……commentary from the road
For the second time in 12 months, I decided to head north with the Road King through 8 States and 2,954 miles in search of America’s best motorcycle routes. The wife had given me a 10-day Hall Pass and a high school friend agreed to meet and ride with me. There’s an advantage to... 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 →
I spent a few nights in Montevideo while traveling between Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay is a small country sandwiched between the two giants with mixed Portuguese and Spanish colonial influence. Marvelous and expansive farms and cattle ranches line the highway to the capital, so you know you are going to eat well. Montevideo is described in... Continue Reading →
The town of Bariloche lies at the foot of the Andes in northern Patagonia and is a well-known and desired Brazilian honeymoon destination. I’d never heard of the place, but my wife knew all about it as we planned our Argentine trip. The internet suggests Bariloche is also famous as the final destination for several WW2... Continue Reading →
(Photo above; Mt Fitz Roy)... One of the most beautiful places on earth when the skies are clear. El Chalten, nestled into the Andes and host to Mt. Fitz Roy and Las Torres, is surely the money shot for any Patagonia experience. The goal line for me was to visit "Laguna de Los Tres,” or the glacial... Continue Reading →
Visiting a glacier turned out to be one of my best experiences in terms of nature tourism. “Perito” means an expert in Spanish, and “Moreno" was the last name of the guy who discovered it in 1876 (though supposedly he never actually saw the glacier as the expedition stopped a few miles short of the... Continue Reading →
(Photo above; Brasilian with Maradonna and Messi)... Want to visit Western Europe on the cheap? Buenos Aires is a pleasant surprise and possibly a cautionary example. Architecture rivaling historic Madrid and Paris, restaurants, parks, and history galore. Steaks for $8 bucks that are second to none and prevalent to the point you soon tire of eating... Continue Reading →
Reconnecting with the In-Laws after a 10-year absence, which means a trip to “Alcobaça”. Alcobaça is a small fishing village on the southern coast of Bahia where my wife’s family has had a history for years. I first went there in 1987, and not much has changed since then. Brazil is famous for its beaches... Continue Reading →
The first week of March and that means the 81st Annual Bike Week in Daytona if you’re in the States. Daytona is a quick 110 miles north of me and a straight shot up I95. This will be my 4th year to visit and the first for Katia. With the pent-up demand post-pandemic, promoters are forecasting... Continue Reading →
The time had come for our second genuine road trip post-retirement, so BOOM, Katia, and I pulled the trigger on destinations in Greece and Eastern Europe. Plans included round-trip tickets (MLB-Athens) to Greece and then it would be off to Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, etc. Plenty of time, money, and interest, as I’d never really traveled or worked... Continue Reading →
What Next? 