It all began, for me, at a meeting of the Canoe Cruisers Association, the Washington, D.C. chapter. In the midst of the button-down capital there is an underground of cutoffs and t-shirts that each weekend assembles by the banks of some Shenandoah or Appalachia river to rake the whitewater with paddles. A recent high school graduate searching for life’s passion, I joined up at the urging of my old Scout leader, and was immediately hooked. My … [Read more...]
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Imagine writing a book when your body is entirely paralyzed except for your left eye lid - the other eye being stitched shut. Author Bauby wrote this entire book by blinking - using a special alphabet that was devised for him - he chose each letter, one at a time slowly forming words, then sentences. Rendered almost entirely rigid by a stroke at age 43 in 1995, he left a world of fashion (he was editor of the French Elle) and entered a … [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...]
New in Sebastopol: The Barlow
Disclosure: I was invited out for an evening visit to The Barlow in Sebastopol. All opinions are my own. For those new to Sonoma County (Northern California, USA), one area that you may want to pay a visit to is none other than The Barlow in Sebastopol. The Barlow, opened in November of 2013, is a place that focuses on Local Food, Art, and Wine. The West Side of Sonoma County has amazing local producers, artisans, and small … [Read more...]
Full Moon Party on Ko Samet, Thailand
John M. Edwards survives a psychedelic breakdown--and hubris--on a backpacker’s hub off the coast of Thailand. . . . In Thailand, it is not necessary to have an actual full moon shining down on you in order to throw together a “Full Moon Party”—just loads and loads of magic mushrooms. The decidedly pagan, almost “Glastonberry,” Halloweeny atmosphere of the event, featuring a wild bunch of fragrant hippies—proud of their piercings, … [Read more...]
German Christmas Specialties
Many would agree that winter’s most glorious aspects are of the culinary variety. Celebratory food and drink that promise the return of light in the depth of chilly darkness differ in every culture, but epicurean indulgence is a common thread. In Germany, Christmas traditions border on magical. Snow blankets much of the landscape, lights sparkle amidst the frost and festive markets sell handmade crafts and ornaments. On a recent trip to … [Read more...]
St. John’s Tomb: Travel Tales from Turkey
Greetings from Cappadocia! We are rapidly adapting to the troglodyte lifestyle of the modern cave dweller! Cappadocia was a perfect hideaway for the early persecuted Christians because they fled here to hide away in caves and they built their churches in caves as well. It almost appears that every family had its own church, sort of like a second living room to their cave dwelling. These early churches comfortably fit only about 10 people in … [Read more...]
Camino de Santiago, A Million Steps
A million is a rough estimate of the number of steps I took while walking the Camino de Santiago. I made the calculation on day 13 of my trek as I walked along a portion of the path that was parallel to a highway with kilometer markers. Over the course of a kilometer, I counted 1,153 steps. I did the math and discovered that I would take a total of 909,717 steps on the trail between St. Jean Pied-de-Port, where it began, and Santiago de … [Read more...]
Nine of the Scariest Places You Would Definitely Like to be this Halloween
I’ve always had a soft spot for Halloween. It’s the one time of year when it’s not only OK but actively encouraged to embrace being a little ghoulishly childlike. It also encourages people to think about exploring some of the world’s scariest places, digging a little deeper into the folklore that exists behind them and the mythical creatures that lurked (and perhaps still lurk) there. Whether you choose to explore the dark recesses of the … [Read more...]
Waltzing through the Kaffehaus Kultura Vienna
“The [Café] Central is a place for people who have to kill time, so as not to be killed by it. . . .” --Alfred Polgar “I AM SIGMUND SPIELBERG!!!” The obviously unemployable flaneur with umlaut eyes landed at my marble-topped table without a proper invite, brusquely pushing aside a Thonet wooden chair. Brandishing a copy of Der Spiegel on a wooden rolling pin in his left hand, and reeking from an unfortunate cologne resembling turning … [Read more...]
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