Alexandra Hoerl (AlexandraHoerl)

I enjoy writing about France, Italy, architecture, political philosophy, the politics of film and literature, food/wine, and travel. I love the High Gothic and have disproportionately strong feelings about the repainting of Chartres Cathedral.

I am also fascinated by the cultural impact of World War I. To that end, some of my favorite authors include Nietzsche, Tolkien, Stefan Zweig, and Thomas Mann. I may possibly be a male 19th century aesthete reincarnated in a woman's body (because the universe has a sense of humor).

Venice, Genoa, and Turin are my favorite cities in Italy, and the regions of Maine and Anjou are my favorite places in France.

In the Spotlight

Your Classic Italian Vacation: A Gondola Ride in Venice

Whether you're planning your honeymoon or heading to Venice for a solo vacation, don't miss the city's romantic mainstay—the Venetian gondola ride. While planning a gondola ride in Venice, one of Italy's most enduring and popular tourist sites, can be intimidating, it's oh so worth it! Here's how.

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  1
  wanderwisdom.com

  Your Classic Italian Vacation: A Gondola Ride in Venice

  11 months ago

  Whether you're planning your honeymoon or heading to Venice for a solo vacation, don't miss the city's romantic mainstay—the Venetian gondola ride. While planning a gondola ride in Venice, one of Italy's most enduring and popular tourist sites, can be intimidating, it's oh so worth it! Here's how.

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  1
  delishably.com

  5 Common Complaints Americans Have About Restaurants in Italy—and Whether You Should Ignore Them

  23 months ago

  Sometimes negative reviews of restaurants in Italy are more about cultural differences than bad food or service. Learn when to pay attention to bad reviews and when to ignore them.

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  4
  wanderwisdom.com

  Five Awful Things (Some) Tourists Need to Stop Doing in Venice

  23 months ago

  A Venetophile makes a righteous plea on behalf of her beloved Serenissima.

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  3
  wanderwisdom.com

  The Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy: Tourist Information and Visitor's Guide

  23 months ago

  Many visitors to Florence skip the Brancacci Chapel. Read this hub on the "Sistine Chapel of the Early Renaissance" to learn why that's a bad idea. Includes directions, opening hours, and ticket info.