Europe Travel
I Took A River Cruise Through The South Of France. Yes, Really.
As I sat in the lounge of our longship nursing a freshly poured glass of wine, I looked around the room. Of the roughly 150 or so people attentively listening to the Entertainment Director’s welcome introduction (one of eight such all-hands-on-deck speeches we would hear over the next eight days), I found I could group […]
February in Gozo
In my mind, I will always envision Malta as paradise. I realize much of this is down to timing — conditions that couldn’t be replicated. Leaving a dreary Scottish February at 1 a.m. and waking up among palm trees; exploring a new place without hoards of other tourists; a first one-on-one trip with a first […]
Embracing The Unexpected In Thunder God’s Forest
It was a bleak afternoon in July as we sped out of Reykjavik, our destination a wilderness area in South Iceland called Thorsmörk, or “Thunder God’s Forest.” Rain pelted the bus’s windows, further obscuring our view of the fog-shrouded countryside. The yellow headlights of oncoming traffic whizzed by in a blur. Sweating under too many […]
Riding In Jeeps With Strangers In Macedonia
The Macedonia town of Skopje disappeared from the rear-view mirror of our jeep about 9 miles ago. The road has become narrower and is starting to wind back and forth. My stomach is doing flip-flops. I glance over at Oliver who I met just a couple hours ago and marvel at the fact that he’s […]
Missing Paris: Running The Paris Marathon
Seven miles into the Paris Marathon I was content, blissfully lost in the illustrious City of Light. But then I saw the pacesetter and I was hooked. So fanatically attached to the mythical four-hour mark, I missed it all. Focused on the clock, I missed Paris. Well, almost. The day before the Paris Marathon, I […]
The Sound Of Music And Rain In Salzburg
When the airport of a city or town is named after a local but deceased celebrity, upon arrival in said city one can expect a challenge in avoiding the posthumous paraphernalia and celebration of the eponymous home-grown hero. For example, touching down at Liverpool’s John Lennon airport, one can expect to be inundated in the […]
Book Excerpt: ‘The French House’ By Don Wallace
The following is an excerpt from The French House: An American Family, a Ruined Maison, and the Village That Restored Them All, by Don Wallace. Chapter one Far Breton It’s another day in Kerbordardoué. Up at eight, before the others. The sun doesn’t set until nine thirty or ten during summer at this latitude, so it […]
Come Visit Catalonia’s Tavascan With Your Fun Group Of Friends
Tavascan, in Catalonia, Spain, is a ski resort/national park where you can spend the weekend if you happen to live in nearby Barcelona and had a group of good-looking friends who dress well and prepare food much better than you can make. I’m pretty sure you can still go even if none of those things […]
Why The Holidays Are The Best Time To Travel Out Of The Country (And To Scotland)
Is there any worse feeling in the world than coming up to the end of the year and realizing the number of vacation days/personal days you have left outnumbers the number of days left in the year? These are days your employer is literally paying you not to come into work and to instead enjoy […]
Top 5 Off-The-Beaten-Path Things To Do In Prague
After spending 5 months living in Prague a few years back, I can confidently say that it’s my favorite city on the planet. Prague’s unique culture and blissful atmosphere is unlike anywhere else in the world. In addition to the beautiful cobblestone streets and medieval castles surrounding the city, Prague is one of the most budget-friendly cities […]