John M. Edwards attends a horrific “cockfight” on Bantayan Island in the Philippines, only to end up wondering what exactly were the ingredients in the national dish of adobo. . . . The roosters swaggered around like Mick and Keith, with dangerously sharp spurs attached to their legs. While the apocalyptic poultry sussed each other out with malice, the excitement began to build. My two new Norwegian backpacker friends snapped photos with … [Read more...]
Brr-cold in Barbes-Rochechouart: Christmas in France
In Paris’s Muslim quarter, Barbés Rochechouart, John M. Edwards finds ho-hum Christmas cheer, but no champagne or beer. . . . Back when I lived in Paris, one of the most comically incongruous things I saw as a temporary expat was a pathetic Pere Noel with a guelle de bois (“face of wood” = hangover) peeing in the snow, with an excessively painful grin, on the legendary Boulevard St. Germain (namedropped ad infinitum in Hemingway’s elegy to the … [Read more...]
Biscuits, Booze, and Bodies – 36 Hours in the Florida Keys
Normally, I'm not big on cocktails before 10am. But when we blearily wandered in at 8am to the Blue Heaven, one of Key West’s signature restaurants, that’s what our server suggested. Sitting in the crazy-quilt courtyard, with its rustic artwork and scurrying chickens, looking up at the former bordello on the second-floor, and knocking back some booze seemed in keeping with all things Keys. I opted for the pancakes, which I found just as … [Read more...]
Visiting Trinidad in the West Indies: Short Notes
Flights to the Island arrive at POS (not the most politically correct airport code in the world) but it stands for Port of Spain. On a good day (without traffic) it takes about 30 minutes from the airport to downtown. There are a number of car rental companies at the airport (economy car pricing runs from about $40 to $60 US dollar). Car rental companies are also available in downtown Port of Spain and other towns on the island. A few things I … [Read more...]
Eating my Way Around Berlin
Spend just one day in Berlin, and there’s no denying it’s cutting-edge city. It pulses with non-stop energy day and night, the air infused with creativity, culture and promise. There are many ways for travelers to gain some insight into this complex and ever-expanding metropolis. On my recent whirlwind visit, I got a feel for the city by exploring its cuisine. As a frequent traveler and devoted foodie, my key to a new destination is usually … [Read more...]
Unusual, Odd, Uncomfortable or Unique Stays
Recently I spent a miserable night on the island of Trinidad in a hot vehicle parked in the rainforest with the windows cracked to get some air while fighting a random assortment of biting flying bugs. This caused me to think about other interesting nights I have spent including one night next to a partially rotting deer (don't ask) and a frigid night in Spain grossly under dressed for the weather in March sleeping in a dirt field covered in … [Read more...]
British Polar Explorers Planning to Reach South Pole Between Christmas and New Year
British polar explorers Ben Saunders and Tarka L’Herpiniere are hoping for a unique belated Christmas present this year – to reach their half-way mark at the South Pole (900 miles or 1,450km into their 1800 mile or 2,900km journey) between Christmas and New Year. The duo set out from Scott’s historic Terra Nova Hut in Antarctica on 25 October 2013 on a world-record breaking unsupported return journey from the coast of Antarctica to the South … [Read more...]
Lourdes on 25 Prayers a Day
The Lowdown on Tacky Souvenirs and Christian Kitsch - Hautes-Pyrenees France I think it was Goethe who said that the imagination was man’s “deadliest enemy,” but how could that be so when all of us have dreamed up so many fabulous places to visit, celebrity people to admire, and unique pleasures to seek out. Even so, nightmares notwithstanding, we are all vaguely astonished when legend becomes reality and we actually arrive in a place we … [Read more...]
Travel Locally – It’s amazing what you can find nearby
I have travelled some in my life, flown to Europe, Central and South America and have driven across the country a few times. Just the formulation of a trip, pinning a picaresque photo on Pinterest even, can make me giddy. So it was with great surprise that I stumbled on a nearby destination, just as fulfilling and foreign as many of my more exotic jaunts: Big Bear Lake, a scant 100 miles from home. When you grow up in a big city, like Los … [Read more...]
Bolzano Christmas Market
Are you rushing around trying to finish your Christmas shopping? Can't find anything in the shops for love or money? Perhaps you are just looking in the wrong place – the High Street might be fine for boring stuff like perfume, socks and ties but for something a bit different, a quick hop over to one of the many European Christmas markets is bound to do the trick. With time now quite short, you will need to make sure you choose the right one and … [Read more...]
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