Sometimes, the most beautiful places you have left unexplored may be in your very own backyard. Now, I don’t literally mean the backyard of your house (although, that also may encompass of a lovely garden your wife busily planted away). By “backyard”, I mean the spots and locations within your country or city. United States is a huge piece of land, and without a doubt, has innumerable, beautiful places that are any tourist’s or vacationer’s … [Read more...]
Most Scenic Drive in the World? Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way!
This is a story about brilliant branding. It’s about Ireland, but it begins in Chile. In the early 90s one had to head to the far south of South America to sample the tasty, thick, snow-white fillets of a large, deep-water cod called the Patagonian toothfish . No eatery in the U.S. wanted to serve a fish with that name. But when marketers came up with the alluring but meaningless name, “Chilean sea bass,” the fish was on its way to … [Read more...]
10 reasons to visit unique George Town in Malaysia
Two years ago we arrived to charming George Town with the intention of staying one week. We stayed one month in the end. In May 2015 we returned and again we stayed much longer than we had planned, and we will be definitely coming back to this intriguing town in the future. Where exactly can you find this town of wonders? George Town is situated on Penang island in the north-west of Peninsular Malaysia. We always feel home in George Town … [Read more...]
Marseille, France: European Capital of Culture
As someone who lives in Marseille told me, “Marseille is a way of life”. It’s the playing of pétanque (similar to bocce), the imbibing of pastis (an anise liqueur developed in Marseille as a substitute for the banned absinthe in 1915), the savoring of Bouillabaisse (for which Marseille is famous), and a certain "joie de vivre". It is also a way of life that embraces the diversity of this melting pot on the Mediterranean and its rich culture, … [Read more...]
Illinois Improbable: A Story of Upending Expectations
When I was a high-school student in Bethesda, Maryland, and beginning to think about college, my parents sat me down and set a parameter: they would only allow a school within 1000 miles of our home, with the idea that I would be more likely to visit over holidays if within that range. My elder sister had already picked a school, Knox College, in Galesburg, Illinois, and now it was my turn. I pulled out a map, cut a string keyed to 1000 miles, … [Read more...]
Summer Highlights in Québec
With plenty of Festivals, Food events and Road Trips - summer time is a busy time to be in Québec. Geographically, this is Canada's largest province and the second largest by population. With so many activities coming up this summer, I have picked out a few of more intriguing ones. Festivals The Feux Loto-Québec is Montreal's International Fireworks Festival having been held annually since 1985. Not only is this a spectacular fireworks event … [Read more...]
Dalian, China – June 2015
Dalian is a major seaport in Northwestern China. The city is huge and wraps around the coastline for miles with amazing modern architecture and hundreds of high rise residential buildings. The drive along part of the rugged coastline overlooking the ocean is well worth the time. Unlike Shenyang (a 4 hour drive away) which is an un-inspirational industrial city - Dalian has the influences that only a city can have by being an International … [Read more...]
Cyclepaths in Cuba
My father, usually a quiet man, burst through the door and hustled the family in front of the television set. He said we were on the verge of something terrible and we needed to see and understand. It was October 22, 1962. My father, a career officer at the C.I.A., seemed distressed with things he knew that others did not. We then watched in horror as John Kennedy described the Russian missiles west of Havana, capable of reaching our home in … [Read more...]
The Beauty of Bordeaux Revealed
Today was arguably the highlight of our visit to Bordeaux as part of our Viking River Cruise, Château, Rivers & Win). We spent the day touring the Left Bank (Gironde River) of Bordeaux including Medoc and Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Margaux. I don't think I've ever seen as much white river cobble as I have in the vineyards of the Medoc region. It seems the higher the volume of these rocks in the soil, the higher the quality of wines and the … [Read more...]
Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: The Center for Sustainable Landscapes
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, a great steel and glass Victorian greenhouse, once part of a dirty steel mill city has now been transformed into one of the world’s most energy-efficient structures. With the greenest public gardens of the world, it has put Pittsburgh on the map serving as a model of sustainability for the next century. Located in Schenley Park, one of Pittsburgh’s largest wide green areas, the Conservatory complex is … [Read more...]
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