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…
Marla and I stayed in Paris before taking a Seine River cruise with Uniworld last month. We have stayed at many Paris hotels after 45+ visits over the years, usually in the 6th, 7th, or the 5th arrondissements. Marla tasked me to find a new place for our Paris trip…
Exploring Carcassonne is like being in a medieval fantasy novel. We booked a tour which started outside the Narbonnaise Gate. This was a great way to get an understanding of the history and features of this formidable fortified complex. The castle is very crowded during the day with visitors from…
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…
Marla and I were long overdo for a visit to Vail, Colorado, a true favorite of ours in the summer months. We had tickets for two evenings of dance performances during the Vail Dance Festival. We love staying at Manor Vail Lodge, within easy walking distance of Vail Village, Golden…
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…
My parents began taking me to the Samuel P. Taylor State Park when I was a small boy. The whole family had a great love of redwood trees. Marla and I went with our kids and their kids many times as well. Marla and I, along with our friend Lea…
Yes, that’s me, an old “Dead Head” wearing one of my vintage Grateful Dead t-shirts. I read about the recent 60th Anniversary Grateful Dead celebrations and performances in San Francisco. Fans old and young flocked to San Francisco last week to hear the concerts and…
I met Marla on a blind date at the University of the Pacific. She had sweared off blind dates, but my roommate was good salesperson. I was sitting in the living room of the Delta Gamma house waiting for her to descend the stairs. At first, all I could see…