Back in the day (1920s to 1940s), the port city of Tangier had a reputation for depravity, where everything and anything was available ... as long as you paid the price. Tangier is located in the Straits of Gibraltar, at the very tip of the African continent between...
I had occasion to visit Yosemite National Park in California recently. The only downside to seeing the park in fall is that it’s quite dry, which means the famous waterfalls are almost nonexistent. You have to be there during the spring to see the falls in all their...
When my friend told me he was leaving New York City for the much smaller city of Norwich, England to take over his dad’s fish & chips shop, I couldn’t imagine why. Wouldn’t he get bored? Then, I visited him in his idyllic town with a population of just over...
Oops! The wine I just poured tilted to one side of the glass. Most odd. Then, looking around, seeing the low, heavily beamed ceiling and taking into account the age of this place – the house was built about six hundred years ago – I realized that, most likely, the...
Liverpool has plenty of Beatles memorabilia to lure you, but you might be surprised to learn that it has much more to offer the traveler – even those who aren’t fans of the Fab Four. An old city with both new and historical architecture, Liverpool is big enough to...
My wife, Roxie, and I were heading for Ballygally, a village in county Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland. A train from Belfast had taken us to our first stop - the town of Larne, which is a major passenger and freight roll-on/roll-off ferry port....
Ulysses - archetypal hero of The Odyssey, Homer’s epic morality tale of folly and adventure, wisdom and foolishness, loyalty and betrayal – purportedly journeyed along the Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast of Lazio, southeast of Rome. In Homer’s day, the waters between...
The Greeks or Hellenes were never really a totally homogeneous group. Their language is considered an independent branch of the Indo-European group of languages, and the people came down in successive waves of migrating tribes from North of the Balkan Peninsula,...
North of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea, a group of seven volcanic islands rise from the cobalt-blue waters. They are called Salina, Lipari, Vulcano, Alicudi, Filicudi, Panarea, Basiluzzo, and Stromboli. The group was named after Aeolus, god of the winds, by Greek...
Recently, I decided to visit Crete to see the ancient cities that became the cornerstone of our modern culture. They were the precursors of 21st century Western civilization. We flew from Athens to Heraklion and stayed in a lovely small hotel overlooking the harbor...
Nowadays, we hear a lot about symposia. In current usage, it has come to mean an academic or scientific gathering where distinguished speakers present their insights or findings on cultural, archaeological, economic, or scientific questions. The word’s usage in...
Naples wasn't high on my bucket list, but after my recent visit, I'm happy to report that I was captivated by her scintillating charms. I visited one enchanting sight after another and still only managed to cover a fraction of the rich history waiting to be explored...
In Greece, the land beneath your feet is steeped in very ancient history and lore. Many of our current civic, as well as theatrical traditions, come to us from the city-state of Athena, in Attica. So when you visit Greece, keep all of what you'll learn in this article...
In tropical climes there are certain times of dayWhen all the citizens retireTo tear their clothes off and perspire.It's one of those rules that the greatest fools obey,Because the sun is much too sultryAnd one must avoid its ultra-violet ray. ...Mad dogs and...
Tea in the Sahara? Well, I didn't have tea, but I did enjoy myself in the remarkable desert of Morocco. It was a landscape out of the movies, and the bright colors worn by the guys leading the camels just made it all the more beautiful. A camel caravan in Morocco's...
I've seen the Rockies, the Andes, and the Himalayas, but honestly, Morocco's Atlas Mountains may be the most beautiful range of them all. Judge for yourself! Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Photo by Melanie Votaw. Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Photo by Melanie Votaw....
I’m sure you know about Harriet Tubman, who famously saved many enslaved people during the Civil War by personally transporting them through the Underground Railroad. But I’ll bet there’s a lot you don’t know about her, such as the fact that she settled in Auburn,...
A lot of visitors and locals aren't aware that you can watch whales from Manhattan and Brooklyn in NYC. And I'm talking some major whale watching! I recently took a cruise from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn with American Princess Cruises, where we saw seven humpback...
Towering jagged peaks rise like formidable granite columns, overlooking a pristine white sandy beach that seems at first to fade into low lying clouds further beyond the shoreline and the incoming receding waves. The Lofoten Islands of Norway have many transcending...
About 66 years ago, I got my first taste of European travel when my father said, “We should instill culture in the children.” At the time, I was living in Greece with my parents and younger brother, and I was still in high school. So my mother, a couple of her...
Some of the most beautiful rugged coastlines are within striking distance of San Francisco. I embarked on a private tour of Point Reyes with Eric's VIP Tours to have an encounter with the rugged and unspoiled Pacific coastline. Instead of taking the highways, I...
Friends of ours had invited my wife and me to a three-night stay in Gloucester, Massachusetts. They were housesitting for an old friend whose seafront home was well-equipped and spacious enough to accommodate several guests. We accepted, and embarked on a number of...
Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, is one of the largest and surely one of the most beautiful cities in all of Europe. Whether on your first trip or your fifth, the World Heritage Castle District draws you like a magnet to the Buda side of the Danube from which...
In the very heart of the Mediterranean Sea ̶ south of Sicily, north of Libya, and east of Tunisia ̶ lie the islands of Malta. They make up a small archipelago with a 7,000-year-old history and the stunning physical evidence to prove...
“The best thing about Milan is that it is on the way to Turin,” said one Torino to me. We were driving alongside the magnificent Alps that are a backdrop to Turin. This sophisticated, bustling city lies between better-known Milan and Bologna. I like its scale. It has...
If you’re longing for a European vacation, but it’s not in the immediate future, why not get that taste of Europe by visiting the northeast mountains of Georgia where the tiny hamlet of Alpine Helen will quell your appetite for international travel—at least for the...
When you think of Louisville, Kentucky, you probably think horses and bourbon, but the city has a great deal to offer the traveler at any time of year – not just during the Kentucky Derby. You might be surprised to learn that it’s a large metropolitan city with a long...
“It’s so close to London. Come visit!” insisted my great-niece. “You can get around on foot or by bike on the cobblestones.” That sounded dandy, so off we went to Cambridge, England, a college town my niece assured us was full of history and charm. She had that right!...
The success of two films - Boy on a Dolphin (1957) with Sophia Loren, Alan Ladd, and Clifton Webb, and Phaedra (1962) with Melina Mercouri and Anthony Perkins - catapulted Hydra from a sleepy, quiet Greek island with a notable 19th century naval history to the...
Most Saharan Berbers are still living the same way they did 10 centuries ago in the Western Sahara and the Atlas Mountains. They are both a tourist attraction and an international lesson on “how to live in harmony with the land and the neighbors Allah gave you.” The...
The day I had to leave Rapa Nui, I teared up. I so wanted more time there. While the island is part of the country of Chile, it’s actually in Polynesia and is similar to Hawaii in that it’s tropical, very green, and filled with volcanos. Read also about the resort...
I visited Iguassu Falls in the late 1990s, and I have wanted to go back ever since. I finally got my chance. As someone who has traveled the world and seen many awe-inspiring places, I have to say that Iguassu is still one of the most spectacular of them all....
It was a dizzying way to start our trip – especially after a late night landing in Quito and only four hours of sleep. But here we were standing on a mountain more than two miles high. We were on a slope of the Pinchincha Volcano, part of the Yanacocha Reserve in the...
I did the "trifecta" in Ecuador, visiting the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon, and the Andes. It was my second time in the Andes region (the first time was about 13 years before), and it didn’t disappoint. As you can see, the bird life in particular is special in the...
Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) is considered one of the world’s premier beach destinations, prized for its exquisite sandy beaches, new hotels, all-inclusive resorts, and luxury rental villas. But its history was far less glamorous. The first European visitor there...
In only a few days, I covered a lot of terrain in Jordan. I was able to see several historical sites. Petra isn’t all there is to see by a long shot! It’s a stunning country with friendly people who are deeply saddened by the turmoil happening in the countries that...
January may be an odd time to visit Beijing because it’s very cold and dry, but the plus side is that the crowds are seriously reduced from the warmer months, when I’m told you can barely walk at the most popular sites. Since crowds are not my thing, I was happy to...
The town of Voss is within striking distance of Norway's most prominent fjords, the Hardangerfjord and the Sognefjord. Traveling from Bergen by train to Voss takes about an hour and takes in some distinct local scenery. I chose wintertime with fewer crowds and...
If you’ve never been to Asia, Singapore is a great introduction to the continent. I think of it as “Asia Lite.” Yes, you’re in Asia, but English is universally spoken and written on signs. Some Asian cities have given me a bad case of culture shock, so there’s a lot...
A couple of my friends have told me they wouldn’t want to visit Japan because of how the country came across in the 2003 Bill Murray film “Lost In Translation.” Well, I had the opportunity to go to Japan, and I can say from first-hand experience that the film did...
After flying into Manchester and spending a few days in Shrewsbury near the English/Welsh border, my driver collected me to begin my journey to the land of my father’s forebears in North Wales. My driver could speak fluent Welsh and knew the region intimately....
There’s no denying that the once-great secret of Southern European travel is now completely out in the open. Croatia, with its tumbling waterfalls in Plitvice National Park and the fairytale islands of Hvar and Mljet, has emerged from obscurity and onto many "must...
If you are a lover of art or history, then Arles in South France is definitely a place that should be visited. We recently did, as part of our latest Viking River cruise aboard the Heimdal River Cruise, and Arles was one of the significant Southern French cities we...
The visit to Cape Horn, although physically demanding, was doable and exhilarating, and The Drake (waterway that leads to Antarctica) was unusually gentle with us, which gave us false hope that it would be smooth sailing ahead. Never underestimate the gods of wind and...
When I told friends I was planning to tour Alabama, some of them said, “Really? Why?” The belief that the state has little to offer the traveler could not be further from the truth. I found out what the song, “Sweet Home Alabama,” really means. Besides music history...
During my almost 2-week trip to Japan in the spring, I visited Ashikaga Flower Park, a botanic garden that is filled with color. Even though I loved every day I was in the country, my day at Ashikaga was my favorite. I chose my dates of travel specifically to get to...
Nara, Japan is one of the most popular day trips from Kyoto. Should you bother? In my opinion, yes! Nara is mostly famous for two things – wild deer and a large Buddha. The deer are both fun and an annoyance. They’re everywhere, and they expect you to feed them....
The Ornithological Park of Pont de Gau in the Camargue region of southern France is a bird paradise in the spring. I had always wanted to visit it, and I finally got my chance. It did not disappoint. The main draw are flocks of flamingos, but there are other large...
“Who’s your favorite blues singer?” Abe Hudson, the owner of Real Delta Tours, LLC, asked me when he picked me up from the Clarksdale, Mississippi Greyhound station. I paused, but it didn’t take me more than a couple of seconds to definitively say, “Bessie...
Berlin is a city with a rich history, some of it truly horrific, of course, but it’s also a city of modernity, culture, and energy. It has more than 175 museums, seven symphony orchestras, and three opera houses, besides a vibrant nightlife. My personal favorite...
From Glasgow we headed west, first by train to Gourock, then by ferry to Dunoon the main town on the Cowal peninsula in the Argyll region. Walking along the shore in search of the Selborne Hotel, where we would stay for the night, we sighted the Victorian pier, a...
We’re on the road again. This time I’m in Athens, our Managing Editor’s city of origin, and my Greek is limited to “kalimera” (Good Morning) which for the first few days I mistakenly pronounce “kalamari” (Squid) – hence the hotel receptionist’s confusion at calling...
Geneva is a major European cosmopolitan city and is the second largest city in Switzerland located on the shores of the eponymous lake. It is the base for some of the world's largest international organizations, such as the World Health Organization, the World Trade...
Well yes... we knew it was one of the coldest places on earth, and of course, there was going to be lots and lots of water that could, without a “by your leave,” turn into ice; but I wasn’t prepared for the wind! When I say wind I don’t mean the regular kind that...
Ushuaia is just a dot on the map at the bottom of Argentina. It is the town from which we were to board our Antarctic Cruise ship Ultramarine, the latest state–of-the-art expedition ship in Quark Expeditions luxurious ship line-up. Photo by Barbara and Manos...
Australia is positively teeming with birds. If you go there only to see the opera house, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Bondi Beach, and a didgeridoo, you’re missing out. Whatever part of the country you visit, check out the parks, botanic gardens, and nature reserves....
In Egypt, the ancient meets the modern more intensely than anywhere I’ve been on the planet. Besides the temples and hieroglyphs, you’ll see cars parked next to carriages drawn by horses or donkeys. You’ll see women in jeans walking next to women in full burkas with...
Whether you call it Lucerne in French or Luzerne in German, it is a very old Swiss city with many of the buildings still in use dating back to the 14th or 15th century. These buildings and the iconic Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge), which was built in 1333 and links the...
Chefchaouen, Morocco is one of the most picturesque hill towns in a country overflowing with picturesque cities and villages! We stopped to take photographs of the sparkling blue city from a distance, but the impact doesn't truly hit until you enter the city gates and...
Switzerland is a small county tucked in between France to the West, Germany to the North, Italy in the South, and Austria to the East. Based on its geographical position adjacent to these other countries there are three official languages - plus English, that is...
Off the beaten track in the Veneto Region of Italy is the "something for everyone" picturesque medieval town of Treviso. This ancient walled city is replete with meandering canals, waterwheels, bridges and winding streets filled with picturesque photo ops at...
Located in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, with coasts fronting both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, lies the second largest autonomous region in Spain: Andalucía. It is best known for gifting to the world Flamenco, Bullfighting, and its own...
Having been warned of the heat, the dirt, the poverty, the "strange" practices by western standards, and most of all, the crushing crowds, India had not been high on my list of luxury destinations to visit. But if you have been put off by these negative impressions...
Koh Samui, Thailand is an island off the east coast of the long, narrow peninsula the country shares with Malaysia and Myanmar. Nestled in the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand, Samui is a beautiful example of Thailand’s tropical allure and has much to offer the...
Quebec City’s annual Winter Carnival is what they mean when they use the phrase “winter wonderland.” I experienced it this January, and while the temperatures were frigid, the hospitality was anything but. I attended the Carnival’s opening night ceremony, which...
While visiting Zimbabwe, we were lucky enough to be invited to spend one night at Somalisa Camp, located in the heart of the Hwange National Park that hosts more than 100 types of mammals and more than 400 bird species. Somalisa is called a bush camp, but it was much...
If you want to get from east to west on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, you have to drive all the way around the island. There’s one single road that circles this deep green island because much of the terrain consists of mountains and canyons. So there are large...
Few things are worth rising at 4:00 a.m. to see. Perhaps a full lunar eclipse or Halley’s Comet, but a hot air balloon ride over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia also definitely qualifies! Cappadocia is a region at the center of Asia Minor known as Turkish Anatolia...