Recommended Blogs?

I can't recommend any specific blogs but if you go to www.travelpod.com and plug in a destination -- Munich, for example, it will show you all blogs related to Munich, as well as any Munich-related photos posted by the bloggers.

Not totally travel but I love Paris so I follow David Lebovitz and his food blog titled "Living the Sweet Life in Paris." It's: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/ Edit: Under the "My Paris" tab he lists his restaurant recommendations and travel tips.

MD, In reading your question, I'm assuming you're interested in Blogs to read about travels in Europe, rather than sites that you could use to publish a Blog? If that's the case, I'd also recommend TravelPod as well as Blogspot or Blogger. I can certainly understand your sentiments about "missing Europe dreadfully". Most of us here feel the same way and start planning our next trip to Europe as soon as we return from one. In my case, the planning tends to be somewhat of an "antidote" for the "missing Europe" feeling. I'm assuming from your post that you don't currently have a trip "on the drawing board"? Cheers!

Hi Ken, I'm on the young-ish side, so when I started saving for my trip I wasn't making very much money at all. "the Island" refers to Vancouver Island, I'm a West Coaster! We definitely buy those lottery tickets and keep on saving. Watching Rick Steves is great, although it just makes me want to go to many more places that I had never even thought of.

Here are some I follow in Italy: http://www.blogfromitaly.com/ http://www.revealedrome.com/ http://www.italybeyondtheobvious.com/ Each of these will provide links to other possilbe obsessions, of course. And of course Rick Steves blogs....

Thank you all for your recommendations! Ken, it took me about 5 years to save up for my month in Europe. We've started planning our next one, but it won't be for at least another year and a half and that is just too long! Basically I just want something I can read while at my desk looking outside at some very dreary weather and fantasize about being in Europe every day. Sometimes this place is more like a support group!

I've been working on a personnel travel blog that promotes travel planning (from a geeky, organization obsession viewpoint): http://engineeringatravelplan.blogspot.com/

I visit Paris Daily Photo every day.

MD, "it took me about 5 years to save up for my month in Europe" I know that feeling exactly, as it took me that long to put one of my trips together (it's a long story)! Just curious, which "the Island" are you located on? There could be lots of possibilities both on the east and west coasts? All I can suggest at the moment is to keep watching Rick's programs and reading Blogs, as that "helps to keep the dream alive". Of course keep buying Lottery tickets also! Cheers!

If I can toot my own horn here, you can read my blog that I kept last summer when I walked the 500 mile/790 kilometer Camino de Santiago across northern Spain. http://www.bhcamino2010.blogspot.com

"Sometimes this place is more like a support group!" Europhiles Anonymous!

MD, Vancouver Island would have been my first guess, but of course Saltspring, Gabriola, etc. could also be possibilities. I have relatives in Langford, so get down there once in a while. Hopefully now that you're "older", you're making more money? Where will the next trip be?

Love "the island", in July 2009 I hiked the West Coast Trail there, 75 kilometers of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world!

Laurel from Portland thanks so much for recommending my blog, Italy Beyond the Obvious, I really appreciate it :-) I have lots of suggestions for other blogs to read, mostly on Italy but a few others. In no particular order: Italy bloggers: 1) Bleeding Espresso www.bleedingespresso.com Michelle is from the east coast of the US and moved to her ancestors' home town in southern Italy and grows her own food and breeds goats & chickens. 2) My Bella Vita www.my-bellavita.com Cherrye is from Texas, married an Italian she met while working at Paris Disneyland, and they run a B&B in southern Italy. She just had a baby. 3) Ms. Adventures in Italy www.msadventuresinitaly.com or www.sararosso.com Sara lives in Milan and blogs about Milan, food, and technology. 4) Blog from Italy www.blogfromItaly.com Alex is British, married to an Italian and has a kid who is maybe 7 years old. He teaches English in Milan and writes about Italian politics and Italy in general. 5) Dim Sum and Crawfish www.dimsumandcrawfish.com Lucia and her husband and 2 kids have been living in Sicily for a couple years. She is a great photographer. 6) Katie Parla www.katieparla.com Katie is an American who moved to Rome and has a very impressive if somewhat daunting set of credentials. You'll have to read her about page because I am running out of space. 7) Eye on Italy podcast www.eyeonitaly.com/podcast Other bloggers: France: Christine who writes WhyGo France also has a site www.missexpatria.com UK: Melanie who writes WhyGo London also writes www.travelswithtwo.com International (ie constantly travelling) www.uncorneredmarket.com www.almostfearless.com www.nomadicmatt.com
www.everything-everwhere.com ok there are more but I am out of space.... enjoy :-)

Sharon is right-on with David Lebovitz! He writes frank (and funny) musings about Paris and the French. David Lebovitz, in turn, recommends Dorie Greenspan's blog at: www.doriegreenspan.com She's also very food-centric, but she has some lovely descriptions of Paris. MD, thanks for asking this question -- I too am always looking for blogs to tide me over to my next trip. :)

You can search by country here: http://www.expat-blog.com/en/destination/europe/

It's not a blog, but I enjoy looking at the random photographs that users post on Google Earth. Not necessarily for the well-known landmarks, but for the assorted shots of towns, monuments, landscapes, etc. that don't make any of the guidebooks. I've actually visited a few places soley on the basis of the pictures on Google Earth.

Wow, thanks everyone! These look fantastic, perfect for forgetting where I am. Ken- We'll hopefully be on to Ireland, Scotland and England in the next 2 years. I'm not sure how I could get that close and not pop over to Normandy and Amsterdam, though! Truthfully, I want to go everywhere so I think that I'm going to have to figure out some way to live in Europe for a few months. Then I can take little weekend trips. Barry- Too true, we are very proud of our scenery (greenery!!) and forests! Come back anytime!

RonInRome.com! Lots of 'how-to' info, too, to keep your mind in shape. Also, for just 'wandering' around a European city, use Google Street View! Like Paris? You can spend hours 'strolling' the streets...How about Siena? Rome? I've actually eaten bread, cheese, and drank wine while 'wandering' around Paris. I don't think that's weird LOL! With Street View, it's ALWAYS April in Paris!!! (or Rome, Siena, Munich, Prague,...) David Lebovitz, of course; he and I are warped in the same way!

Google Street view is a great tool for checking out an area before I head there. I wish Brussels had it enabled for my upcoming trip. They seem to have a lot of small lanes and streets between sites, which I would like to see from street level.

Vancouver Island is so totally THE Island. :) I like to browse real estate sites and look for properties in cities that I love. I spend hours looking for the perfect flat in London, or that cute country cottage. It's nice to dream about living in various places.

SlowTrav.com has trip reports which are fun to read.