Russia

Freelance Travel & Lifestyle Writer

"The city of Lucerne nestles the water--scattering around its edges and up the mountain like a slowly spreading spill."

~Swiss Treat Washington Flyer

"Like a pointer finger, a rainbow as thick as a column, illuminates the sky above Castello di Vicarello."

~Magical Maremma, Toronto Star

"We follow a path abundant with draped, fading prayer flags that flap in the cool wind like colorful bird's wings. Pine trees scent the chilly air, and the faraway rhythm of rural villagers at work sounds like nature's solemn hymn."

~Taking the richer road less traveled in China Austin American Statesman

"The crowd cheers. And, a royal band emits a euphonious serenade. I dismount the immense beast by ladder, snuggle my elephant’s crusty, swishing trunk and accept a well-deserved flute of champagne from a nattily clad waiter."

~Yoga Overlooking the Taj Mahal - San Antonio Magazine

"In bygone days hungry wolves skulked along the newly built Nevsky Prospekt like rapacious adversaries from a children's story."

~St. Petersburg: City of Dreams Mariner

"Brussels is as textured as the tapestries that put it on the Medieval map."

~Brussels Sprouts Anew, National Geographic Traveler

"A sudden herd of reindeer crosses our path like a truck running a red light."

~ Chasing The Northern Lights in Norway, Dallas Morning News

"While I wait for the bartender at Dukes I ponder the big question: would I rather be Miss Moneypenny or a Bond girl? It's easy to meditate on such things at Duke's Hotel."

~Bar Bash Washington Flyer

"The ancient city’s main square sits just behind the one-time convent (now a sleek, restored, boutique hotel), the silence is so ponderous one might think the entire staff and every guest has taken a vow of silence."

~Cognition and Reflection - Organic Spa Magazine

About Hotel Guanahnai: “[Its} as if Paris put on flip flops, but still donned a little black dress.”

~As quoted in Cigar Aficionado

"Being with him in the the room where he paints . . . is like being a string on Itzhak Perlman's violin or a pot in Thomas Keller's kitchen."

~Beyond The Tango, Toronto Star

"We’ve exchanged our car for a boat and we’re heading across rollicking seas to Skellig Michael—an immense rocket of stone that explodes amid water straight toward the sky. Just visible on its face are steps that we know lead to the remains of a centuries-old monastic settlement high above the ocean."

~Irish Indulgence, The Ring of Kerry -- CAA Magazine - Canadian Automobile Association

"Villages with colorfully painted houses seemed torn from the pages of a storybook. You’ll want to linger in them, as we do, for scones or a pint of beer. Even the narrow undulating roads, lined with hedgerows and flower-flecked meadows thrills."

~Irish Indulgence, The Ring of Kerry -- CAA Magazine - Canadian Automobile Association

"Huts made from cow pies look like gingerbread houses—some are being repaired by women so concentrated in their tasks they resemble painters fretting over a canvas."

~India in Style Virtuoso Traveler

"I see an oceanscape turbulent with blues. They mottle the water like smudges, bits of sapphire, jade and rich turquoise splayed out in a frenzy of Van Gogh-like brushstrokes."

~Next Stop Paradise, Austin Monthly

Once Upon A Time: Discover the historic, fairy tale-worthy wonders of St. Petersburg

December 19, 2013 by becca

Published in Austin Monthly January 2014

Filed Under: Featured Articles Tagged With: Four Seasons, Luxury Travel, Russia, St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Russia

November 6, 2013 by becca

Stay: Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace Eat: Sintoho Eat: Percorso Drink: Russian vodka–what else! Do: Visit The Hermitage for their jaw-dropping classic collection of art, and, for contrast, The Erarta Museum for their provocative contemporary collection Do: Take in the ballet or opera at the Mariinsky Theatre

Filed Under: Track Me Tagged With: Luxury Travel, Russia, St. Petersburg

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Once Upon A Time: Discover the historic, fairy tale-worthy wonders of St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Russia

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Once Upon A Time: Discover the historic, fairy tale-worthy wonders of St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Russia

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Recently Published

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