Upon landing in Belfast, Northern Ireland (or as some might say, 'Nord Iron') I was pleasantly surprised to see some sun peeking through the clouds. Coming from bright sunny days in Spain this past week with warm temperatures I had braced myself for brisk cloudy days and bone chilling nights. I felt welcomed on the bus ride into town; a gentleman facing me in another seat kept smiling my way - talking to the lady he was with and nodding in my … [Read more...]
Exploring Tel Aviv, Israel
After a packed 10 days in Qatar and Bahrain I flew over to Israel to meet my brother who was flying in from Italy where he lives. I was initially concerned about coming from Arabic countries straight away to Israel and also receiving an Israeli stamp. In actuality Israel no longer seems to stamp passports, rather they give you a printed ID card which they check when you leave the country. After 10 minutes of solid grilling with random questions, … [Read more...]
Dreaming of Iceland
Iceland has long been on my list of countries to visit. I fly over this rugged looking country several times a year on my way to Europe - I glance down about mid flight depending on the time of year and gaze down upon its snow covered landscape. At other times I see rugged geography, a landscape devoid of people and large portions covered by glaciers. A friend who has family living there visits every once in a while and returns with stories of … [Read more...]
Travel Massive October, Los Angeles
The latest Los Angeles Travel Massive was held poolside at the Sofitel in Beverly Hills. I've been to the mega shopping complex, the Beverly Center across the street a number of times (one of Los Angeles's premium and very profitable shopping centers) but never actually visited Sofitel. Travel Massive Los Angeles is co-chaired by MaryAnn of and Arnette of Round the World Girl. I've attended these meetups several times in town - they are … [Read more...]
Travel Writing Contest Winners, 2014
We are excited to announce the three winners for this year's travel writing contest. There were many submissions this year (thank you to everyone who submitted an entry or two). The three judges unanimously picked the top two winners in that order - competition for the third winner was more intense. We received entries from a number of countries and US states - for the past 6 or 7 years one of the winners has been from Los Angeles or Orange … [Read more...]
Comedy, Kayaking, Museums and Farmer’s Markets in Los Angeles
Looking for some comic relief in the evening after fighting traffic earlier in the afternoon, I stopped in at the famed Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd - just down from the celeb rich Chateau Marmont for some comedy. Many famous acts have started here or performed on its stages including Jim Carrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin and Chevy Chase among others. It was #blackout Tuesday and I was the only Caucasian in the audience. Oh and I was in the … [Read more...]
VW Bus Bar, Naughty Squirrel & Riga Latvia
We first popped into Riga on a bus from Tallinn - the old town is a short few minute walk away but we didn't yet know this. After we located the word "old town" in Latvian on the Internet and showed a taxi driver our phone screen - he just laughed and pointed in the direction of where we needed to walk. Two minutes later we walked into the Riga Old Town Hostel & Backpackers Pub where we immediately spotted the reception; it was located inside … [Read more...]
A Day of Diversity Exploring Los Angeles
Here is an example of a single day microcosm of the diversity of Los Angeles. In the morning we visited the oldest McDonald's still in operation on the planet (out of some 20,000 McDonald's worldwide!), located in Downey. It was built in 1953. The original McDonald's was founded in San Bernardino California in 1948 and was a barbecue restaurant serving over 100 different barbecue recipes. This particular restaurant was the third ever and has … [Read more...]
Pebble Beach Food & Wine Weekend
The Pebble Beach Food and Wine Weekend is only in its seventh year yet remarkably it seems like it should be much older than that. In such a short time it has become the West Coast's premier food and wine event. It is an intriguing pairing - matching some of the world's best wine with top chefs in a location that is visually stunning. The inspirational rugged coastline and natural beauty is the backdrop for a long weekend of decadence and at … [Read more...]
Running around seeking Cemeteries and Farmers Markets, Los Angeles
With such a plethora of activities offered in Los Angeles on any given day, I tend to focus narrowly into specific destinations or activities. During these past few days it was cemeteries and fruit markets! Forest Lawn is the "mother" of all cemeteries in the Southland. They operate several locations around town - but none is as large or prominent as Forest Lawn in Glendale. Acres of graves and green are surrounded by residential and urban … [Read more...]
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