16-17 April 2025 I take liberties with Crosby, Stills & Nash. Instead of “Take the train from Casablanca going south,” I leave Marrakech upon the highways going North to Casablanca. It nears the end of Read more…
14-15 April 2025 Crosby Stills & Nash spoke of “saving all my money Just to take you there.” They sing of “Blowing smoke rings” and the “Striped djellabas” of Marrakech. They also spelled it Marrakesh Read more…
13 April 2025 Whoopa…. Would you know we’re riding On the Marakesh Express? Would you know we’re riding On the Marrakesh Express? They’re taking me to Marrakesh All on board the train All on board Read more…
11-12 April 2025 We close the door on our comfortable stay at Dar al Hossoun in Taroudant. Leaving the cats and peacock behind, we continue our progress westward. For the past few months, I have Read more…
10 April 2025 The city of Taroudant looks large and enticing. As we enter the city, I see miles of adobe walls enclosing the old Medina. The entire area looks relatively untouched by modern man. Read more…
9 April 2025 Thomas Lawrence, soldier and archaeologist, served in Saudi Arabia during WWI as a liaison between the British government and the Arab tribes. Such reality never gets in the way of location shooting Read more…
8 April 2025 Early morning, we motor up the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs. Itinerary notes “we travel west.” This appeared commendable. I love fortresses/kasbahs. But then, yikes! Our vehicle points north into the gorge. Read more…
7 April 2025 True, sunsets are gorgeous. Libation in hand, quiet evenings, good company: it’s a wonderful time. Meanwhile, sunrises, though often gorgeous, depends upon timing. Sunrise at Merzouga Dunes is 6:59 am. This is Read more…
6 April 2025 This morning, I am moving – slowly. Food has little appeal. I head for our bus. The day’s itinerary leaves no room for laggards. The drive will be long but broken up Read more…
5 April 2025 There always seems to be a tour day of sit-and-ride. This is it. I generally love these days. With professional drivers, I enjoy sitting back and watching the scenery roll past my Read more…
4 April 2025 Here, within a Mediterranean country, I consider myself a breakfast person. My breakfast usually includes olives, cheese, amlou (a delicious spread of honey, almonds and argan oil), croissants, maybe a baghrir (a Read more…
2-3 April 2025 Fez/Fès, the oldest of Morocco’s imperial cities, becomes the most impressive. The medieval city was founded in 789 BCE by Idris I, the first ruler of the Idrisid dynasty. His son, Idris II, expanded Read more…
2 April 2025 We depart Casablanca for the 54-mile drive northeast to the city of Rabat. It is sunny and warm; the ocean is a brilliant blue and I relax. We are a group of Read more…
1-2 April 2025 Let’s first clarify the facts. No one filmed the iconic film Casablanca in Casablanca. Rick’s Café never existed. Whispered rumors were that Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart didn’t even like each other Read more…
31 March 2025 When March came, my weather at home was stormy, cold and wet. I suppose I could say the month entered like a California Mountain Lion. Today, here in Tanger, March is exiting Read more…
28-30 March 2025 Whether spelled Tangier or Tanger, this vibrant Moroccan port on the Strait of Gibraltar thrives where the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans meet. Since Phoenician times (around the 3rd to 4th century BCE), Read more…
30 March 2025 Before visiting, I research two items: free walking tours and if Hop on Hop Off buses operate within the city. Tanger offers both. Because of time constraints, we chose to avail ourselves Read more…
29 March 2025 We depart Tanger. Today, we visit two cities of northern Morocco. Picked up at our hotel, we meet Mostafa, our driver, and begin to learn more about Morocco’s culture and history as Read more…
28 March 2025 While I traveled to parts of Morocco in 2010, I thought it a good time to update my impressions and learn more about this country. Actually, it was my niece who chose Read more…
Thursday, 27 March, 2025 We have enjoyed some wonderful walks about the city. Parisian streets are busy but clean. Drivers appear polite when we cross a street – they no longer seem to aim for me Read more…
Wednesday, 26 March, 2025, sunny and cool I believe if one desires to know and understand a place, one walks it. Best learning about Paris by walking and using its fabulous Metro. There exists miles Read more…
Tuesday, 25 March, 2025 Early train, Museum Pass in hand, reservations booked. We set off to explore Versailles. Tourists, go that-a-way. Take your patience and good shoes. Be patient or stay home! Château de Versailles Read more…
24 March, 2025 Paris beckons. Some cities remain timeless, majestic, and full of charm. They offer a tapestry of culture, history, food and drink. Paris holds that promise and more. I have visited Paris numerous Read more…
23 March 2025 There are cities in the world that deserve repeated visits. Being the greatest on any list is an honorable position. Paris fits that description. I rejoice in visiting the City of Light Read more…
22 March 2025 “I was looking into Carnac, France” my niece messaged me, “because they are famous for their 10,000 standing rocks. It’s about 1.5 hrs from Rennes and might be a little far to Read more…
19-21 March 2025 In fall of 2019, I visited this city and thought “a perfect stop. I wish I had more time.” Well, the time has come as Gabrielle and I lodge here for the Read more…
20 March 2025 Departing Saint-Malo, we drive west through farm land, lush forests, and small villages to the headlands of Cap Fréhel. Occasionally, we spy peeks of bays and a rugged Brittany coast. Stone buildings Read more…
19 March 2025 Caught up on blessed sleep. Weather is sunny and cool. With rain predicted for later in the week, we adjust plans accordingly. After a coffee and biscuit, my niece Gabrielle and I Read more…
18 March 2025 Sometimes the most challenging part of visiting a foreign country is pronouncing your city of destination. One wrong inflection, and I would find myself hundreds of kilometers from my room for the Read more…
17/18 March 2025 In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside you. – Deepak Chopra Chaos is chaos no matter how you experience it. You either adapt or die. – Pat Bunyard Always Read more…
3 January 2025 Nancy and I ushered 2025 into the world in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The land is grand, the food good, the culture exciting. But, it is always good to head home with Read more…
2 January 2025 Another slow morning, waking to a chilly room and a hot cup of coffee. The Inn is quiet as we walk across to breakfast. Kitchen will cook to order. Times like this, Read more…
1 January 2025 Nancy and I enjoy a leisurely morning waiting for the sun and temperatures to rise above 40°. Our previous excursion found us in the north of Finland seeking the Northern Lights. I suggest, Read more…
31 December 2024 We awake to a clear, crisp morning in Santa Fe. Skies are blue and cloudless. Northwest winds bring the feel of snow in the air although snow has not fallen since November. Read more…
From Geologic Features to Cultural Diversity 30 December 2024 El Malpais National Monument features an informative Visitor Center and several routes or trails open for exploration. It is an easy visit on I-40 in Grants.
From Deep Craters to Painted Rocks 29 December 2024 We awake to cold. Frosty has visited overnight. We continue east through desert. We have a full tank of gas, practically a steal at 2.79 a Read more…
Get your kicks on Route 66 28 December 2024 Heartfelt appreciation for hot coffee this morning. We may be in high dessert, but it is cold out there. We pack up the “Prius mule team” Read more…
Central Valley minus Grandma Joad 27 December 2024 A road trip is an anonymous freedom on four wheels! Radial tires humming along open roads with endless horizons stretching out before me. Every mile brings a Read more…
27-29 September 2024 There exists far more to Rio than sandy beaches, Carnival, and volcanic plugs. The city is a jumble of wide chaotic streets, a fusion of colonial and modern, and a population of Read more…
25-26 September 2024 Rio is sort of like Cher. It only needs one name to be recognized.
24 September 2024 Life is good. I sit in the hotel bar in Rio de Janeiro, enjoying a cold Antarctica Original Cerveja, catching up on writing, watching YouTube, checking out news, hearing English around me even Read more…
23-24 Sept 2024 No rush this am, yet the birds don’t know – or care. I am awakened at the first light of dawn by the raucous Curicacas. Their antics act as my avian alarm Read more…
22 Sept 2024 I awake to an opera of birds. One cannot describe it as a symphony as it is too discordant, too raucous. The Curicaca’s endless squabbling as they chase about the grounds and Read more…
21 Sept 2024 The native Tupí-Guaraní word for jaguar is yaguará or “he who kills with one leap.” When it comes to jaguars, this is an excellent description. To watch a jaguar stalk and pounce Read more…
20 Sept 2024 The Pantanal alarm clocks awake everyone around 5:30 am. The raucous and slightly crazy Curicaca scurries about the grounds and trees screaming and screeching to start a new day. Some consider their Read more…
19 Sept 2024 I met a wonderful Danish couple, Ingrid and Gunner, while cruising the Rio Negro. Second day here in Pantanal, I did a double take as they were sitting at the table next Read more…
18 Sept 2024 A red sun appears above the horizon. Birds chirp and sing. The air feels cool. It’s 5:30 am. I climb aboard my wagon and Guia Tim motors around the immense grounds and Read more…
16-17 Sept 2024 I arrange Uber pickup for the short ride from my hotel to the airport. The morning is cool but hazy. My bag is crammed and I am thinking: how can I lighten Read more…
16 Sept 2024 Say hallelujah! I get to sleep in. Exhausted, I sleep for 9 hours. The temperatures range in the low 60s with intermittent sprinkles of rain. I am informed this is unusually cool Read more…
14-15 Sept 2024 My amazing cruise ends at an ungodly hour for breakfast and departure. If there exists any criticism of my time on the M/Y Tucano, it would be no opportunity to sleep in. Read more…
12-13 Sept 2024 My 6th day on the river begins with a dawn excursion hunting for sleepy wildlife, and a large breakfast followed by a hike to a private sandbar. I stay on the boat Read more…
10-11 Sept 2024 Day 4 – Sunrise over the Rio Jaueperi I awake to a beautiful sunrise over Rio Jaueperi, the beginning of a new day. This is as far northwest as we venture, about Read more…
7-9 Sept 2024 Clouds, heat, humidity 90%, slight breeze occasionally I am ecstatic to be departing Manaus, convinced being on the water, temperatures cannot possibly be worse. The Amazon represents a wilderness about the size Read more…
6 Sept 2024, Friday High 94° low 79° after brief thunderstorm then 90° again Despite heat, there exists things to see. I am early out the door with plans to escape the oppresive heat before 1pm. Read more…
5 Sept 2024, Thursday High 97°, low 81°, humidity 68% Manaus serves as the capital of Brasil’s Amazonas state. This busy city is not only rich in history but acts as the gateway to the Read more…
4 Sept 2024 So far, the rewards may be worth the effort in getting there. The jury is still out on that decision.
29 March 2024 One does not tour India and leave unaffected. In 2005, I wrote: “I know I will never forget India, nor will I ever be able to adequately describe her. A country where Read more…
23-25 March 2024 Today, a short 31-mile drive takes me to Paro, perhaps the best-known small town in Bhutan. Here, I find Bhutan’s tallest building at a staggering 72’, its only international airport, mystical Tiger’s Nest, Read more…
23-25 March 2024 Bhutan hosts several annual cultural festivals. One of the most popular and significant is the Paro Tshechu. Tshechus are religious festivals celebrated in various districts across Bhutan. However, the Paro Tshechu remains particularly enjoyable Read more…
24 March 2024 Bhutan is a country of mountains and monasteries. However, possibly the pièce de résistance of Bhutan’s plethora of monasteries is Tiger’s Nest. If one sees travel photos of a monastery in Bhutan, Read more…
22 March 2024 Altitude 7590 We wake to a magical morning. Thin fluffy clouds float over the valley and around the Trongsa Dzong and Taa Dzong Watch Tower. A dusting of snow lays on the Read more…
21 March 2024 Altitude 7200′ Bumthang has its own domestic airport, one of four airports in Bhutan. It opened in 2011 only to be closed due to damage to an instability of the runway. After repairs, Read more…
20 March 2024 Altitude 8600 Bumthang Valley, renowned for its temples, and more temples. It is a region of numerous sacred stupas, fortresses and monasteries. Today, we visit four temples in quick succession. There is Read more…
19 March 2024 Altitude 8600 Yesterday, following the Lateral Road from the west, we entered Wangdue. It is one of three roads one drives here. (Actually, there is only PNH One, the other 2 lead to Read more…
18 March 2024 Altitude 4420 Today is a drive over the 10,200 ft Dochula Pass, and weaving along the narrow two-lane Thimphu-Punakha Highway. Possibly I will suffer fewer than 1001 curves. The mountains and endless Read more…
17 March 2024 Elevation 7590 Be still my heart! There are pedestrian crossings and Bhutan’s drivers stop for me! I hear no honking. No cows stroll the streets. A dog passes, held firmly on a Read more…
16 March 2024 Altitude 7590′ This day will be long, sweetened by the drive through the spectacular Bhutanese countryside. Destination is Thimphu, the nation’s capital. The distance is about 110 miles but will take from 5 Read more…
15 March 2024 We reboard our van for another road trip. Today is a “box lunch” day. It’s also a day for multiple ginger pills to calm my stomach. Highway 12 is two-lane and twisty, twisty, Read more…
14 March 2024 Altitude 3970′ North is Mt. Kangchenjunga and Tibet. Northeast is Bhutan. The lofty Himalayas surround us, which have been continuously blotted out by haze. Unable to pass thru the mountains , we Read more…
12-13 March 2024 Our exit from the hotel is dramatic as our van rips down the already low hanging wires. Electricity has been spotty at the Elgin. I believe we just made matters worse. The Read more…
9-11 March 2024 Today, we fly from Kolkata to the Bagdogra International Airport in West Bengal, some 350 miles north. A 55-minute flight replaces a 13-hour drive. Our “adventure begins with a scenic drive to Read more…
7-8 March 2024 We fly from a pleasantly mild Delhi via Air India into a warmer Kolkata, capital of West Bengal. I need my t-shirts for a couple more days. Neither my niece nor I Read more…
5 March 2024 It is a very early morning as we begin our drive southeast to Jaipur. Our driver, Suraj, drives on the left side, a holdover from the British colonial period. We depart Delhi, Read more…
3-6 March, 2024 Still feeling fit in spite of an evening eating street food, my niece and I set out to explore the city. Delhi is large and while New Delhi and the Path afford Read more…
3 March 2024 The constant honking of horns and jostling for space by bicycles, rickshaws, cars and motorcycles leaves no room for error. Crossing the streets can be a deadly trial of nerves. In spite Read more…
3 March 2024 I feel “Been there done that” as I depart for the arduous flight to Delhi, India. Then it all comes back: I have. It is easy to forget after 18 years filled Read more…
2 March 2024 The best-laid plans of women travelers can always awry. Or, as one lady described it: shit happens. I appreciated having a Leap Year in 2024. It gave me an extra day in Read more…
10-13 November 2023 In 1990-91, I had the pleasure of hosting a young exchange student from Switzerland. She lived in my home for 10 months. In that time, not only did I gain a daughter, Read more…
9 Nov 2023 As both a college history major and serious genealogist, Brenner Pass is known to me. The pass over the Alps between Italy and Austria was a strategic goal for American soldiers in Read more…
Nein, das ist Italien 8 November 2023 Snow continues to accumulate upon the surrounding peaks, its icy chill is in the morning air. I am thankful the white stuff is up there, not down here Read more…
6-7 November 2023 Trento to Bolzano is a direct, 50-minute train passage through spectacular scenery. This is the gateway to the Dolomites, the Tyrol. Tall escarpments and snow-capped peaks tower overhead while vineyards cover the Read more…
Exploring Trentino-Alto Adige 4-5 November 2023 Castle fortress Beseno Travel in Italy is very different, but so much easier, than my first visit in 1972. Today, I purchase my rail ticket online where I also Read more…
2-3 November 2023 I travel my chosen route mainly for the views. I’ve not explored the northern region of Trentino-Alto Adige. This is the area located north of Venice and bordering Switzerland and Austria. However, Read more…
1 October 2023 It is near impossible to adequately summarize a country. All I can fairly do is highlight my impressions – some good and some bad. Having a professional archaeologist as my guide, I Read more…
Peaceful Boats and Crazy Bazaars 30 September 2023 Emperor Constantine’s most lasting accomplishment was the establishment of Constantinople. This act shifted Roman power eastward making the city a center of Greek culture and Christianity. On Read more…
29 September 2023 It is a short, rather pleasant drive 140 miles north to Safranbolu located not far south of the Black Sea. The temperatures have cooled to below 90° and dark clouds are overhead. Read more…
28 September 2023 I rejoice that I visited Ankara last year. Ankara possesses good museums, a 9th century citadel, old neighborhoods, Roman ruins, peaceful parks, and is home to the Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Read more…
Birthplace of Abraham 27 September 2023 Aurora, goddess of Dawn appears over My Nemrut. Zeus and the other heads witness a new day. After my Mediterranean breakfast and Turkish coffee, I am wired. I board Read more…
Sunset with the Talking Heads 26 September 2023 The windy road to the royal sanctuary atop Mt Nemrut can be a scary experience. The van steers through stunning views of mountains, valleys, rocky gorges and Read more…
Into Earthquake Country 25 September 2023 Another long drive with views improved by the towering Taurus Mountains. Turkey is a mountainous country and the Taurus Mountains curve 350 miles through southern Turkey separating the Mediterranean Read more…
Fairy Chimneys or Penises? 23-24 September 2023 The whole of Asia Minor is built on ancient, fascinating rocks. Those of the Cappadocia region of Turkey are especially so. After a very long day on good Read more…
22 September 2023 Today is “a long scenic drive”. In tour terms, this means prepare for over 300 miles in a van. There can be varying degrees of discomfort. Usually there are stops ever 2 Read more…
20-21 September 2023 Antalya is a charming city sitting above a gorgeous blue bay. It loses some of its charm because of its size and bustle, but once I pass through Hadrian’s Gate into the Read more…
20 September 2023 Aurora was shy this morning, not peeking above the mountains until almost 8. Apollo, as is his want, continues to blast down upon us from a cloudless sky.
18-19 September 2023 Ancient City of Kaunos A relaxing morning finds us sailing south along the Anatolian coast to a strip of beach at Iztuzu. Caretta sea turtles come here to lay their eggs, thus Read more…
My Blue Cruise along the Turkish Rivera 17-19 SEPTEMBER 2023 “Now voyager sail forth to seek and find.” Walt Whitman Did Agamemnon or Achilles pass this way and enjoy such views? I think not. Their Read more…
17 September 2023 Türkiye has a very effective “chamber of commerce” assisting the tourism board. In 2022, I visited an exhibition at the Istanbul International Airport. While having the greedy nerve to charge 10€, it Read more…
16 September 2023 Today, my visit is to a second world-renowned historical site in Turkey – Ephesus. As a novice traveler, I visited this site in 1981. Docking our ship Atlas in Kusadasi, our bus Read more…
At Least What Remains On-site 15 September 2023 As I look over the Aegean and navigate the coastal region of Anatolia, I contemplate: Did my early ancestors pass this way? Did they take note of Read more…