I have loved crystals and mineral specimens since I was a small boy. I still have my first book on rocks from my mother. My mom and grandmother took me to interesting locales in northern California looking for fascinating specimens. Their enthusiasm for the outdoors really helped ignite my interest…
If you love cycling or if you just love looking at the fabulously beautiful French countryside (like my mother used to do), you’ve probably watched the Tour de France. The brand new Netflix documentary, “Tour de France: Unchained”, is a big surprise for me. The 8…
My favorite city is hurting and could use some love and special care. Drugs and the homeless continue to be a gargantuan problem to solve. Many national retailers have departed downtown diminishing some of the vitality. Prices are atrocious for both rentals and for retail. Some of the press ( especially…
A friend of ours who absolutely loves to travel and takes about 6 overseas trips a year recently asked if I wanted to join him on a Butterfield & Robinson cycling tour of Tuscany. I have cycled in Tuscany twice before and remember how difficult the riding was, but also…
Marla and I made reservations for a tour of Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art on our recent trip to Waikiki, something we have wanted to do for many years. The tours quickly sell out and also necessitate transport by a special bus from the Honolulu Museum of Art. We…
It will not come as much of a surprise but I often have “travel” on the brain. This is a first in a series of posts on “New Places I Would Love To Visit” and I chose France for my first one. The top 10 countries…
In mid-September I traveled to Avignon for two nights on the eve of a bike tour of Provence with Backroads. Marla and I once had stayed across the Rhone River from Avignon in Villeneuve-les-Avignon at the wonderful Hotel Le Prieure Baumanerie. On that trip we were so…
The capital of the Greek Ionian Island of Corfu is Kerkyra, simply known as Corfu Town. The Island of Corfu is off the western coasts of Albania and Greece and has its roots back to the 8th century BC. The ancient town is a UNESCO World Heritage site since…
There are many triggers which help formulate and inspire our travel desires. They could be ideas from friends and family, magazines, and often from TV and movies. After watching “The Durrells In Corfu” on PBS a few years ago, I was hooked. The Greek island of Corfu went…
Anafiotika was on my Athens exploration wish list after watching an episode of Rick Steves on PBS. It is a tiny enclave of unique homes on the side of the Acropolis hill. The first houses were built in the era of Otto of Greece, when workers from the island…