Welcome to World at a Glance, yet another infrequent series here on Sophie’s World. These are intended to be short posts, with a photo that is either curious or evocative, that gave me pause; pause to think, laugh, cry, wonder… Let’s begin with curious. Frank Zappa in Vilnius What is Frank Zappa doing in Vilnius? [...]
Almonds aren’t just almonds
Christmas is upon us; time for almonds. In Norway, almondy goodness is on the menu this time of year, in the form of marzipan and kransekake.
The Republic of Užupis – a micro-nation
A highlight during a recent visit in Vilnius was the quirky micro-nation Republic of Užupis, an artists’ colony that declared its independence in 1997.
A Saturday afternoon in Trakai
If you’re in Vilnius and want to get out of town, historic and enchanting Trakai is an easy day-trip and a pleasant place to spend a Saturday.
Vecriga: UNESCO in Latvia
Apart from the multi-national Struve Geodetic Arc (more on that later), the old town of Riga is the only site in Latvia protected by UNESCO.
Three Terrific Christmas Markets
A highlight in Europe this time of year is the cheerful (sometimes even magical) Christmas markets. I adore browsing through the arts and crafts for sale, and trying some of the hearty seasonal street food. And then there’s mulled wine. Here are three of my favourite Christmas markets: Elegant and child-friendly Vienna I’m very fond [...]
The Devil’s Wedding and Tallinn’s cats
About time for a new installment of the infrequent Cats of the World series and today we’ve come to the cats of Tallinn, the adorable little capital of Estonia. Tallinn’s UNESCO-listed wonderful old town is a spooky, exciting place – full of lore. The story of the Devil’s wedding is perhaps the most famous. If [...]
Riga
I first visited Riga in 1992, shortly following the break-up of the Soviet Union. Today’s Riga is an entirely different story.
Welcome! I'm Sophie - writer, dreamer, negotiator, wanderer, mum - in search of the world's curious places. Mostly with my daughters, sometimes solo. The girls share their take on it, too.
As seen in
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – the real Narnia
- Pets, pools and pennies at the Hemingway House, Key West
- Atlantic Canada: Lively Lunenburg
- Canada Road Trip: Vancouver to Calgary, the Scenic Route
- Cape Byron Lighthouse
- The innovative architecture of Rotterdam
- World at a Glance: Green bikes – and scooters – in Amsterdam
- Viva Bahia, a fabulous Majorca family hotel
- Greece: A guide for history buffs
- Norfolk Coast Path: horizons
-
Karen Dawkins: I would not want to take my kids -- but please don...
-
Travel Musts: What amazing colors in those pictures! I wish I co...
-
Ursula: Oh my God that pool surrounded with those balinese...
-
Edit: Actually those roller are technically green, their...
-
Steve: The scooters look like a great way to get around (...
