Four Great Finds in Toronto

December 2022 I think of gophers.  They maneuver just below the surface within an elaborate tunnel system. Their tunnels represent a series of underground areas leading to various broad openings such as a main living Read more…

Cappadocia, Turkey

6 October 2022 The Call to Prayer woke me at 5:28; the unmistakable roar of burners blasting a flame into balloons got me out of my room before 6:15. Walking outside, I was met with Read more…

Waiting for Butter in the Stans

3-4 October 2022 The next two days will be a mix of flight and fantasy. Some final beautiful views of Khiva’s gates and fortifications as we drive to the airport; experiencing Uzbekistan security and airplanes; Read more…

Touring Tashkent, Uzbekistan

26-27 September 2022 Tashkent is a city of very modern buildings interspersed with some ugly Soviet relics, green manicured parks, fountains, and a very organized traffic system. Except for closing down the streets and having Read more…

And More From Tajikistan

25 September 2022 It’s hot as Hell and I’m not going to take it anymore! We’re on the road again. Today, we drive 50 miles southwest through the foothills to the ancient city of Istarafshan, Read more…

REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN

24 September 2022 After breakfast in Kokand, we face the short drive and possibly grueling border crossings from Uzbekistan into the fourth of the Stans: Tajikistan.

Osh, Kyrgyzstan

22 September 2022 This morning I am flown out of Bishkek’s Manas International Airport for Osh, the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan. With a population a little over 208,000, Osh is located in the Fergana Read more…

BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN

20-21 September 2022 This morning we depart lovely Lake Issyk Kul and retrace some of our route west before turning north to Bishkek. There are not a lot of roads here, basically up and down Read more…

THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC

17 September 2022 The day begins with a large, delicious breakfast including flaky pastries, potato pancakes filled with cheese, honey and raspberry spreads, bread, quiche and more – homemade and from their gardens. I’m not Read more…

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN

15 September 2022 Last night, we joined ElderTrek. Having previously cancelled this trip twice as per Covid, the third time is the charm and for this trip I invited my adventurous niece along (guess all Read more…

REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

14 September 2022 I have arrived into the ninth largest country in the world. One would think I might know something about its culture and history. I know little. Its geography situates it in a Read more…

Hermes and 2022 Travel

14 September 2022 In Greek mythology, Hermes was the god of trade, wealth, luck, fertility, animal husbandry, sleep, language, thieves, and travel. What an interesting mix of blessings. This messenger god, also known under the Read more…

Sestri Levante: così così

13-14 May 2022 Squeezed between the villages of Cinque Terre and jet-set Portofino, Sestri Levante is like a poor cousin one visits in the suburbs. A stroll takes me among the shabby and Art Nouveau Read more…

Pisa – Life Beyond the Tower

26-28 April 2022 I have visited Pisa on several occasions, most often not further than its famed Leaning Tower. It wasn’t until I wandered into some of its smaller, quieter streets that I discovered Pisa’s Read more…

Clearing Customs in Covid

26 September 2021 Travel is muscle memory. At least it was.  Much has changed because of Covid. I can’t utilize all the little perks of travel that once made the experience faster, easier and more pleasant. Read more…

Celle – Its Castle of Intrigue

19 September 2021 Walking Celle is like strolling through a Brothers Grimm folktale. Walk Celle’s streets, ogle its magnificent architecture, enjoy the statues and fountains, and stand in the Markt Plaza when the Glockenspiel rings Read more…

Why Celle?

17 September 2021 Two major events explain why I visit Celle. In the winter of 1911, my grandmother Dora left her home and family in Celle to emigrate to the United States. I don’t exactly Read more…

Deutsche Bahn

17 September 2021 I have almost had to revise my positive opinion on DB because of dreaded gate changes but with a smattering of German and helpful English speakers, I am able to catch a Read more…

Living in the Age Of Masks

15 September 2021 Training through Germany I love the tradition of dining on the sidewalks and in plazas. Weather here is perfect for outside seating. Dining in the fresh air and surrounded by the ongoing Read more…

Nuremberg’s Castle and Cave

12 September 2021 One reason for immediately liking Nuremberg is I love old walled cities. Nuremberg Castle and city walls represent a formidable medieval defensive system. During the Middle Ages, the castle was one of Read more…

Nuremberg – Part Zwei

11 September 2021 It’s an easy walk to U1, getting a ticket and then figuring direction of travel. About 10 minutes later I arrive at my destination: Memorium Nuremberg and Palace of Justice. It is Read more…

Nuremberg

10 September 2021 When traveling, one so often discovers ways we, meaning my own country of the United States, could do better. Certainly when it comes to mass transit and trains, there is a lot Read more…

DENVER

Getting a Mile High in More Ways Than One Since becoming a first state to legalize marijuana in 2012, its residents have taken it to heart. Walking this mile high city is a great but Read more…

2021 – The Year of Flâneur?

Yooper Blooper: June 16 “Why would anyone build the most spectacular bridge in the world at the top of Michigan instead of at Detroit where everyone could see it?” —letter from an irate “troll” taxpayer Read more…

2021 – The Year of Flâneur?

Yooperland: June 13-15 “The best thing that could happen to the U.P. would be for someone to bomb the bridge.”—John Voelker, former Michigan Supreme Court Justice and the author of Anatomy of a Murder and Yooper resident— Read more…

2021 – The Year of Flâneur?

Wisconsin: June 8-10 Flâneur is a wonderfully descriptive French noun referring to a “stroller, loafer, a lounger,” or as the Italians describe it, enjoying a “passeggiata.” In any language, it describes the passionate wandering traveler. In Read more…

Midwest Loop

Since Covid rudely smacked The World down a size, my travel calendar has never been so bare. But travel is like riding a bicycle – you never forget its nuances. At least, it’s pretty to Read more…

2020 COMBO SMACK FROM HELL

If the grand entrance of Covid-19 in the early weeks of 2020 didn’t prove Robert Burns correct, that “the best laid schemes o’mice an’ men often go awry,” I don’t know what would. Covid would Read more…

Creating a Travel Podcast

Creating podcasts came from my desire to decrease the weight of paper and guide books and increase my information and enjoyment while traveling. My first podcast, Poland, also came about because I was well aware that Read more…

Utsjoki, Lapland – Exploring Suomi

2-4 December 2019 Visiting Lapland in winter, I have come to understand why Santa lives here. There is a stark beauty in this all-white landscape, brilliant starry skies, and moving waves of Aurora color.

Finland

Thanksgiving 2019 There are exotic destinations haunting the lists of traveler’s dreams: Antarctic, Africa, Panama Canal, Galapagos Islands, Easter Island. Another list topper is Lapland. Lapland is associated with Father Christmas, a close relative of Read more…

Toulouse, France

28 October 2019 I like Toulouse. I can’t be much more enthusiastic than that. It is well-located for visiting some great sites in this southern part of France, like marvelous Carcassonne. It is on the Read more…

Carcassonne, France

26 October 2019 Just 60 miles southeast of Toulouse is the picturesque hilltop village of Carcassonne. I love old fortified cities and Carcassonne is absolutely one of the best! Carcassonne has dominated this hilltop since Read more…

Lourdes, France

24-25 October 2019 Snow! Yikes! The jagged peaks of the Pyrenees, just a few miles to the south, are covered in snow. The view, as our train approaches Lourdes, is spectacular. I expect cold.

San Sebastián, Spain

21-23 October 2019 Jumping back on the Euskotren, we return to the Basque stronghold of Donostia, or San Sebastián as we call this fabulous city curling around the Bay of Biscay. With the Pyrenees Mountains Read more…

Bilbao, Spain

19-20 October 2019 Traversing the southwestern region of France and getting to my destination in Spain taught me a new lesson: train travel in Europe is not perfect. I found it convoluted and less than Read more…

Bayonne and Biarritz, France

17-18 October 2019 It is a pleasant, slightly misty, train ride through southwestern France. We arrive in Bayonne, a smallish city situated where the rivers Nive from the south and the wider Adour from the Read more…

Le Mont-Saint-Michel

11 October 2019 I visited this historic site in the spring of 1980. At that time, the climb to the top and visit of the cathedral was pleasant and uncrowded. Times have changed but, because Read more…

Saint-Malo, France

11 October 2019 I may have left my tears in Normandy, but I definitely left my heart in Saint-Malo. I drove past it’s huge port with fishing boats, yachts and catamarans, but once over their Read more…

Bayeux, France

8 October 2019 What Caen lacked in charm is more than made up for by the city of Bayeux. Unlucky Caen suffered heavy bombardment, destroying over 70% of its buildings; Bayeux was one of the Read more…

Normandy

5-10 October 2019 In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons. – Herodotus Listening to Beethoven’s Fifth Sympathy as background music for opening scenes of The Longest Day is an appropriate Read more…

Caen, France

4 October 2019 I admit, I am underwhelmed with the city of Caen. However, it’s an easy reach by train from Paris, it has some historical sites, one terrific museum, and is a good location Read more…

Rouen, France

October 2-3, 2019 Walking Rouen has all the makings of meeting a fantastic, memorable city. It seems to have it all: history, architecture, parks, squares, cathedrals, and cafes. And brazen little sparrows who clean up Read more…

HALLOWEEN IN CAMBRIA

Cambria is equal distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco along beautifully scenic Highway One. It is small village of about 6600 residents and home to many artisans, wine makers, musicians, and surfer dudes. The Read more…