Page 13 - 2025 May June Magazine

BY JUDGE REBECCA REEDER
700-year-old buildings, numerous beaches plus
world-class fishing just outside their marinas. I
would love to rent a house and spend a month
there just relaxing.
Segovia, Spain: Known for its Roman
aqueduct. The town and aqueduct are UNESCO
World Heritage Sites, featuring a fortress at the
top of the hill.
Republic of Malta: This island is 50 miles south
of Sicily. It is described by UNESCO as one of
the “most concentrated historic areas in the
world”. Malta has been inhabited since approximately 5900 BC.
It was also a very important naval base during WW2. Queen
Elizabeth lived there for two years when Prince (now King)
Charles was young, while Prince Philip was serving there in the
military. The entire island is amazing. I recommend staying in
Valletta – the capital and biggest town. A visit to Medina is a
‘must do,’ as well as all three of the inhabited islands.
San Gimignano, Italy: Another medieval walled town that is
my favorite town in Tuscany.
Annecy, France: This picturesque town is at the base of the
French Alps, with canals throughout the city. Most people will
recognize a photo of the Palais de L’Isle which is in Annecy.
Avignon, France: This is another walled city known for being
the home of seven successive popes from 1309 to 1377. All
other Popes resided at the Vatican. A tour of the Palais des
Papes in Avignon is a ‘must’. It is quite plain compared to the
Vatican, which is very ornate.
Dijon, France: One of the most stunning cities I've ever
visited. I marveled at the fact that, despite the age of most of
the buildings, they were all very well maintained, compared to
many other European cities.
Zermatt, Switzerland: You take a rickety train up the
mountain to the center of town. Once you arrive it looks
as though you just stepped into a scene from the “Sound of
Music”. The town sits at the base of the Matterhorn, which has
amazing skiing. From Zermatt you start skiing in Switzerland,
but you eventually cross over into Italy. They ski year-round
there.
Ghent, Belguim: Such a stunning city with beautiful
architecture.
Europe!
Manchester United vs. Manchester City
game at Etihad Stadium in Manchester,
England. December 14, 2024.
Vilnius Lithuania, Riga Latvia and Tallinn, Estonia:
Great places to visit for a history lesson as well as a lesson in
current affairs given their close proximity to the Ukraine. All
three counties share similar history. All of these cities were
beautifully preserved historic cities.
Mid-sized towns I recommend that realistically don’t need
an explanation:
• Dubrovnik, Croatia • Prague, Czech Republic • Budapest, Hungary
• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Bruges, Belgium
If you are like me and have a hard time getting away from the
office, you may want to try a work trip while in Europe, which I
have done twice since Covid. If your employment requires you
to be at work in person, this will be more difficult for you. But if
you can work remotely, I highly recommend it.
May 2022: I spent 3 ½ weeks in Italy, the first two weeks
working and vacationed the last part of the trip. When it is
9:00 am in Tacoma, it is 6:00 pm in most of Europe. So I would
sightsee during the day and work from 6:00 pm until at least
midnight (or 9:00 am - 3 pm at home) plus another hour or
so the following morning reviewing emails that came in later
in the day, signing letters and pleadings. On that trip I visited
Cinque Terre. I then had an apartment in Venice for six days,
followed by an apartment in Rome for 14 days, and then three
nights on the Amalfi Coast. During that trip, I was able to
conduct a consultation with clients, a mediation, appear at
show cause hearings, etc. I also worked on airplanes and trains.
I even tried a case while in Venice thanks to Judge Ashcraft. It
was really a great way to get away for a long period of time and
see Italy without being totally out of the office for weeks at a
time, which I would never have been able to do.
During this trip, I also added more towns to my list of ‘must-
see’ towns. These include Cinque Terre which is comprised
as follows: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Monterossa, Vernazza,
and Corniglia. There is also an unofficial sixth town, which
is Porto Venere to the South that is absolutely worth seeing. I
also recommend Portofino to the North, just as I would add
Continued on next page.
M a y /J u n e 2 0 2 5 | P I E R C E C O U N T Y L A W Y E R 1 3