Travel is about moments suspended in time. When travelling I try to consider a place my temporary home. Running around, visiting one sight after the other in order to tick off the list of sights you really have to see and cannot miss, blurs one’s mind into one undistinguished pile of memories of churches, castles, landscapes, cafés, restaurants and other things you have visited but actually can’t remember. You look back at all those pictures you … [Read more...]
Marseille, France: European Capital of Culture
As someone who lives in Marseille told me, “Marseille is a way of life”. It’s the playing of pétanque (similar to bocce), the imbibing of pastis (an anise liqueur developed in Marseille as a substitute for the banned absinthe in 1915), the savoring of Bouillabaisse (for which Marseille is famous), and a certain "joie de vivre". It is also a way of life that embraces the diversity of this melting pot on the Mediterranean and its rich culture, … [Read more...]
Illinois Improbable: A Story of Upending Expectations
When I was a high-school student in Bethesda, Maryland, and beginning to think about college, my parents sat me down and set a parameter: they would only allow a school within 1000 miles of our home, with the idea that I would be more likely to visit over holidays if within that range. My elder sister had already picked a school, Knox College, in Galesburg, Illinois, and now it was my turn. I pulled out a map, cut a string keyed to 1000 miles, … [Read more...]
The Introvert’s Guide to Backpacking
“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” -Bilbo Baggins, Fellowship of the Ring I never wanted to go backpacking. I had no interest in staying in hostels. An introvert by nature, I found the peace and privacy of a hotel room necessary, not only for the enjoyment of the trip, but for my mental sanity. Then the cheapskate … [Read more...]
Life in Bogotá: 12 things you’ll soon discover
1. Queuing for a bus is rare On the TransMilenio bus system in Bogota, it’s every man for himself; unlike London buses, on most TransMilenio buses there aren’t specific doors for people getting on or getting off (although these are being introduced on certain routes, thank God!), so as the doors open at the station it’s like two opposing armies clashing as each side struggles to board or disembark. If you wait for people to get off before you … [Read more...]
Winding the Watch of Island Time
I was in such a hurry to get to the Micronesian island of Kosrae, such a hurry to see its isolated beauty, such a hurry to begin my first year of teaching—in such a hurry to be out of my old life and in this new. After arriving, I wanted to jump right in, get my new house settled, fill it with food, set up the computer, arrange my classes and office, drive the length and breadth of the landscape and snorkel my fool head off in the island’s … [Read more...]
Gothenburg and West Sweden – Spring 2015
The latest selection of inspirational new holiday ideas, travel news and events in Gothenburg and West Sweden – including a coastal Easter getaway, a city & countryside weekend escape, new biking and hiking packages, exciting new spring Shellfish Journeys and an overview of exciting news and events for the rest of 2015. Easter escape idea No Påsk – or Easter – celebration would be complete in Sweden without dramatic bonfires on the … [Read more...]
Cassis: A Captivating Seaside Village in Provence
"Qu'a vist Paris, se noun a vist Cassis, pou dire: n'ai rèn vist," "He who has seen Paris and who has not seen Cassis can say ... I have seen nothing." Frédéric Mistral (1830 - 1914), beloved Provençal poet and Nobel Prize laureate How could anyone make such a bold statement about Cassis, France, a medieval village in Provence? After just a few hours in this village on the Mediterranean coast, I began to understand. I always feel … [Read more...]
Visit British Columbia’s Gulf Islands
Explore BC's Beautiful Gulf Islands Be sure to visit at least one of the beautiful Gulf Islands if you and your family are thinking about a vacation to British Columbia, Canada. A magnificent string of around one hundred small, large and mostly inhabited islands situated between the mainland of British Columbia and beautiful Vancouver Island. Located in the Strait of Georgia, the islands are easy to gain access to from either the mainland … [Read more...]
Touchdown at Sunset, Lets go Explore Manama, Bahrain
I touched down gently at the Manama airport just prior to sunset after making several short regional flights, glad to have arrived to some warm and humid weather after rain and cold temps came to California the prior week. The last time I was in this area it was 47 degrees when I landed, sometime in September. The heat can be brutal in the summer here but by this time of year the temperatures have subsided considerably. I soon found myself … [Read more...]
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