I'm frequently asked which is my favourite world heritage site. My reply always used to be that there are so, so many. Then I went to the Orkney Islands. And discovered there was one that stands out, after all; the one that speaks the most profoundly [...]
Christmas marzipan has appeared in the shops up here in the northern European world; a sure sign of the approaching Yule (which is what we call Christmas, heathens that we are). A bit early, in my opinion, it's just October. But what can you do - [...]
Aarhus! Does the name sound familiar? Could be because Denmark’s second city was one of the two designated European Capitals of Culture in 2017. This led to a whole host of publications chiming in: National Geographic, CNN, Lonely Planet and others, all naming Aarhus a must-visit [...]
1918! A monumental year. World War I ended, empires broke up, national borders were rearranged, political orders changed dramatically, and new countries appeared. One of these was Latvia. The little Baltic country declared its independence from Russia on 18 November 1918, just one week after the [...]
If you want to show me a modern art museum, I’ll say it right out: it’s going to take something unique to capture my interest. Make me feel! There's too much bland in that world that doesn't move me. All the better then, when I [...]
You're no doubt familiar with the five iconic small towns known as Cinque Terre but do you know the five equally enchanting villages across the border in France? Each has its own unique features: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is for the artist in you, Beaulieu-sur-Mer is next door to [...]
You may have noticed I don't often write about food here on Sophie's World. That's for good reason. I'm rather picky - there's lots I don't care for (most meats, for example - and most Norwegian Christmas staples, adored by just about everyone else). Furthermore, I [...]
