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By DAVID EDGE | Stars and Stripes | Published: February 25, 2021 With coronavirus infections still high in Germany, and U.S. and German authorities continuing to advise against unnecessary travel, I needed somewhere local to visit to get me out of the house. Having grown up in a small town in the U.S. Bible belt, I have always loved visiting churches, marveling at their architecture and taking in their history. So I chose as my close-to-home coronavirus escape the Marktkirche in downtown Wiesbaden. The church was built in the neo-Gothic architectural style, characterized by stone and bric...

By NANCY MONTGOMERY | Stars and Stripes | Published: February 18, 2021 Millions of pilgrims have made their way over the centuries up the hill from Vicenza to the Sanctuary of Saint Mary of Mount Berico, sometimes on their hands and knees. The church, built originally in the 15th century to persuade Mary to use her influence with God to stop a plague resurgence, is a Marian shrine that overlooks the city. Every first Sunday of the month, thousands have made the climb “to ask for a grace or to give thanks for having received one, or simply to pay a visit to the Virgin Mary,” according t...

By SLOBODAN LEKIC | Stars and Stripes | Published: February 11, 2021 The middle of this year’s German winter may be a good time to visit the horseshoe-shaped meander on the Saar River called the Saarschleife. Normally, the area in Saarland near the bend in the river draws throngs of visitors. But until coronavirus restrictions are lifted, they’re staying home, so there’s no battling through crowds to take in the stunning vistas of the Saar, neighboring France and, on a clear day, Luxembourg. German winter weather might also be a factor in keeping the hordes away. When I visited on a...

By AYA ICHIHASHI | Stars and Stripes | Published: February 11, 2021 Akajima is one island of Okinawa’s Kerama archipelago and only 25 miles from the Tomari Port of Naha. Zamami, its sister island, is a more popular destination, and nine of out 10 ferry passengers disembark there before reaching Akajima. I’m secretly happy with that, and happy, too, with Akajima remaining under the social media radar and never becoming as crowded and popular as its sister island. One of the reasons I favor Akajima is that it’s much less touristy than Zamami. Its population is just 260 and it is conn...