Claire in the World: Travel, History, Food, Fun

The Tour de France bike ride starts this weekend so I talked to my old friend and former guiding colleague Luca about the race. He's an amateur racer so explains some of the strategy, the different winners' jerseys, and why the event is so popular in the world of cycling. We also reminisce about some of our favorite moments from the dozen or so tours we've taken to see the Tour and Giro d'Italia live. You can see photos from our Tour de France tours over at my blog at www.claireintheworld.net...

Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing. Amazingly, my father and I were in in the square just two weeks before the violence began, when up to a million people were flooding into the city to voice their dissent in peaceful protests. I recently discovered a cache of photos in my parents' basement so thought it would be fun to interview my father -- a Southeast Asia specialist and historian -- about his recollections and also hear his thoughts on China today...

After a year of closed borders and cancelled flights, Alitalia and Delta now offer regularly scheduled flights between Rome and JFK (New York) or Atlanta in the U.S. Everyone must show proof of a negative Covid test before boarding and service on board is limited, but I just did it and was so excited to travel again. Italy's borders are still closed to international visitors but hopefully they'll open this summer, so here's a preview of what to expect. As always, see accompanying pictures of ...

Greece is just emerging from its strict lockdown and plans to open to visitors again by mid-May, so I checked in with my friend and colleague Dimitris to see what things are like in Athens. This often overlooked European capital has lots of fun places to explore within the city center but also in the nearby surrounding mountains. Come along for a tour! And check out the accompanying photos and text over at my blog: https://www.claireintheworld.net/blog

I've spent the past year exploring every inch of Florence's city limits, so I thought it would be fun to check in with my friend and colleague Emanuela Angelini (aka "Manu"), who has been doing the same from her home in Rome. How is the capital city for urban trekking? (see photos and text at: https://www.claireintheworld.net/blog)