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Our Favorite Places to Stay in Italy

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Boomer travelers love to travel in Italy . The culture, history and food—oh, that food—combine for an unforgettable trip . And following our recommendations for places to stay in Italy turns it up a notch. Alan and I enjoy Italian accommodations ranging from boutique hotel s to upscale bed and breakfasts. When choosing a place to stay in Italy, we opt for unique and local, rather than name brand luxury chains . Take a look at our favorite places to stay in Italy before planning your next trip. Our Favorite Places to Stay in Italy:  Northern Version La Tavola Rotonda for a romantic stay in an Italian castle. Click through to read about our favorite places to stay in Italy. Perfect for your next boomer vacation." width="800" height="600" /> Staying at La Tavola Rotonda makes for a romantic getaway in Italy. La Tavola Rotonda, Chiavenna Landi La Tavola Rotonda , near Cortemaggiore and close to Parma, Bologna and Milan, makes a convenient headquarters for exp...

Tehran's disabled face accessibility crisis

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Iranian NGO Bavar , disabled activists are pushing for better recognition of their rights" class="blkBorder img-share" /> At the offices of Iranian NGO Bavar , disabled activists are pushing for better recognition of their rights The chaotic, impenetrable streets of Tehran have left Navid, a multiple sclerosis sufferer , feeling like a prisoner in his home. Even for the able-bodied, the uncontrolled building spree of recent years means the Iranian capital can often seem like an assault course of narrow broken pathways , gutters full of rushing water, and cars shoved into every available inch of space. For the thousands of disabled people in Tehran, the hilly streets are effectively a no-go zone. "My companions are the four walls around me. I'm so tired of staring at the ceiling," said Navid Salahi, a 30-year-old who is confined to a wheelchair after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as a child. "I'm afraid to go outside on my own. It...

In France’s Dordogne, a land of castles and caves, untouched by time

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When our children were 11 and 9, young enough to still be entirely inside the family circle but old enough to remember, we splurged on a “once in a lifetime vacation ” and rented a small farmhouse in Southwestern France outside the village of Saint-Cyprien. Each day, our son and daughter would say goodbye to the donkey that hung around our patio and we’d climb in the tiny rented Renault and drive somewhere in the fairy- tale beautiful Dordogne River region . On one of these excursions, we stumbled on the provincial city of Sarlat. An accident of history and several centuries of stagnant economy had left Sarlat’s center virtually unchanged architecturally since the days of siege engines and knights galloping over drawbridges. City fathers had wakened one morning in the late 1950s to realize that, leaning above narrow and winding cobblestone streets and alleys, they had one of the largest collections of intact medieval architecture in Europe. The French government subsidized restor...

A Chic London Mews Apartment With Unusually Large Rooms and High Ceilings

Location: London Price: £3.95 million (US$4.5 million) The exclusive cobblestone courtyard known as Turnchapel Mews sits between Clapham Common and Battersea Park in south London. In the mid-19 th  century, the now private and gated mews served as horse stables for the main houses on the surrounding streets.  A charming and quite large apartment there, the five-bedroom No. 8 Turnchapel Mews , occupies the top floor of four terraced mews houses and has a large outdoor terrace (most of the apartment is on one floor, but a small part is on a separate floor). In the 1980s, the acclaimed author Roald Dahl lived just downstairs, according to the listing agents. “From the outside it’s hard to envisage the space within,” said Jake Russell, a director at the London firm of Russell Simpson . “H owever, as soon as you step inside, it opens up into this wonderful, open environment.” “Often, mews houses have smaller proportions than a normal house, with lower ceilings and tighter rooms, bu...

Two (almost) perfect days in Quito

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highest capital city in the world at 2850 metres. Credit, Greg Olsen." src="denied:data:image/jpg;base64,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...