……commentary from the road
I’m 64, retired, and an experienced rider who has plenty of time to think up those Bucket List rides. So, what could be bigger than a Florida-to-Alaska excursion, solo, with the time and money needed to do anything I want? My final numbers were 66 days, 9,720 miles for $10, 629. I departed on July 3 and pulled back into my garage in Florida on September 6. Ride of a... Continue Reading →
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania From Finland, it was a short ferry across the Baltic Sea to Tallinn, Estonia. I’d never been to this part of the world, famous for its medieval and more recently Soviet Bloc history, and described by travel guides as Europe's best-kept secret. We spent a month backpacking around the three nations with eyes wide open. It was early May, Spring had arrived, and we seemed to have the place all to ourselves.... Continue Reading →
With Santa One Scandinavian attraction that caught my interest was Rovaniemi, Finland. It was sold as the real “North Pole” where Santa Claus did his magic. Located on the Arctic Circle in the far north of Finland, I’m thinking why not, and that there had to be more to this country than the letdown of... Continue Reading →
(Photo above: First home in Williston) As a kid, Burlington was home and my favorite place on earth. I attended Rice High School and graduated from the University of Vermont. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long after school I realized my interests lay far from the Green Mountain State, so I left. My folks had also become... Continue Reading →
Arbeit Macht Fei ......Work Sets You Free... A beautiful Spring day in the saddest place on earth ...Konzentrationslager Auschwitz...note the reversed "B" in "Arbeit"... What started as a prison to relieve overcrowding of Pols... evolves into a Nazi Concentration Camp.... Death Gate... and became the largest of the extermination centers where the "Endlösung der Judenfrage" was carried... Continue Reading →
(Photo Above; Church of St. John the Theologian, Ohrid.....) While I’d advise travelers to pass on the capital Skopje, you shouldn't miss gorgeous Lake Ohrid on North Macedonia’s western border with Albania. Advertised as one of Europe's oldest and deepest lakes, its pristine water comes from the surrounding snowcapped Albanian Alps, and vistas on a clear... Continue Reading →
(Photo above; Peles Castle, Transylvania).... Transylvania’s natural beauty, combined with 800 years of Saxon influence, makes this region of the Balkans one of the best places we’ve visited. Dracula’s castle turned out to be a legitimate destination, and the city of Brasov was comfortable. Great food, reasonable prices, and a friendly atmosphere characterized the region.... Continue Reading →
(Photo above; Santa Maria del Fiore)... Having overindulged in South America, Katia and I pointed our travels towards Europe this winter/spring, and what more prominent European location than the Italian province of Tuscany. Florence, with its Renaissance charm, is spectacular, however, there’s just no getting around the tourist hordes even in February. Don't be misled... Continue Reading →
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the June 6, 1944 D-Day landing of the Allied Forces in Normandy. It’s remembered as the beginning of the end of the German occupation in Western Europe but also as one of the single worst days for American military losses, with more than 2,500 soldiers killed. I... Continue Reading →
Off the "beaten path", the Cidade Baixa area in Porto Alegre is an unexpected little “Bohemia” in southern Brasil. An original section of the city and home to a major university, the neighborhood has cleverly combined history, art, and culture. Without the annoying tourist façade, the area reflects the lifestyle of young and old Brasilians with an... Continue Reading →
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