need to add a little sweetness to your life? I know just where to go for that. One of my favourite places in Nice is Maison Auer in the Old Town. It is a “confiserie/chocolaterie” (sweet shop/chocolate shop) – can it get any better than...   view more

This weekend I went to the opening of the lovely new ribbon of a park that flows through Nice, France. It is called the “Promenade du Paillon” in honour of the Paillon River which still flows beneath...   view more

What would you do if you invited someone to spend a week at your holiday home and he decided to redecorate it and then he decided to stay –...   view more

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting several sites decorated by Jean Cocteau on the French Riviera, but I was surprised to find his work in the center of London. Just off Leicester Square (pronounced Lester Square) there is a church with a chapel decorated with Cocteau’s trademark...   view more

Kings and queens have been giving each other exotic animals for ages. After all, what better way to make an impression than to send someone an elephant? These animal gifts began arriving in England in the eleventh...   view more

The Twinings (rhymes with signings) shop at 216 Strand is easy to miss. It’s a pint-sized place squeezed between two ample edifices, and its facade is basically no wider than its double-door...   view more

The Avignon bridge is known around the world today because of the famous children’s song, Sur le Pont d’Avignon (On the Bridge of Avignon). In medieval times, it was also a well-known bridge, but not because of this song – and it wasn’t known for being danced upon...   view more

Aix-en-Provence is known as the city of 1,000 fountains. However, since the folks of this area have a reputation for exaggeration, we should probably take that with a grain of salt. The real number might be closer to 107… but still, they do have a lot of...   view more

For any book-lover, the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris is a must-see. It’s been the centre of the English-speaking literary community there for sixty...   view more

On a recent trip to the Tower of London I became curious about the huge black birds hopping around the ground or sitting on sign posts. As it turns out, they were actually protecting their...   view more

I always had a nagging suspicion that there was some little goblin out there somewhere who was eating up all my time. If you would like to see what this little pest looks like, you can find him at the corner of Bene’t Street and Trumpington...   view more

While in Nice, I decided to put together a little walking tour of the Old Town. It’s a route that you can follow to see most of the historic sites (with lots of shops and restaurants along the...   view more

It’s a well-known fact that the Romans liked their baths. They built elaborate bath houses with multiple rooms for hot, cold, and warm soaking. Many remnants of these buildings can be found around Europe and one of them is in Bath, England – a town named for its Roman...   view more

King Bladud, the 9th King of the Britons, is known for two very different things: First, he (and his pigs) discovered the healing powers of the warm mineral spring in Bath, England, and second, he made himself a pair of wings and took...   view more

When someone mentions the Last Supper, you probably think of the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. But da Vinci wasn’t the only one to paint this Biblical scene – nor was he the first. In Florence you can find quite a selection of Last Suppers if you know where to...   view more

Everywhere I go, I like to find little legends and oddities. Today I want to tell you about two that can be found in Florence. The Old Palace is filled with amazing art, sculpture, and...   view more

On a recent trip to Paris, we stayed in the Montmartre area. Montmartre is located on a large hill in the northern part of Paris and as I walked around, I became curious about the windmills I saw there. Windmills aren’t what I would usually associate with...   view more

Boudica was a British Queen who took on the Roman army in 60 AD. – and she almost won… At the end of Westminster Bridge, just across from Big Ben, stands a sculpture of a woman driving a...   view more

Paddington Bear, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and Harry Potter: Two bears + two boys = four beloved characters from children’s literature who are commemorated in London. Read on to find out where you can find...   view more

I became interested in Dante years ago when I lived in Florence. I had the good fortune to live in his old neighborhood and walk the same streets that he had walked. I developed an attachment to the Great Poet and the places he inhabited. Every time I go back, I visit these Dante sites. I hope you’ll enjoy them too. Learn more about Dante as we walk through Florence. Tread the same streets and see the same sites as the great...   view more

During the Renaissance, Florence had hundreds of these wine-dispensing windows. And the remnants of them can still be seen throughout the city. They are called buchette del vino, which literally means little wine holes. But today we call them wine windows, which sounds a bit more sophisticated, as no one likes to drink at a hole in the...   view more