Blogs

by Shanon Farley

It is a Friday morning in my little mountain coffee town of Atenas, Costa Rica. The traditional Friday farmers’ market, called a “feria” in Spanish, is abuzz with shoppers and vendors.

Mounds of mangoes, melons, watermelon, pineapples and a myriad of other fruits juicily beckon buyers. Crisp lettuces, spinach, cilantro and other greens glisten with water droplets. Fat potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, yucca and carrots stack in pyramids. The flower man is doing brisk business c

In antiquity, the city of Cavtat was known as Epidaurus. A Greek colony was established there. Cavtat’s soil and surrounding seabed are brimming with artifacts from those times: coins, funeral stelae, baseboard fragments, mosaics, amphorae, and so on. Having been destroyed by barbarians, it was reconstructed in the 15th century in the beautifulDubrovnik style, with the same clear stone from Brai and with remarkable homogeneity.  Also to be found are several Roman remains, defensive walls dating

As I wandered the streets of the French Quarter on my recent visit I was so thankful that it had survived. What a tragedy it would have been to lose all of this – this history, this architecture, this joie de vivre that is New Orleans. It is not nicknamed The Big Easy for nothing!

Window dressing

I had been to New Orleans twice before – both times pre-Katrina. It had been too long. It seemed as if nothing has changed in the nine years since Katrina, although I’m sure it has in ways that go far b

Grand houses always also tell grand stories. In this case, it is a story of physical pain and a way to overcome it: The 2nd Earl of Dunraven, a man full of energy and used to spending a lot of time enjoying the chase of the hunt, was laid low with severe gout. Adare Manor had been built in the early years of the 19th century, but when the earl was diagnosed an illness that kept him housebound and in pain (not even aspirin was invented at that time!), his clever wife, Lady Caroline, suggested th

As we were driving to the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding (sic) north of the city of Chengdu, I noticed that the traffic lights had four lights rather than the usual three red, yellow and green ones. The fourth light was a bicycle light. Not that we saw many bicycles; in Chengdu, they clearly have been replaced by electric mopeds and scooters.

I asked Ben, our guide, what he'd had for breakfast: baozi (large dumplings) and soybean milk, he replied. Whenever he speaks, he reminds

Historic preservation and a huge selection of locally run eateries are two features that immediately stand out when walking Concord New Hampshire's Main Street. A State Capitol city of 42,000, the statehouse building is an integral part of Concord's pedestrian fabric prominently sharing the street front with highly ornate architecture, much of it constructed of brick or massive blocks of the State's signature gray granite. As much as Concord is steeped in history (2015 marks its 250th anniversar

Karfas Beach

The beach is sandy and ideal for young children, being shallow in many parts.It is about  7 km outside the town of Chios. The most famous beach of the island and possibly the most well-organized beach for tourists.

Lagada

The village lies in a gorge, hence the name Lagada, highlighting its natural position. At the edge of the port of  Lagada , there’s a pebble beach called Fanaraki, most visited during the summer.

Agios Isidoros

Crystal waters inviting you to dive, quiet and beautiful

Emphasizing the power of Mother Nature with images of fiery lava and explosive ash plumes, volcanoes have lit up the world news lately.

Mt. Pavlof volcano in Alaska has been intensely erupting since Nov. 12, spewing ash clouds up to 30,000 feet above sea level. The lava flow from Kilauea Volcano advances slowly across the Big Island of Hawaii, continuing its 31 years of near-continuous eruptions.

Costa Rica’s volcanoes also are in the news. The sudden eruption of Turrialba Volcano on Oct. 29 was

“Come quickly! I’m tasting stars!” Dom Pierre Perignon, when he first tasted his newly created Champagne.

(Champagne)”…it gives you the impression that every day is Sunday.” Marlena Dietrich

The word “Champagne” has long conjured up images of luxury and pleasure as attested by these two quotes. Even the color of champagne is associated with richness and luxury. Can other countries produce a sparkling wine that will delight us as much as Champagne? Seven of us met at Dorland Mountain Arts Colony

Manaus is the capital of the state of Amazonas and is situated near the confluence of the Rio Negro with the Amazon, the widest rivers in the world. It is the economic and cultural center of the North Region of Brazil.

Praia do Tupé (Tupé beach) is located close to the city, some 35 km away. It varies between 20 and 80 meters in width according to the water levels of the Negro river, which depend on seasonal rainfall.

The beach can be accessed from Manaus by boat and in barely an hour you will b

Fantasy Fest 2014 was my 12th adventure in Key West, Florida for what has been described as a 10-day Halloween celebration of epic proportions and one that can be described as “Mardi Gras on Steroids”—without the New Orleans side-effects.

New Fantasy Fest video here; youtu.be/qD-m21ILIPE

On this trip I met up with many of long-time Fantasy Fest friends at many of my long-time favorite Key West venues like Capt. Tony’s Saloon—which also served as the Krewe de Krazy Life’s Group meeting place ev

by Marita Acosta

Just this week came word that the Corleones' mansion in New York City is up for sale. Well, you know...the place where it was filmed...to the tune of $2.89 million. More details on the house below, which has entered pop-culture immortality as a key part of the Big Apple stomping grounds of the notorious fictional Mafia family, becoming a classic travel circuit for millions across the world.  And not only are the wiseguys of this powerful movie trilogy based on Mario Puzo’s nov

David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio and British rock band Coldplay are just some of the big names from the world of celebrity who have come on board to save rhinos. Not on the regular "A" list there are also several rising horn stars hoping to change the game plan on poaching: rhinos in the wild facing the very real threat of extinction by 2026. While each one is more than deserving of media attention it's important to remember that all travellers can make a difference, every visit to Africa's nati

Medieval, cobblestone streets, and magnificent abbeys and century-old chateaus abound the “Most Beautiful Villages of France” in Burgundy. So much to discover, and so little time.

Châteauneuf / Côte d'Or

Chateauneuf-en-Auxois

Chateauneuf-en-Auxois is a pretty hilltop village watching over flat open country and the Burgundy Canal. Châteauneuf is best known for its 12th-century chateau, which once played an important defensive role for the road leading to Autun. The medieval streets reveal many fi

I had to pick my time carefully to visit the city of Bath. I wanted to go before the bulk of the tourists came, but after the rush of Christmas crowds around the many shops. But, that’s the way it’s always been, for visitors have been coming to Bath since before the Romans came, over 2,000 years ago.

Bath is the only place in Britain with natural hot springs. They aren’t of volcanic origin; they are heated by water passing over the limestone of the nearby Mendip Hills. Ask any American soldier …

Wherever a trip may take you, it’s always interesting to get to know the history and culture of the natives. Museums are one of the ways to do this of course, so when I found myself in Paros island, I made sure to visit its  Archaeological museum in the city of Parikia.

My first impression of the museum was a beautifully landscaped exterior, decorated with a few carefully chosen exhibits that intrigued me enough to want to see more! It was there I first saw the mosaic from the 3rd-century BC of

We had not been on a train in years, so when invited to experience a weekend getaway on the rails that was “drive free,” we jumped at the opportunity. The adventure entailed making our way to the Diridon Train Station in San Jose, California, and boarding the southbound Amtrak Coast Starlight train bound for Santa Barbara. Here’s how it all went:

Checking baggage

Coast Starlight passengers are allowed to check two bags each, with similar baggage restrictions to those of the airlines. However, our

One of the top places to go in Costa Rica, in the Central Valley, is the spectacular Else Kientzler Botanical Garden in Sarchi, Costa Rica.

The flourishing Costa Rica botanical garden showcases more than 2,000 species of exotic tropical plants from around the globe in its 11 gardens on seven hectares (17.3 acres). The popular Costa Rica tourist attraction is located in Costa Rica’s Central Valley in the artisan town of Sarchi, just north of the main town center.

Visitors can stroll two kilomet

The olive fields, lemon trees, and vegetables splashed across the Greek landscape bear testimony to a rich, varied and dynamic cuisine connected to the environment. The Greek lifestyle is reflected in its cuisine – full of flavor and nothing pretentious. The fresh products which end up on Greek stoves demonstrate the care and passion that they put into their selection of  raw ingredients. Greek cuisine is based on the Mediterranean diet, although it has both eastern and western influences.

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