As so often happens, it all started with a story. “Have you ever heard the legend of Ferhat and Sirin?” my Turkish friend asked whilst we were discussing some pretty interesting Turkish folklore characters of which there are plenty. “No,” I replied, ear cocked and pen poised, ready to take note of another tale for my growing collection. “Ah, it’s so sad, sooo romantic,” she sighed being a consummate actress into the bargain. “You see, it all … [Read more...]
Greece’s Hidden Gem
I recently discovered a secret Greece has been hiding from the world. It’s called Meteora. The town is a hidden gem, a few hours from Athens. Fully prepared to be swept off my feet by the island of Santorini, I fell in love instead with this magical place, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. My dad was turning 70 in September. I don’t know about you, but that felt like a big deal birthday to me. I could buy him yet another full sleeved shirt, or … [Read more...]
Amsterdam On a Budget
Amsterdam is a city of many faces. For some, the Red Light District acts as a magnetic force. Its famed coffee shops serve a tempting menu of legalized cannabis, offering a range of highs from mellow to skyscraper. For those seeking lustier pleasures, prostitution is legal and as easy to find as North Sea herring. For others, it’s the cultural gems, from Rembrandt to Van Gogh, that entice. If you haven’t considered this forward-thinking … [Read more...]
Four Days in Italy
In March or April of 2003 I received a registered letter from the Israeli lottery telling me I had won a four day trip to Rome for my wife and myself, which included travel, the hotel—bed and breakfast. Tours and entertainment, which looked very enticing, were extra. We didn’t know if we’d ever visit Italy again, so I signed on immediately for the whole kit and caboodle. The travel company invited all the winners down to their offices in Tel … [Read more...]
Exploring the Douro with Viking River Cruises
Discovering treasures in every port Embarking in Portugal upon our first-ever cruise, my husband and I looked forward to the quality and service that have earned Viking River Cruises their outstanding reputation. There were many aspects of this river cruise that we loved, and having a wealth of compelling shore excursion opportunities was a big part of the experience for us. Portugal is known for its famous explorers of centuries past who … [Read more...]
Istanbul’s Secret Gems
Istanbul’s Secret Gems Visitors to Istanbul have a general expectation of seeing an exotic place at the easternmost of Europe. This expectation is definitely appropriate but what the city offers is actually way beyond it. It is not for nothing that Istanbul is regarded as a city founded on two continents. The city offers its visitors many examples from both European and Asian cultures, acting as a bridge between them. Sometimes you feel … [Read more...]
8 Things to do in Cambridge, UK
Cambridge is a tourist favourite here in the UK, and I should know having called this city home for almost 24 years now. The summertime seems to become increasingly busy year on year, sometimes I wonder just how everyone fits among the quaint cobbled streets of little Cambridge. It’s no big surprise that this city is a popular destination, there’s an abundance of rich history, world famous universities and of course the Cambridge punting … [Read more...]
The Unexpected Living Treasures of Ireland
Close your eyes and think of Ireland: what do you see? Is it rolling hills of ethereal green and the Ring of Kerry, or perhaps tall, stark, jagged precipices descending into crashing waves, like the Cliffs of Moher? On a recent escorted journey through Ireland with Insight Vacations, I found all these and more, but what captured me beyond the green, grassy countryside were the furry and feathery fauna of the Emerald Isle. Beautiful, … [Read more...]
An Alternative Journey from England to Ireland
David and I had been discussing visiting Ireland for a number of years. We both tend to gravitate towards cooler weather climates - and Ireland in late October would be a good break from our warm Malyasian weather. We arrived into London and rather than continuing via airplane from the UK, we chose to travel by train and fast ferry, in hopes this alternative would create a more memorable travel experience then being crammed into tiny seats … [Read more...]
Here Be Dragons: The “Sacred Terror” of the Alps of Switzerland
"Placed on this planet since yesterday, and only for a day, we can only hope to glimpse the knowledge that we will probably never attain." -Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, 1796 Dateline: Mount Pilates, Switzerland I've penned a few books that have been placed in the category of "wilderness travel." But perhaps the first to stock this shelf was the eighteenth-century mountaineer Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, who wrote in his opus, Voyages … [Read more...]
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