31 Oct – 1 Nov 2026 Today, we travel about 140 miles southwest through Kenya’s fertile highlands before descending the Rift Valley Escarpment toward the legendary Maasai Mara National Reserve. As the landscape opens into Read more
30 October 2026 The Early Bird Can Have the Worm I know animals emerge early – the African version of the early bird catches the worm. Dawn becomes prime time for wildlife, when the air is Read more
28-29 October 2026 I depart north for Sweetwaters Serena Camp in Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The combination of game drives, a chimpanzee sanctuary, looking for rhinos, conservation stories, and sleeping in a tent assure me of a particularly Read more
27 Oct 2026 Getting to my destinations seems to become harder every time I fly. Perhaps it is the airlines, perhaps it is my advancing appreciation for sleep, or perhaps I have simply become less Read more
September 2026 I continue to hope to find the name of my 4Xs great grandmother. Women’s roles were hard work, birthing children, then anonymously dying. Unless from a family of wealth or importance, many women Read more
September 2026 I visit Richmond expecting one large history lesson rather than separate attractions. How closely do power, economics, race, government, religion, memory, and the physical landscape connect. Historic Richmond with its brick and cobble Read more
September 2026 As reality currently exists, I accept the later. I travel to my nation’s capital to visit my niece and her new abode. Also, to explore two national museums. For the niece, it will Read more
11 June 2026 It’s a little unsettling to look back across the map of my travels. Not because of how many places I’ve been, but how easily some of them blur at the edges. I Read more
8-10 June 2026 My journey to Sweden began at Tallinn’s Bussijaam, where I boarded Bus No. 2 to the airport. True to Estonia’s reputation for efficiency, it departed and arrived exactly on schedule. Buying a Read more
8 June 2026 What an amazing exploration as I traveled through the Baltic countries of Lithuania (Vilnius, Kaunas, Siauliai) Latvia (Riga) and Estonia (Tallinn). Some experiences a repeat performance from my 2009 trip, other stops Read more
6 June 2026 Tallinn has a way of blending centuries together. On this cool June day, the heavy scent of lilacs drifted through the parks and streets while Old Town seemed transformed into a medieval Read more
5 June 2026 Pinky swear: it seems the hardest part of visiting the Baltic states involves remembering that Riga sits in Latvia and Tallinn sits in Estonia. Don’t know why this becomes such a challenge Read more
4 June 2026 Riga invites one to walk without much of a plan, guided less by a map than by whatever catches the eye above street level or just around the corner. Architecture alone would Read more
3 June 2026 2009 Sunday, August 30th I wrote: Today finds me entering the harbor of Riga with its skyline of church spires and bridges. No one is in the terminal and I am unaware Read more
2 June 2026 Šiauliai has proven compact, interesting and quieter than Kaunas. A small town of approximately 100,000, it ranks as Lithuania’s fourth-largest city. The city may seem small but it offers some great sites Read more
1 June 2026 Traveling into rural Lithuania, transportation becomes harder. Transport requires a fair bit of digging. My few requirements include easy access and, if possible, no connections. The last experience I want is standing Read more
31 May 2026 Even though I follow weather before I depart, I can get it horribly wrong in this era of Climate Change. This trip, my last-minute decision to pack a sweater has proven a Read more
30 May 2026 Transportation requires planning. Once leaving major cities, moving from one city to another becomes more difficult. Thus, when I travel from Vilnius to Kaunas, I ask, train or bus? Book ahead or Read more
29 May 2026 After exploring Vilnius the past three days, I agree with an early 2018 tourism campaign: Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it, it’s amazing. I expected to like Vilnius. Read more
28 May 2026 Today, I walk past the Gate of Dawn in the direction of Bastion Hill and the panorama found atop Three Crosses Monument. In between, I explore the quirky spirit seen in Užupis, a self-declared republic of Read more
27 May 2026 Time and distance suggest I fly. Fly in spite of threats of fuel shortages and cancelled flights. Taking the FEX train, I return to Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport for my short flight to Read more
27 May 2026 Quite the day. Berlin public transportation behaved itself. My timing good, just like a pro riding the rails. Tram 8 to the Bahnhof went smoothly. The trip required four Read more
26 May 2026 We started our day of excursions beneath the shadow of the Berlin Wall, descending underground to hear stories that feel almost impossible today: young men and women digging through clay, sewage, and Read more
24 May 2026 Berlin can overwhelm with beauty, culture, and energy, but today’s walk strips away all distractions. It is a journey through the physical remains of one of history’s darkest chapters, where ordinary streets Read more
A Day Between Lakeside Peace and Dark History 24 May 2026 Whit Sunday arrives as one of those perfect early summer mornings that seem almost staged for postcards and travel brochures. The sky over Berlin Read more
23 May 2026 Berlin presents me with a different kind of wall – not concrete and barbed, but the mental tug-of-war between being a present parent to my German daughters and answering the insistent call Read more
23 May 2026 I had the pleasure to host several foreign students back in the ole’ Bakersfield days. I always felt a little sorry for them as they arrived at the airport and for the Read more
22 May 2026 I love to travel. It is like a nectar of the gods for me. What would the future be without a next trip in the works? And, I enjoy the planning. My Read more
12 April 2026 We arrive at the Houari Boumediene International Airport and use a concrete walkway to our hotel. We stay at the Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport so no great hardship. Large, modern and luxurious, we eschew Read more
10 April 2026 It’s a cool, pleasant but hazy day. I grab a cup of Nescafé, sit on the terrace overlooking date palms and dunes listening to doves cooing in the trees. Cooing good morning Read more
9 April 2026 The day begins slowly, air is still relatively cool. We enjoy a coffee on our terrace overlooking the palm groves and dunes. Unfortunately, the coffee is Nescafé and the view is marred Read more
8 April 2026 Today is what I call a kickback day. Nothing like sitting in a bus for hours. How can I enjoy 8 hours thru desert? Because my guide takes care of all the arrangements. And Read more
7 April 2026 We begin Day 25 of our trip, which becomes the time my digestive system officially files a formal complaint. Days filled with another heroic breakfast followed by a substantial lunch. Then, because Read more
6 April 2026 The M’Zab Valley is a striking and historically significant region, a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for its unique combination of geography, architecture, and social organization. There consists a series of five towns, or ksour, in the oasis—Ghardaïa, Béni Read more
5 April 2026 This day is all about DISTRACTIONS from the long road ahead. We will travel about 260 miles to our next destination, Ghardaïa. Our route, while on paved road, meanders through the Sahara. And Read more
4 April 2026 We continue our Sahara journey to Bou Saâda. The national road N3 heads northerly to the small oasis of El Kantara before turning in a northwesterly direction onto N70/N78. Not much changes during Read more
3 April 2026 We depart Constantine for our 170-mile drive into the northern Sahara Desert. The route looks curvy as it winds itself southwesterly on state routes. We drive among the cliffs and low mountain ranges Read more
2 April 2026 Constantine does not gradually reveal itself. It startles. After miles of green fields, days of deserts and dunes, I look around and wonder if nature simply decided to show off a little. Mother Read more
1 April 2026 We depart Algeria and travel to Constantine – a long, long 275-mile drive. The guide describes it as embarking on “a captivating journey.” Skies loom gray, rain falls and wind gusts. Flags Read more
31 March 2026 After a breakfast of yogurt, nuts and a bit of baghrir (semolina pancake soaked in honey), we depart Algiers to visit the nearby city of Tipaza. The day seems warmer as there is Read more
30 March 2026 New country, new breakfast. While still centered around strong coffee, breakfast appears heavily influenced by the French, traditions left behind when the they left Algeria in 1962. Morning meal is a tasty mix Read more
29 March 2026 One needs time in a country to truly begin to appreciate its history, culture, diversity and idiosyncrasies or peccadillos. I did not have the time or exposure during my brief visits to Read more
28 March 2026 We begin our morning maneuvering Sfax to its historic Medina. Sfax is not pretty in any obvious way. It feels more like a working, industrial city. It’s Tunisia’s second-largest city and its Read more
27 March 2026 Touring: not for the weak or the slow. It rewards those who can function on little sleep, adapt to early wakeup schedules, and climb vans and jeeps with the agility of a Read more
26 March 2026 Tunisia’s Tataouine Governorate feels like stepping beyond Earth’s familiar into a landscape sculpted by wind, silence, and time. The horizon stretches endlessly, carved into rippling desert plains, honey-colored ksour rising like ancient Read more
25 March 2026 Every breakfast combination known to Man and then some appears spread out in the dining area. No known soup, salad, sliced meat, cheese, olive, date, egg, bread, jellies, and mystery stuff is Read more
24 March 2026 Google Maps and my eyes tell me – there are no roads where we go. In fact, our destination, a desert camp in Tembaine, appears not on a map. But dessert car Read more
23 March 2026 Climbing aboard a 4-wheel Landrover hints at what our day may be like. While we travel mostly on paved roads thru low hills, sand cliffs and dunes, we seem destined for a Read more
22 March 2026 After breakfast, we board our bus for the 300-mile drive to Tozeur, Tunisia. There are 12 of us on a 29-seat bus so very comfortable. Thankfully, we enjoy a few interesting stops Read more
21 March 2026 Our lesson this morning is Eid Mabrouk, which translates to Blessed Eid or Happy Eid in English. This represents the traditional greeting used by Muslims to celebrate the a major Islamic holiday: Eid Read more
20 March 2026 May your morning be as radiant as a blooming flower. EgyptAir EgyptAir blessed us to have a good day as it transported Gabrielle and I from Cairo. We return to Tunis. The Read more
19 March 2026 This morning, I see the pyramids from my balcony. This bodes well for cleaner air today. We join our guide, Galal, for a final day exploring some of Cairo’s most interesting museums. Read more
18 March 2026 No traveler in centuries has visited all Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, recognized for their grand scale and awesomeness. As a reminder:
17 March 2026 July 11 1981 Cairo seems beyond belief. Then again, any city that tattoos minorities, leaves thousands to bed down on the streets, dresses in nightshirts and unzipped trousers, brews tea from canals, and Read more
16 March 2026 July 10 1981 I arrive on the African Continent. Cairo is a shock to my senses. Flying in, I could see the Nile Delta, beautiful green expanse becoming browner as we came Read more
15 March 2026 Won’t kid myself: There exists a viable concern about flying in the direction of a war zone. Especially one started and executed by my own country. It is disconcerting that my government Read more
16 December 2025 Greece: From Delphi and Olympia to Monasteries and Mountains We traced a looping path through Greece’s layered past—standing where oracles once spoke at Delphi, where naked athletes competed at Olympia, and where Read more
14 December 2025 Over breakfast, we plan how to spend the day among the ruins and legends of Athens. The Parthenon shouts for our return, silent stones rest around every corner, ancient churches pop up Read more
13 December 2025 Today, a change of pace. After breakfast, we walked to Syntagma and through the National Garden. We hope to see more green, fewer rocks, receive a little edification, and explore the more Read more
12-13 December 2025 So many ruins, so many rocks – the Ancient Agora and the lively area of Monastriaki Square lie below the north side of the Acropolis. More carved columns and ancient history. I Read more
12 December 2025 Fortified with our usual breakfast of Greek yogurt and fruit, we face a full day filled with rocks, columns, more rocks, and ancient ruins. Everywhere one looks, the city is decked out Read more
11 December 2025 Our final day in the Peloponnese begins with a visit to iconic ancient rock ruins before a stop-over to see a big cut into solid rock accomplished by human engineering, not gods. Read more
10 December 2025 Our protective Swiss goddess of kindness watches over us as we awaken to a Peloponnese blue sky, the sun soft across tiled rooftops and the olive-green hills of Nafplio. The church next Read more
9 December 2025 After a delicious Mediterranean breakfast—always my favorite—we leave sea and sun to retrace our drive north before turning East. After a short 80 miles or so, we reach the sparkling waters of Read more
7-8 December 2025 We explore warmer climes and ancient ruins, Greek myths and its heroes. The Peloponnese where ancient history, dramatic landscapes, and modern Greek life exist side by side with the likes of Oedipus, Agamemnon, Menelaus, and Read more
Our Greek saga has reached the tetralogy stage. We awake to the driest streets in days, cloudy but I can see forests and rocks. I see what resembles blue in the dawn sky. Puddles have Read more
5-6 December 2025 It’s almost impossible to choose a favorite among the monasteries of Meteora—each one offers something extraordinary. From the grandeur of Great Meteoron to the quiet grace of Varlaam or Roussanou, all are Read more
5 December 2025 Stanzas from the Great Greek Comedy of Pat & Gabrielle
4 December 2025 We drive the 134 miles from Delphi to the city of Kalabaka, a place known mainly as the gateway to Meteora. Though Kalabaka sits only about 700 feet above sea level, it Read more
DATELINE: METEORA, GREECE Farmers determined – Reinforcing the blockades and escalating protests. Every day, the network of farmers’ blockades across Greece grows wider. Site production costs and the low prices of essential agricultural products as Read more
1-3 December 2025 I told my niece Gabrielle, “You choose a place to travel this winter—just warm and keep it simple. ” She chose Greece, and that sounded perfect to me. I hadn’t been back Read more
(A tale proving that true travelers aren’t just determined—they’re one cancelled flight away from full-blown heroic desperation.) Sing, O Muse, of Pat and Gabrielle—two travelers so committed to embarking on their Hellenic adventure that even Read more
October 2025 We started in Tokyo, a city so bright,Imperial Palace gleaming in light.We strolled palace gardens with proper grace,Till we lost half the group — “Wrong exit, wrong place!”We learned to remove shoes — Read more
October 2025 One gets distracted by the talk of bullet trains, temples, history and the courtesy of Japan. Found within this mix is an assortment of oddities that may only be found among the Japanese. Read more
13 – 14 October 2025 The traditional shukubō lodging offers rest, meditation, dining on shōjin ryōri Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, and the opportunity to join in the religious life. I’ve enjoyed rest and veggies, now comes my test. This morning, I Read more
12 October 2025 Every day in Japan feels like stepping into a new adventure, full of surprises and discoveries about its history and culture. The country never ceases to amaze me; the old adage of Read more
11 October 2025 We visit a food market at the train station where we buy a bento: a chicken box lunch. We pay with our Icoca rail card. Our Shinkansen departs Hiroshima on the minute Read more
10 October 2025 From my window, the modern port city of Hiroshima stretches before me. A landscape of high-rises, tree tops, and wind streets framed by green mountains to the north and the wide expanse of Read more
10 Oct 2025 Today is a day for reliving history. To appreciate what I will visit later, I need to review what historians have learned and disclosed about the causations and events of 6 August 1945. Read more
9 Oct 2025 Sadly, too little time in this city. From man hole covers to street art and lively socks, Himeji invites one to stay, play and explore. I walk across the street to enter Read more
8 Oct 2025 Excitement builds. After breakfast, I will officially board a bullet train. I watched them zip by while at the Railroad Museum. Now I get to ride one from Kyoto to Himeji.
7 October 2025 I wake to a spectacular view of sunrise and dramatic clouds over the Tōji Temple, a five storied pagoda, the tallest wooden pagoda in Japan at 157 feet. A UNESCO world heritage Read more
5-6 October 2025 With the morning comes cloudy skies and light rain. Our new guide, Jun, leads us through a tiny portion of Omicho Market. Omicho (also called Ōmichō Ichiba) is Kanazawa’s sprawling fresh-food market, Read more
4 October 2025 Kanazawa’s history began in feudal times as the seat of the Maeda clan, one of Japan’s wealthiest and most powerful families. The Maeda ruled the Kaga Domain, which rivaled even Kyoto and Edo Read more
3 October 2025 Today, we depart via bus. Ultimately, we will travel about 72 miles northwest reaching the Sea of Japan, which, in China, is still the Japan Sea. We plan a couple stops in Read more
2 October 2025 Imagine sitting down in a serene tatami room, shoes politely abandoned at the door. You sit on a pillow on the floor. Your feet fall into a well under the low table. Read more
2 October 2025 Takayama used to be the castle town which General Nagachika Kanamori built on behalf of his master at the end of the Sengoku era when Hideyosi Toyotomi ruled Japan. In 1692, however, Read more
1 October 2025 A short drive takes us southerly over the 2,628-foot Magome Pass. The pass is the highest elevation along the Nakasendō Way. Surrounding mountains and the cedar and bamboo forests are outstanding. It Read more
30 September 2025 After a delightful evening in Narai followed by a Western breakfast, I enjoy time to wander Narai’s streets. The village seems a good place to buy lacquerware and woodcrafts. Not being a Read more
29 September 2025 This morning, we begin our days of train travel. For someone from the U.S., I am always impressed by the development and efficiency of public transportation around the world. In most of Read more
28 September 2025 Today, we again travel by coach: direction northeast 190 miles to Yudanaka. Distance doesn’t amount to much but the slow, busy roads take most of our day. Once we arrive, we will Read more
27 September 2025 I depart the massive, bustling megatropolis of Tokyo. I won’t complain, as my destination for the day includes another icon of Japan: Mt. Fuji. I’ve jetted past the mountain in the past, enjoying spectacular Read more
26 September 2025 Om Mani Padme Hum Buddha give me serenity and patience Carrying my backpack, I walk to a new hotel, bracing myself to join a tour group. It feels a bit like handing Read more
25 September 2025 I can’t believe that Godzilla was the last of his species. If nuclear testing continues, then someday, somewhere in the world, another Godzilla may appear. Godzilla, King of the Monsters Unfortunately, Dr. Read more
24 September 2025 I’ve read that there are no fewer than eighteen ways to say “hello” in Japanese, which means I’m visiting Japan eighteen steps behind. When I learned the Russian alphabet, at least I Read more
23 September 2025 The last time I visited Tokyo, I never actually made it past Narita Airport and a nearby luxury hotel—an unplanned overnight courtesy of United Airlines. My grand cultural immersion consisted mostly of jet lag, Read more
30-31 May 2025 We laze in charming Würzburg as long as possible. Temperature reaches mid-seventies and the sun is blasting. However, sadly, we must board an ICE direct train from the Hbf to Frankfurt’s Airport. Read more
28-29 May 2025 After visiting Würzburg in 2021, I wrote: “The Nuremberg Residenz is too groß and grand, Bamburg Residenz too small and simple, but Würzburg Residenz is just right.” I enjoyed my visit to Read more