To Love Toulouse

What my critical eye discovered on a recent trip to Toulouse and the Midi-Pyrenees region of France was the magnificent rolling green hills of the French countryside, complete with centuries old chateaus, the magic of Gascony, unspoiled villages where the fresh aroma of the boulangerie filled the air at dawn. Most importantly, I discovered a side of France I had never seen before. ...more

August 28, 2006

Costa Brava

With the advent of legalization of same-sex marriages this year, Spain is banking on its renewed gay-friendly image to boost gay tourism to the area. The most visited gay destinations of Madrid, Barcelona, and the resort beach town of Sitges can boast a busier nightlife, but Costa Brava can match them with its scenery and a wealth of gay-friendly hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs. ...more
July 31, 2006

Gay Tuscany

Cher put San Gimignano on our radar – and our itineraries – in Tea With Mussolini and Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun made Cortona a destination of choice for any vacationer. In fact, for the sophisticated gay traveler, Tuscany would seem to hold no mystery. Quite to the contrary, however, this richest of Italian regions has some world-class sights and locales still undiscovered by Hollywood and mass tourism. ...more
July 10, 2006

European Delivery: The Ultimate Souvenir

Before you blow 50K on a stylish European ride from your friendly neighborhood dealer, consider getting more bank for your buck by adding a romp through Europe to sweeten the pot. If you’re really lucky, you might even score more than a car. ...more

May 01, 2006

Crete - Island Gem of the Mediterranean

The Greeks will tell you that when the gods created the world, they apportioned all the dry land out to each race, at the end there was a pile of rocks left, and these they threw into the Mediterranean Sea, and this became Greece. Whether the story is true or not, the island of Crete is a gem amongst rocks. ...more

April 17, 2006

Paris: A Love Affair

Returning to Paris is like meeting up with an old lover for whom the flame never dies. You may not see each other for years and years, but when you are together again, the passion is as torrid as ever and you fall back into sync as though you had never spent a day apart. To be sure, you are both older and you have both changed, but the foundation of your love remains untouched. ...more
March 20, 2006

Stockholm and Beyond: Sweden Welcomes Gay Visitors

If Sweden has a gay capital, it would be Stockholm. Sweden’s capital city and its suburbs have nearly two million people and more than enough population to support the most gay venues in the country. Sweden’s official tourist Web site boasts that Stockholm is the gay capital of Scandinavia. ...more
February 10, 2006

Malta

Malta rocks! But, don’t pack spandex, sequins, or dancing shoes. Your Speedo or bikini and hiking boots are more the uniform of the day. The ‘rocks’ on the Maltese islands are older than the pyramids and only part of the draw to this surprising mid-Mediterranean destination. ...more
January 12, 2006

Frankfurt

Chances are if you have been to Frankfurt, it has been to change planes at the airport. However, the city has more to offer than convenient connections to other destinations. Frankfurt embraces the arts and outdoor recreation, and hosts a fairly vibrant gay nightlife. ...more
December 16, 2005

Geneva

In the last decade the Genevese have been letting their hair down; the city is a bit scruffier but also much livelier than it used to be. Gay and lesbian life has also come out of the closet. Give Geneva a bit of time and you'll find it a convivial place, a charming small town that still has all the advantages of a big city: great restaurants, superb hotels, theatres and shows galore, and outstanding museums. ...more
December 15, 2005

Impassioned Madrid

From the time you touch ground at the airport, Madrid feels like one big party - a party with an artist's soul. Perhaps nowhere else in the world will you find such a spirited harmony of contrasts. Somehow in Madrid, the elegant is popular and the popular elegant, simply because the Madrilenos aristocratically refuse to let themselves be boxed in by conventional categories. ...more
December 06, 2005

Gay Germany: Berlin Days and Nights

The gay scene in Berlin is known for it parties, bars, saunas, hedonism and wild parades, but as I sat in the balmy evening in this Schoneberg venue watching couples, singles, four-some clusters of friends (virtually all of whom spoke English) it was easy to see that there is a quiet and calm gay Berlin not hyped on meth and sweating to huge sounds and lights. ...more
November 03, 2005

Gay Life in Andalucia

The gay traveler has always had an affiliation with Spain, and since the countries increasing popularity as a holiday destination in the 1960’s and ‘70’s and the passage of gay marriage laws in the country, Andalucia’s gay community has thrived. ...more
November 01, 2005

Switzerland: Zurich and Beyond

While Zurich has the highest gay population in Switzerland, it’s by no means the only gay-welcoming part of the country. Switzerland’s capital, Bern, the tourist mecca, Luzern, the museum-rich Basel, and the French-speaking cities of Lausanne and Geneva, all have sizable gay populations. ...more
October 13, 2005

Aix-La-Chappelle

What a beautiful name for a remarkable city. I can think of no three words more romantic, nor more evocative of sophisticated culture and fine living. But you won’t find it on a contemporary map. Aix-La-Chappelle was the French name for what is now the German City of Aachen, tucked away in the westernmost corner of the German Reich, where Germany meets Belgium and Holland. ...more
September 08, 2005