Die Swaene is the quintessential small European luxury hotel and fits perfectly into the narrow cobblestone streets and centuries-old buildings that surround it.
WHERE IS IT?
Located in the city center, this small romantic hotel overlooks the picturesque tree-lined Groenerei canal.  It’s in the heart of Bruges (Brugge in Flemish, Brügge in German) and minutes away from museums and other sites.   The hotel has 30 guest rooms, all individually decorated.  The lounge is the restored Guild Hall of the Tailors and dates back to 1779.
ROOMS
My room was a bit small and full …

The first things I noticed about Bruges (Brugge in Flemish) were the town’s narrow streets (on which local residents drove very quickly), centuries-old buildings that time had left untouched, and the city’s canal system. 
Brugge (Brugge is its Flemish name, in French and English it is Bruges) was, in the 14th and 15th centuries, a cultural bridge between northern and southern Europe and a cloth-manufacturing town (buy lace items during your visit).  It was rediscovered by English tourists in the mid-1800s who had come to see the nearby battlefield of …

16 days later, I’m back.  (See Part I as well.)   I found a few things rather useful for those traveling on business and wanted to share these with you.
Skype Pro
Skype Pro is a relatively new offering that costs only $3 per month but offers many features particularly useful to the road warrior.  Most notable is the international traveler calling plan.  Users pay no per minute charges for calls to landlines within the same country or region (a connection fee per call, $0.045, may apply).  Coverage includes 28 countries, all …

The challenge: fly 6000 kilometers, pick up two cars, drive almost 4000 kilometers, stay at seven different hotels, attend two all-day events, nine meetings, and five dinner meetings, and fly back.
The beginning of article comes to you from Brugge, Belgium, at least that’s where I think I am.
On October 15, I found myself on Lufthansa Flight 411 to Munich, arriving in time for the October 17 opening of the new BMW Welt (see BMW’s Brave New World), BMW’s new €500 million “experience and delivery center.”  Just a year ago, …