France: To sleep, perchance to dream — in a prison cell
I spent a night in a 19th century prison in Beziers, a town in southern France. Fortunately, the prison — once home to a guillotine last used in 1949 — has been repurposed to accommodate visitors in this medieval city in southern France. It’s called La Prison Hotel for good
Croatia: The lesser-known Dalmatian Coast
Zadar, a small city on the coast of Croatia, boasts it is home to the “tastiest tuna in the world.” It IS very good; in fact, it was far and away my favorite among an assortment of five seafood dishes that comprised most of a dinner (actually, banquet) staged last
Sweden: A capital location
Stockholm has lots of islands and lots of enticing museums. This past summer a travel companion and I spent a few days getting acquainted with a few of each. Parts of Sweden's capital were built on 14 islands, located on the east coast of Sweden. Most tourist visits center on
Anywhere: Of festivals and war zones
It was my first trip to Asia and my first day in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. After hotel check-in, I made a beeline to the traditional market area. I walked among temples, big sculptures, numerous ceremonial sites — and an awfully lot of people. The crowds kept growing with folks gathering
Norway: Following the fjords
The dictionary defines a fjord as “a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes.” That’s a precise but inadequate collection of words when measured against the real thing on the west coast of Norway. The numerous fjords that turn Norway’s coast into a jagged line are routinely,
Norway: Bergen and Bryggen
Our tour guide said that Bergen, a port city on the west coast of Norway, has attracted outsiders for centuries, both as traders and settlers. Then she made the point with her own story: Although our guide was born and raised in Bergen of Norwegian forebears, she said DNA
Czech Republic: Karlovy Vary’s grande dame
The Grandhotel Pupp, in the Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary, dates to 1701; however, the two main buildings that one sees, and sleeps in, date from the late-19th century heyday of Czech spa towns — and a time when Karlovy Vary was called Carlsbad. The hotel section now referred to as
Prague: Hotels quirky, fun — and practical
My recent itinerary to the Czech Republic opened and closed with stays in Prague, in two hotels opened just this spring and located across a tiny square from one another. Further, they are only a couple of blocks from the Powder Gate Tower and a short additional walk away from
Worldwide: Murals here and there
Travel and 2020 are mutually exclusive concepts. Except for skiing (driving between New York and Vermont), I went nowhere this year. By now, I entertain myself with old travel photos. I am taken with the fact we humans treat architectural blank spaces like vacuums, filling them with artwork or just
Rio de Janeiro: Carnival town, Olympic city
In September 2020, organizers of Rio de Janeiro’s official carnival parade canceled the annual event, set for February 2021, leaving the nature of the carnival itself in flux. The parade will be back (like my travel plans), but no one knows when. As it happens, I was in Rio in
France: Strasbourg at Christmas
This past December (2019), I arrived in Strasbourg, France, almost exactly 20 years after my first and only other visit. There have been changes — new construction and the like — but the historic center is reassuringly much the same. Indeed, I can offer a few old photos below (scanners
Thailand: A glimpse of Phuket Old Town
I got my first look at Thailand’s Phuket (the town) in late 2019 and regret that I did not have additional time there to absorb more about the local history, customs and architecture. The visit was a tease, which is why this blog will be a tease as well.
Michigan: Of trees and horses
I had anticipated that Mackinac Island would be the centerpiece during a recent and very short driving tour in Michigan. But, the island had to share the honors with an attraction I had not anticipated. I planned this trip with two friends, and we agreed on October dates as a
Brazil: Beyond burning forests
I visited Brazil’s best-known city, Rio de Janeiro, a couple of times in the 1970s and, finally, this fall (2019) had the chance to revisit. The run-up to this visit was not especially auspicious. Earth’s lungs — the Amazonian forests — were (and are) aflame. The seemingly unconcerned Brazilian president,
England: Of forests and Cornish ales
Cornwall, in far southwest England, is home to the world’s largest indoor rain forest — and I had a chance to see it in late 2018. I was traveling with a number of American travel agents, all of us hosted by VisitBritain and a tour operator, Avanti Destinations. The Eden
Abu Dhabi: Taxi in the desert
I learned a new principle of travel this year. When taking a taxi into the desert, be sure the driver knows where he is going. Sounds obvious. In fact, on the trip I am about to describe, I did think the driver either knew the basics of how to get
Europe: Fortified homes
I’ve just written a couple of posts about Italy’s medieval tower houses because I found them fascinating — and a kind of unifying theme for some sightseeing while in Italy last year. However, considering mankind’s penchant for war or for simple thuggery, I guess it’s no wonder I’ve encountered other
Italy: Beyond the towers of San Gimignano
San Gimignano, in Italy’s Tuscany, is well known for its medieval tower houses, structures built for defense — and built to show off wealth and power. However, plenty of other towns and cities, in Italy and beyond, once had or still have tower houses, or something similar, built at least
Italy’s ‘Manhattan of the Middle Ages’
San Gimignano is best known on the tourist circuit for its medieval tower houses. As a result, the town is sometimes called the “Manhattan of the Middle Ages.” However, in, say, the 13th century, the town wouldn’t have been so exceptional — the wealthy, or the merely well-to-do, were building
Abu Dhabi: The Louvre on the water
Last fall, I went to the Louvre and, with some luck, will be back again this spring. But I wasn’t in Paris, and I won’t be anytime soon. This Louvre, which opened in late 2017, is in Abu Dhabi, one of the seven emirates on the Arabian Peninsula that comprise
