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Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world, having been continuously inhabited for at least 7,000 years. I most enjoy the fall season in Greece, as the city is perhaps less crowded and one sees the true, hospitable and open, Athenian. It would be on a seasonably warm mid-October night that I would arrive in Athens historic center, at the comfortable Herodion Hotel, my digs for a four day sojourn in the city of my infancy and many summer visits. Upon arrival, I’m greeted at the front desk by

Jennifer and Craig Ruckert, a very attractive 30-something couple, were sitting in front of a terrific fire, enjoying some great cheeses and local wines, a regular pre-dinner ritual  at the Tidewater Inn, in the laid back, classy Connecticut shore town of Madison.

Except Jennifer wasn't drinking wine. She was nursing a sparkling-something drink because she's pregnant with the couple's first child.

"This is a special weekend for us," she said. "This is the weekend we pick a name for our baby, a

by Javier Pedreira


That air travel is the safest form of transportation going is not mere happenstance but rather due to rigourous maintenance of equipment and exhaustive training of personnel.

Although in 2010 Iberia added a major maintenance hangar at Barcelona airport, since the 1970s the primary maintenance facilities have been headquartered adjacent to Barajas Airport in a suburban Madrid industrial zone called La Muñoza. This 220,000-square metre (54-acre) is where aircraft engines con

Article by Shannon Farley

You can’t visit Guanacaste, Costa Rica without listening at least once to the distinct resonant sounds of a traditional marimba.

Considered a symbol of culture and tradition, especially in the province of Guanacaste, the marimba was declared the national musical instrument of Costa Rica by President José María Figueres in 1996.

At award-winning eco-hotel Hacienda Guachipelin in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, you can listen to colorful marimba music every night. The living legend

At a Temecula, California media event for International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (FWTWA), we had an opportunity to learn about Cultivating Good, which encompasses E.A.T. (Extraordinary Artisan Table) Marketplace, Harvest 2U, and EAT@Home.  The architects of Cultivating Good, Don Webber and Leah Di Bernardo, have a noble mission:  to support the local food economy by providing fresh, healthy food to the community.  As an advocate for the area’s farmers, ranchers, and food artisans,

Lagomandra

Lagomandra has become quite well-known to tourists during the last few years, so there’s no problem of accommodation, food or enjoying a good cup of coffee. One visit is enough to make you a fan of the area!

Toroni

The beach of Toroni is excellent, while having a lot of options to offer during your stay!

Sikia

It’s a picturesque village at Sithonia peninsula, captivating visitors with its beautiful lush beaches. The largest beach of the area is named after St. John.

Vourvourou

A beautiful

This was our first visit to the Captain Jefferds Inn and the famous Maine coastal community that is home to the Bush family retreat on Walker Point.

Long before news of presidential visits put quaint little Kennebunkport on the global tourist map, it was a favorite vacation spot for local New Englanders.

Pounding ocean waves, with seagulls gliding over sand and rocky shores all entreat the visitor to savor the sights and sounds of Kennebunkport, and we were glad to be there.

It was raining

We ran

In honor of el día de San Valentín (Valentine’s Day), of course! But as you might imagine, in a country crammed with crenelated castles, Arabian Nights palaces, and dreamy beaches, it’s a tall order indeed to zero in on the “most” romantic. It’s true, too, that one way to enhance the romance of almost any destination in the country is to opt for one of the paradores (inns), usually sited in some of the most gorgeous spots and historic buildings imaginable. But as I have traveled the length and

Lush nature, golden beaches, tropical fauna, emerald mountains, tradition, culture and an enviable climate. That is how to sum up what to expect in Riviera Nayarit, the 307 kilometers of Mexican coastline which have become one of the world’s new paradises for vacations. Cradled by the Pacific Ocean and the stunning Sierra Madre Occidental, the Riviera Nayarit is a dazzling gem. From the very first moment, you will be amazed by its intense blue skies, its vegetation, the spectacular whale sightin

The Big Apple is famously the world’s biggest melting pot, both of people and cuisines. But there’s one that reaches its pinnacle in New York City, a kind of cookery that you should make a point of sampling, whether you visit on holiday or business: Ashkenazi, a.k.a. European Jewish cuisine. Full disclosure: I have no yiddishe mama, but my years as a New Yorker were still filled with knishes, bialys, bagels with a “schmear” (of cream cheese) or lox, pastrami on rye bread, matzo ball soup, and so

Costa Rica has a lot to share and you, a lot to discover from this small country, including a fairly interesting, if relatively history, though much little known outside the country. This is the case of how mules, oxcarts, and trains, which through time helped to create an important route for the future development and growth of the country, all happening in Atenas, Costa Rica.

Let´s go back in time to give you a little taste of the situation in Costa Rica in colonial times.

In the year 1640, t

In 2014, Spain's capital marked another cultural high point when the National Archaeological Museum reopened after a six-year, €65-million renovation. It’s still housed in the same handsome 19th-century neoclassical building on Calle Serrano in downtown Madrid, and still displays a wealth of world treasures including some unique to Spain such as a replica of the spectacular Altamira Caves prehistoric art and the iconic Celto-Iberian bust known as theLady of Elche (top). What’s different is a

South American cuisine–especially Peruvian and Brazilian–has been gaining quite a bit of worldwide attention in recent years. But even lesser-known cuisines of Latin America have been upping their games in a major way, as visitors will discover, for example, in capitalSantiago de Chile. Here, a mix of influences–rich indigenous cultures, the bounty of game meats and the Pacific Ocean, Spanish colonisation and immigration from elsewhere in Europe such as Germany and Italy–produces a singular cui

The birth of a new "exClone" unveils another world of potential for tech in travel. Phil Voyager, a project I've been working with these past months, it's artificial intelligence conceived of for cloning travel expertise. 

A Primer On Semantic Technologies

Years ago I was introduced to technologies that would eventually alter the very communicative fabric of humankind. About a decade ago, technology writers like me were sent countless press releases about the most fabulous, and the most ridiculous

It was a rainy autumn day in Tokyo, as my companions and I shuffled out of the Toei Chikatetsu metro line at Asakusa Station. Emerging onto the street level, we quickly opened and raised our large, red paper umbrellas, on loan from our escorts, and made our way down a few alleys to the Ohshimaya Onda Chochin Lantern Shop.

Here, we were greeted with bows by Mr. Shunji Onda himself, a fifth generation master of the Japanese paper lantern.

Mr. Onda’s business was founded 160 years ago by his great-

                                    Gunbarrel Highway in the Gibson Desert in Australia’s Northern Territory (photo: AustralianGeographic.com.au)

When you plan on a holiday in Australia, chances are you won’t want to rent a car, but you will want to rent a 4WD utility vehicle, from Budget Trucks.  Even if you aren’t seeking out rugged terrain during your holiday travels, chances are you are going to come across roads that require a 4WD vehicle.  Then, there are those of you who will regularly se

Shopping in Costa Rica, whether for Christmas gifts or birthdays, etc. is a creative affair in Playa Guiones, near Nosara.

The eclectic Guanacaste beach community is home to more than 35 talented international and national artists who sell handmade art and products. The Nosara Artisans group always holds an annual Holiday Art Fair in Playa Guiones in December.

Artists make everything by hand, such as handmade bikinis and beachwear, unique pottery, glass art, fabric art, jewelry, painting, photog

A few years ago, I was coming back from overseas into the US and was waiting in line for my turn to go through passport control at the airport.  While hundreds of us were standing around waiting, we could see a few travelers head to a row of ATM-looking machines on the side of the entry hall and quickly head out to the baggage claims area. Given the long lines one can frequently find nowadays at airport security checkpoints and at customs passport control areas, any way to beat the lines is wort

 ‘Our ceilings are a fetching shade of old gold as a result of the millions of cigarettes which have been smoked on the premises since they were last painted white, and there is something homely and almost comforting about the smell of stale smoke …’

George East A Year Behind Bars.

I’m probably the worst kind of non-smoker … the ‘crusading ex-smoker’. That’s the kind of guy who, having successfully forsworn the Evil Weed, tries to persuade those around him to do the same. So, I’m probably the las

Whether you had a good year last year or not, it’s important to kick off any new year’s resolutions for 2015 on a positive note. A great challenge to set yourself for 2015 would be to travel and explore more, with the offerings that the USA have on hand there will be no shortages of adventures to experience!

1. The American Prairie Reserve

• Known as "America’s Serengeti," this reserve in northeastern Montana is a must for all adventure seekers. 

• The reserve is buying back private land as