Modena is an ancient town in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy (map), smack in between its more famous sisters Bologna and Parma (both…
Velvet Escape travel blog
Why I loved Avalon Waterways excursions
Avalon Waterways is a river cruise company with a fleet of ‘Suite Ships’ that ply the major rivers in Europe and Asia. Not a…
The best of Reunion Island – guide and itinerary
Réunion Island is located in the Indian Ocean (map), east of Madagascar and southwest of the island nation of Mauritius. An overseas department of…
The treasures of St. Florian Monastery
One of the highlights of my Danube river cruise with Avalon Waterways was a visit to the St. Florian Monastery (or Stift Sankt Florian…
A Danube River cruise with Avalon Waterways
A river cruise is something I previously didn’t consider as a means to travel and explore a place – the idea of being stuck…
A piece of paradise at Constance Prince Maurice
“Welcome to Constance Prince Maurice!”, exclaimed the driver as we turned off the main road. I had just arrived in Mauritius and was met…
Street art in Reunion Island
Reunion is an island of contrasts: from the fiery temperament of Piton de la Fournaise (one of the world’s most active volcanoes) to tranquil…
My weekend in Graz
Graz is the second-largest city in Austria yet, for many travellers, relatively unknown as a place to visit. Located about a 2.5 hour drive…
Reigniting the magic of travel
I sometimes consider myself fortunate that I was born during a time when smartphones were a thing of science fiction, when postcards were the…
