Duncan MacKellar is our on-site host for the Scottish Highlands UnTour. Last year he shared some insights into the deep traditions of his region. To understand the traditions and culture of a nation, you have to look at the people who created those very same traditions. Scotland’s greatest export has been its people, some voluntarily…
Our colleague Helen Glave, UnTours on-site staff in Florence, shared this update with us this week from Florence, where residents are under Red Zone restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Italy. It was really lovely to get your heart-warming message. For many people it is a period of great anxiety as regards both…
By now you should all be able to repeat the basics with me. On the count of three: Wash your hands often. Refrain from touching your face. If you are sick stay home. Cover your cough and sneeze. Avoid sick people. You can see the full list from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and…
This story is written by UnTourist and UnTours Foundation supporter Peter Mullen. When Christine and I got off the train at Sarnen in central Switzerland, we were warmly greeted by the UnTours host family, whom we would spend the next several days with. Still standing on the station platform, I impulsively asked if they knew of…
As I promised in the Eurozine newsletter last week, I am sharing my photos from Carnevale in Venice this year. These images were captured before local cases of COVID-19 triggered regional quarantines and Carnevale events were suspended. Venice is a magical place in the weeks leading up to Shrove Tuesday. Its Carnevale tradition dates back…
Cordoba is a magical place where history and religions mingle in stunning architecture and art. It also flies a little below the tourist radar, so it is an appealing base for an Andalusia UnTour. Our secret formula for UnTours also includes the requirement that a homebase be just that, a base from which…
Wendell Rogers is a repeat UnTourist who has joined us more than a half dozen times in Europe since 2011. He also happens to be a gifted photographer. He shared his images of Alsace from a recent trip, and here are more images of France. These come from his stay on the Provence UnTour. “We…
“Photography develops the art of seeing and the art of living,” says Frances Schwabenland. Frances is an UnTourist and a travel photographer whose work has been published in books and widely on the internet. She has also shared her skills with the UnTours Foundation. We recently sat down with Frances to get some pointers on…
Enter the haggis! This past weekend, Scots in the UK and abroad gathered for a fun annual celebration of their national bard, Robert Burns. It is an important tradition in Scotland. Burns lived from 1759 – 1796. He wrote poetry about rural life as he ran the family farm in western Scotland, and the writing…
So much to see and do in Europe already, but why not plan your trip around some of the season’s special events? Festivals and fairs are a window into a culture, a signifier of what is important to a community, and an excellent way to rub elbows with the locals. Here is your 2020 trip…