Here wo go again. Ray Charles sang it in 1979 already. Now it is our turn to sing it. And Linda and I have reasons to sing. After three years of self imposed quarantine we hit the road again. With our little Volkswagen Polo well leave The Netherlands, cross Germany, cross Czech Republic, cross Slovakia, slowly traveling from spot to spot. Near the border with the Ukraine we will turn and travel ba Read on...
When Italian immigrants moved to this Manhattan neighborhood in the late 1800s, they brought their customs, food and language.
Italy continued to suffer from droughts that destroyed the Southern farmlands and encouraged cholera, malaria, and parasites. With the Italian economy struggling Italian young men moved to America in an attempt to make and send money back to their families still living in Read on...
Our spot along the Arkansas River was wonderful but I was looking forward to the excitement of Taos and cooler temperatures. The ride was beautiful with mountains and high valleys and quaint towns. The last settlement in CO was Conejus and boasted the oldest church in Colorado. Well I just had to turn around and investigate this claim. Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church was built in 1929 and be Read on...
The fortunes of a seaside resort can be fickle. We know this, growing up in the North East Premier Seaside Resort. The visions of upmarket Victorian society can be lost in the mists of time. A lot changed in the period between 1870 and 1970. Two World Wars. A beach, no longer flat enough to race motorbikes or attempt land speed records. Cheap holidays to Spain and beyond. In recent years, the not Read on...
From National Geographic: MOST OF US have a rough map of the world in our minds that we use any time we think about places. But these mental maps arent necessarily reliable. In fact, many of the maps in our heads share the same errors, some of which are quite large—and surprisingly resistant to correction. Maps distort four basic characteristics: size (area), distance, direction and shape.For in Read on...
Kunming was my first stop on a tour of Yunnan Province. I chose to go with a tour group to ensure that I was with foreigners and an English speaking tour guide. To be honest I was reluctant to book this trip. I am not sure why. I was also considering simply booking a flight to Sanya and having a beach holiday. I ended up in Yunnan and with hindsight it was a very good decision to avoid Sanya as an Read on...
We had a leisurely start then out to Gossip for breakfast before wandering up up to see St. Florians Gate - built around the 14th century as a rectangular Gothic tower in the city walls this is part of the citys fortifications against Tatar attack - and the Krakw Barbican - a fortified outpost once connected to the city walls.
Wandered back down to the Main Market Square with Saint Marys Basilica Read on...
Im far from the only person to have travel plans wrecked in 2020. This year I finally got long service leave after 10 years in my job and I had plans for 4 different trips away. The first 2 were scuttled almost immediately once the pandemic hit and #4 is still in doubt. But the third trip was 5 weeks in the South Australian outback, and I was determined to make it happen. In July, South Australia Read on...
Heute frhstckte ich gut. Ich nahm Kaffee, eine Art Zitronenlimonade, Kse, Oliven, Peperoni, eine Art trkischen Nougat (das war das leckerste) und Baguette. Es htte noch weitere Dinge, wie Gemse oder was warmes gegeben, aber mir war nicht danach.
Also das berhmte hat ja im Moment zu. Es befindet sich im gleichen Gebude, wie das Parlament und dieses ist ja aufgelst. Daher ist auch dieses historisc Read on...
Nestled just past the Pilis mountains, a stones throw away from the capital lies the highest peak of the Visegrd mountains: Dobogkő - Birthplace of the Hungarian Tourist Association. From the 1800s the area was considered by the pioneers of Hungarian tourism to be so beautiful that not just the first hiking tracks in Hungary were laid out here, but also the first retreats were built here.
We sto Read on...