Travel Muse Magazine
Stories, tips, & joy.
Category: European Travel
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Museum Cafés for Art Lovers: London to Lisbon, Paris to Ann Arbor
Warm, buttery air envelopes me as I open the door to the UMMA Café, a hint of cinnamon acting as the exclamation mark to the comforting welcome from the cold winter’s day. This coffeeshop inside the University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor, Michigan is my favorite place to grab a coffee on…
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Finding Tom Riddle’s Grave in Edinburgh (& Other Real Graveyards That Have Inspired Popular Books)
Low clouds hang over the damp night. A mist clings to the trees, particles of moisture illuminated as the castle’s roaming spotlights break through the darkness. This was the setting as I wandered the Greyfriars Kirkyard cemetery in Edinburgh in December on the hunt for the real Tom Riddle’s grave. Yes, I’m talking about the…
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6 Amsterdam Must-Visit Places Along One Tiny Street You Likely Won’t See on Any Other Guide – But Will Love!
Spui is one of those magical parts of Amsterdam we think of when we envision the idealized Amsterdam. Quaint streets with bikes parked along brick-paved sidewalks, a lovely canal nearby to watch boats float by, taking us to some other time that is somehow both past and future at once. About 10 easy-walked-minutes from the…
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The Call of Amsterdam & Why You Should Go, Despite Overtourism (& How to not be Part of the Problem)
Amsterdam is unique. Glittering canals reflecting colorful four-storied, window-brightened (curtain-less) homes jutting up at sometimes curious angles (that reveal the floors inside are far from flat) are not something you’re going to see anywhere else. These water-streets are peaceful, even when scores of bicyclists are hurrying by on their way to work. It feels like…
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Review: Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets
Dan Brown revolutionized the historical thriller genre when his book The Da Vinci Code was published 22 years ago, in the process elevating literary tourism in the European locations featured in the novel. Now Prague is hoping his latest in the Professor Robert Langdon series, The Secret of Secrets (released just last month), can do…
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Literary Travel Guide to Prague inspired by Dan Brown’s “The Secret of Secrets” novel
Prague is the shining star The Secret of Secrets of Dan Brown’s latest novel starring beloved genius Professor Robert Langdon (brought famously to the screen in the adapted film The DaVinci Code, played by Tom Hanks). Long overdue to be the featured character in a modern novel, Prague is filled with beauty and appreciation of…
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Armchair Travel to Italy
I’ve only been to the northern Italy – the lakes district and Milan. But I dream of going back to visit the rest of this gorgeous (and delicious) country and finally getting to Florence, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Naples, Capri, Pompeii, Venice, Pisa, Cinque Terra, Genoa… yep, everything else! While I wait, my mind’s been…
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UK’s UNESCO Literary Cities
Books, bookish things, and literary places… with lots of reading to boot. These are the heart of what it takes to become designated as a City of Literature by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, better known as UNESCO. The unique places that earn UNESCO’s City of Lit label all recognize “past, present…
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My Week in Lisbon: Advice for an Excellent First Trip to Portugal’s Capital
From the heavenly floral bouquet of blooming Jacaranda trees to fresh salty sea breeze, there’s nothing like actually getting to Lisbon and finally experiencing the beauty of this ancient capital city in person with all your senses. Instagram might have pointed out its loveliness, but being there, eating the food, seeing the bright colors, and…
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DIY Walking Guide in Lisbon’s Famed Alfama
Crimson tile roofs juxtaposed with bright blue of the river Tagus, framed by the purple paradise of jacarandas and magenta bougainvilleas, all accented with blue and white azulejos. It’s hard to believe the views from Lisbon’s miradouras are real when you see them with your own eyes, no Instagram filters, no editing. They’re really just…
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