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Snapshot Sunday: Dubrovnik and the Dalmation Coast
The medieval walled city of Dubrovnik. One of the great old fortifications of it’s day, Dubrovnik has an old world charm that is best experienced walking along the tops of the massive stone walls that protect the smoldering orange tiled roofs and houses within it’s fortress. War in the late 1990’s destroyed this beautiful roof scape so the city along with the help of UNESCO worked tirelessly to restore this view back to it’s original glory. The town is so well preserved it’s as if you are strolling through a movie set.
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Snapshot Sunday: Italian Love Affair
Italy has done it again. I’ve been here several times throughout the past few years and each time I return I fall harder than the last. Charismatic locals, stunning architecture and out of this world cuisine, not to mention the country just oozes romance. It’s that killer combination making it tougher to walk away with every visit.
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Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary & My Week in the Forest
I lay still in the darkness, my eyes sleepy, my ears still awake listening to the unfamiliar sounds of the forest around me. Chirping, creaking and the rustling of leaves around the stilts of the hut. Occasionally the echoed sound of a lizard, “ggggecko” reverberated in my ear, the noise so close it could have been resting on my shoulder. The humming of the generator stopped and all had gone black so I knew it was after 10pm. In the corner of my little hut, enveloped by a pink mosquito net that encircled my bed, the night so quiet and black that it was almost too peaceful to sleep. Unable…
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Storybook Sintra, a Palace in Portugal
The palace that was a creation of King Ferdinand II is like a fairytale upon a hill which is fitting because Sinta, the small town below, is like that out of a storybook. I decided to walk up through the park but the climb was much steeper than I had anticipated. Note: wearing a dress and sandals may not be appropriate attire for hiking about in the forest. My strenuous work in improper clothing paid off however, because as I ascended, this bright, fanciful building popped through the tree line. I was alone in the wilderness and it was as if I had just stepped into a fable and uncovered…
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The Perfect Paella: A Spanish Cooking Class in Barcelona
The smell of freshly chopped herbs on the cutting board, warm steam billowing from something simmering on the stove top. Like a choreographed dance the hosts move around the kitchen, hands stretching for ingredients, stepping from one task to another while the others mill around the room with wine glasses in hand, chatting, with the sound of music whispering in the background. It’s scenes like this that seem to always make for a perfect evening, an authentic Spanish cooking class. Finding A Spanish Cooking Class It’s one of the things I miss most since being nomadic. You can’t entertain and prepare a phenomenal meal when you don’t have a kitchen,…
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Snapshot Sunday: Myanmar Ordinary Class
The breeze slowly moves from one window of the train through to the other. The pleather seat sticks to the backs of my legs as I shift on the bench, moving from side to side as the train bobs me up and down. Peering out of the window I watch as the little boys in our car stick their heads out the window, pointing to this and that with excitement in their eyes. The rickety tracks take us on a slow, scenic journey through the countryside giving me a glimpse of rural life as we spend hours on hours bouncing along to our destination. We booked our seats in the…
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Barcelona: La Diada de Sant Jordi
And here I thought the streets of Barcelona couldn’t get any prettier… then April 23rd comes along. Sant Jordi, or the Day of Saint George is a holiday much like Valentine’s Day in the US. The story is that St. George slayed the dragon to save a princess and after killing the beast he handed the maiden a single rose. The men of Barcelona stop at stalls located all over the city purchasing stems for significant others, family and friends which tallies up to about 6 million roses sold in one day. Women return the favor by giving their sweethearts a book. So, what’s the connection with literature? April 23rd…
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A Day in Mandalay
When touring Myanmar there are the four major cities that most tourists visit; Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake and Mandalay. While I was there a lot of other travelers were skipping Mandalay because, unless you fly, transportation between the four cities can take precious time out of your itinerary so seeing the old royal capital wasn’t worth the trip. Big mistake. Mandalay has a completely different feel from the others and there is plenty to see and do to make it worth the trouble of the LONG bus ride or train. Here are some of my favorite Mandalay moments. Climb a hill Where the city gets it name, the near 800…
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Snapshot Sunday: This Little Piggy Went to Market
We were driving back from the salt fields and pepper farms around Kampot, Cambodia when I saw this big bellied pig tied up to a dilapidated house and the two went so well together I asked our driver to stop so I could run back down the road and snap a pic of the pair.
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Best of Bali: 8 Things to Love About Indonesian Island Life
Back to Bali. I returned to Indonesia for the second time to visit a friend and get back to spending winter in my favorite place: Southeast Asia. I wanted to return and dig into the culture and the country to find out a little bit more after only scratching the surface the year before. It is easy to see why I had returned and I quickly remember what drew me here in the first place. Here is a list of the best of Bali, and some of the many reasons you’ll continue to travel back to Indonesia year after year. Intriguing Religion Bali is an island of spirituality and its…