When you only have time to visit one museum at a destination, how do you narrow down your choices to just one? Most major cities have a plethora of options. Sometimes, selecting an attraction ends up being decided by logistics. Zurich's National Museum satisfied both my interest in history and was conveniently located near the Zurich central train station. I continued with my history theme when I perused my options for dinner. I was able to find a restaurant with a notable history offering healthy food choices.

Autumn: a season turning leaves, of changes in landscape, of conversation, of reflection, of renewal. A season of preparation for holiday celebrations, and for thinking about what oncoming winter may hold. 

The capital of Bavaria, Munich, has a plethora of historical sites. However, time was not in our favor. Our first trip was limited to just a couple of days of touring. To sample Munich’s history, we relied on a friend and our private guide, Chaim Eytan, to show us around. Perhaps a future trip will provide more options. For the time being, here are 10 places where history comes alive in Munich.

When I first entered the stylish and graceful Hotel Belvedere in Locarno, Switzerland, I was unaware of the structure's history. A 2017 renovation instilled modernity into the hotel, so the historical value of the property was not readily apparent. My visit to this 4-star hotel, commanding lovely views of Lake Maggiore and the surrounding mountains, was made in conjunction with an early September Hiking in Style media trip to Switzerland. A tour of the hotel opened my eyes to the building's historical value and its incredible art collection.

Whether you are new to European Christmas markets, or you’re an old pro, you know that there is wonder involved. This year, head to the Island of Mainau, on Lake Constance (Bodensee, in German) on the Überlinger See, in SouthWest Germany.

There’s a new holiday market in town, along with some incredible Scandinavian-focused activities, and cold-weather traditions.

Music for shifting times: that's the title we came up with for this series of stories which I've been writing since the summer of 2016. Wherever you find yourself, things do seem to be in continual shift and at times and at an accelerating pace. Finding one's way through that sort of circumstance is an aspect musicians have often thought about.

Here are several musical ideas for you to consider, some practical, some mystical, all thought provoking.

Think of songs you may know: Where Have All the Flowers Gone, We Shall Overcome, The Coming of the Roads, Plane Wreck at Los Gatos. The first frames questions about war and sacrifice in terms both gentle and direct, the second is a gospel song adapted to civil rights and other causes, the third is a story about greed displacing people and landscape, the fourth a ballad which frames questions about identity and compassion in a news story about migrant farm workers. 

Alaska–we finally made it to our 50th state this past July. When we landed at 11pm, it was still bright light outside, and the pilots who delivered us to the last frontier even took a picture with us to mark the epic journey. It was official– the ground of Alaska was actually beneath our feet. Goal achieved. This was not one of those goals that popped up overnight– it took years to flourish, more to facilitate, and, oddly enough, it was heaps of time before we even knew it was ever a goal. 

It’s rare to find a town that has survived for centuries. Natural disasters, wars, and human intervention usually cause buildings to be destroyed and replaced by more modern structures. It is, however, possible to go back to medieval times by visiting a walled city between Frankfurt and Munich. Travelers to this region can see history come alive in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.