Like the 19th century travelers in the painting above, I want to explore more than ever! Many of us have a desire to change the current narrative and make a shift to the positive. For me, traveling is a much needed elixir, especially in these tumultuous times. The key is…
Howard Carter’s discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 has captivated people throughout the world. I was enthralled with the story as a young boy and hoped to someday visit the tomb itself. We flew to Luxor to see King Tutankhamun’s actual tomb in the…
Egypt was supposed to be part of a tour of the Maasai Mara Reserve in Kenya and a cruise to the Seychelles Islands in 1997. Sadly, there was a terrorist attack in Luxor killing 62 people, mostly tourists. We were advised to stay on the plane at both the Luxor…
I am from a long line of horticulturists. Marla’s plants do very well with her loving care. My grandfather had a large greenhouse and grew beautiful orchids. My Mom and grandmother knew the names of just about every flower and plant. But, alas, my talents are not at…
The seaport town of Honfleur captivated Marla and I on many levels. I’ll take you on a visual tour of the town to see the areas we loved. The aerial view above shows “Vieux Bassin” or “Old Harbour”. Honfleur’s most famous painter…
Our boat docked at the Quai de la Savonnerie in Rouen, the capital of the French region of Normandy. We heard the city was fascinating, but we not prepared for its’ beauty. We were ready to disembark with our Uniworld guides. This is the magnificent Cathédrale Notre-Dame…
Paris is famous for beautiful doors. We walked by this striking purple door on the Rue du bac. Walking around Paris is a veritable history lesson. This is a memorial plaque for Roger Connan, a French Resistance fighter executed by the Germans at the age of 23 during the liberation…
We stayed in Paris for two nights before departing on a Uniworld Seine River cruise in August. Paris museum visits are always on our itinerary. There are 136 museums in Paris, but we opted for one of our very favorites, Musée d’Orsay, as there are always new…
I drew pictures of castles as a small boy and visiting the ancient fortified city of Carcassonne on a bike tour in 2013 was very special. I knew Marla would be intrigued as well. I booked Hotel de la Cite for our visit this year. At the time I was…
The press is full of stories about overtourism today. We all hear reports about huge crowds in the world’s beautiful cities. Paris tourism has been on a big upswing since 2024 when millions watched the Paris Olympics. The question is…”Is Paris too crowded and should…