Holy Holy Land over the Holidays! I have had a recent string of travels that didn’t quite turn out as planned. The Arctic, India, Peru and the Azores—all were great runs but were aborted or shortened due to a variety of reasons, including a urinary tract infection in the Azores, how embarrassing. For an aging travel junkie, […]
Photo above of Wayne and Trish at Sete Cidades on Sao Miguel Island – ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Surrounded by the Atlantic, the Azores are a cluster of nine small, hauntingly beautiful islands far off the coast of Portugal A Bit of Heaven and Hell “The Azores are a heady mix that can overwhelm the senses. Birds, […]
Having just finished the school year and officially launched my novel, Finding the Way: A Novel of Lao Tzu, I desperately needed an escape and digital detox. For ten months I micro-planned and dreamed of solitude high in the Andes. This would be my Eat, Play, Trek. However, this seclusion would be compromised with an […]
“Lock your door and don’t get out of the car,” mother said when I told her I was heading to the United States? “Remember to duck,” was another response, this from a nephew starved to travel but already holding his nose when it came to the U.S. Such is the current reputation of the U.S. […]
We’re not beach people. Trish and I find beach culture monotonous. Getting sauted in the sun whilst under-sized speedos on oversized bellies strut around isn’t exactly the height of culture. Just recently I skipped el cheapo beach destinations in Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and India. So why go to Barbados? Well if you’re asking, you don’t […]
Mandalay and area U Bein Bridge, Mandalay Longest teak bridge in the world….as if the world was filled with teak bridges Stuck in the dustbowl town ( they all are) of Moanywa, I scraped bottom. In retrospect going from Japan to Myanmar, and glued to your wingman 24/7 to solo was a leap I didn’t […]
Chicken or beef? Red or white wine? Love or hate Venice? It’s easy to see why there are two distinct camps. Hordes of tourists, the worst and most expensive food in Italty for starters vs a stunningly beautiful backdrop.We were in one camp then switched. They say Venice is sinking. Likely beneath the biggest crowds […]
My worst fears have come true. Trish has found excellent shopping. Our carefully packed knapsaks of 34lbs will soon heave. However she can’t possibly buy anything heavier than the 12 glass chargers she made me carry back from Ecuador. We’ve been going none stop and her head has been torrential so I’ll carry another […]
This post centres around the Cologne Cathedral, a gothic and German- catholic icon, it’s also the most visited landmark in Germany. Everybody told us there was nothing in Cologne except a train out. While their old town is rather lame-o after Utrecht, the cathedral is eye-popping, and it’s right by the train station. Started in1248, […]
It’s hard not to think of the Netherlands without associating it with cycling. 31% of the Dutch cycle daily. 70% of all travel is done on 2 wheels. Bike safety is taught as part of school curriculum. In some schools, 90% of children cycle. They spend $600 million a year on their network of […]