Visit Montenegro: Small Country with a Rich History on the Adriatic

I was glued to the passenger window as we drove along the rugged coastline, past villages of white-washed buildings and red-tiled roofs, close to towering hills dotted with scrub brush and stately cypress. We took a cheery red and white ferry across the bay, admiring the vacation homes tucked along the shore, imagining children playing in the walled back yards, their parents lounging in the sun.

Morning Boat Ride Around the Croatian Islands

We found a portly elderly couple, the man strong and silent, his wild-haired wife bossing him around and ordering him to take us to the island. We probably paid too much – about $25 for a one hour ride – but they were so cute and hilarious we couldn’t say no.

3 Reasons to Fight the Urge to Avoid Las Vegas

When I ask people why they don’t like Las Vegas, the answer is usually some variation on the many stereotypes that rise from the commercialization and publicity of Sin City. People who haven’t visited Las Vegas for themselves seem to assume that the streets are paved with slot machines, beer comes out of the water faucets, beautiful 20-somethings rule the city and that money is torn up and thrown into the wind.

Visiting Queensland, Australia’s Warwick Pig and Calf Sale

First thing in the morning the place is humming, folks wandering about the bird cages and animal pens to see if they really want that strapping calf or feisty goose. My friends were in the market for chickens that day and informed me that once they made their choices, yours truly would be doing the bidding! Yipes! I’ve never been to an auction in my life and was highly intimidated by these hat-wearing Aussies nodding their heads and raising fingers as the auctioneers rattled away at a dizzying pace.

Literary travel through reading and the imagination

Let me take you on a journey. We’ll stop in five countries on three different continents. We will sample the most evocative, sensuous and fabulous food and drink on offer. But wait, put your passport down, don’t stress about packing. The only thing you need for this adventure is a good imagination.

Rebellion Against My Paris Guidebook

Back at the hotel, I fish out my copy of Time Out Paris, which is luckily still in the bin (I paid 8 dollars for it!) and turn to section on The Marais. Of course, the Place des Vosges, the Bains du Marais, and the Hotel de la Ville are all listed inside, but the descriptions seem flat and empty. I’m ready to throw it back in the bin when I remember that all guidebooks are flat…that’s why we go to the places and don’t just buy the guidebooks! I suppose I’ll keep this one for a little longer after all in the hopes that there are other gems waiting to be discovered.

Place de la Concorde and a Chic Breakdown in Paris

As I was ambling through the Tuileries Gardens one vaguely hot summer afternoon last August (crumb-filled patisserie bag in hand), I was more than delighted to come across this “breakdown” scene smack-dab on the Place de la Concorde. Of course not so delighted for the poor men who were stuck in the sun with their now-defunct car, but delighted that I was having one of those fabulous travel moments that allows us to escape reality for even a split second…and dream.