I am out of the suburbs and into the city—at the center of what I wanted. Staying with my host family forty-minutes from town was a gift. It allowed me to ease in and find a job in a protected place. But, I didn’t leave Asia for the outskirts or to be protected. I left to be exposed to the thriving madness of Europe. The flat I am renting is in the art district of Prague, three metro stops from the city center. The Vltava River is a two-minute … [Read more...]
The Caves of Chattanooga
When I tell Lilia that we are going to view bats, she is scared at first. She knows bats only from horror movies and vampire stories in her favorite manga. All the same, she is willing to go. My concerns, as usual, are about accessibility. My daughter is deaf and uses a wheelchair. We are in the United States on our first mother-daughter trip. My husband and son are back home in Japan, busy with work, and summer school, and baseball practice. … [Read more...]
Finding Inspiration Among the Redwoods
“The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always...from them comes silence and awe. The most irreverent of men, in the presence of redwoods, goes under a spell of wonder and respect.” - John Steinbeck As we drive along the Redwood Highway, I am reminded why so many great writers, the likes of Steinbeck and Muir, found their voices in the forests of Northern California. The story tellers that came before … [Read more...]
An Unfinished Dream
Every Wednesday evening between March and October, Charles Dickens visits the house in which he made an early London home. He must have great affection for it. “Oliver Twist” was born here; so were his two eldest daughters...At 7:30, the lights in the basement library are dimmed, and a long-haired actor in full Victorian dress strides through the open door, marches towards a burgundy-coloured velvet armchair, and regales his “guests,” their … [Read more...]
Three Favorite things to do in London
In recent years, I have been fortunate to fly into London several times each year. Often the stop is brief, connecting to other parts of Europe but sometimes I take a day or two to explore the city and or to make a guest appearance on the studio of my friend Jim Liebeke who presents entertaining travel webisodes in the form of the Dave & Jim show. I often stay with friends but this is an International city with a huge variety of lodging. It is … [Read more...]
Be a Part of It: Top Five New York Experiences
In a city as celebrated as New York, first-time visitors are usually overwhelmed with the sheer amount of things they simply must do. From buggy rides in Central Park to trips up the Empire State - not to mention the stores, museums and restaurants you’ll need to fit in too – where do you begin? But who’s to say you need to replicate the New York experiences seen on your cinema screen or in tourist guides? Sure, there are those activities … [Read more...]
Learning to Fly at the End of the World: Travels Down the Yucatan Peninsula
A second huge palm frond hits my left shoulder, catching a little of my face this time. It smacks the woman behind me dead on. She squeals and leans down to her daughter, placing the girl’s little hand on the offended cheek. The salsa pounds and the colored flashing lights pulsate to the beat of the blaring music. The top of the bus sways as we follow the curve on this part of the Bahia Boulevard, a beachfront drive that snakes down the peninsula … [Read more...]
Exploring Coimbra Portugal
Today we spent the day driving around Northern Portugal - with the highlight being a stop in Coimbra. This quaint hillside town is situtated above a large river - with the March chill clearly evident as stiff breezes blew us across the bridge into the old town. We raced our little mini Fiat up the narrow cobblestone streets, dodging pedestrians, parked as well as moving cars and soon found ourselves at Portugal's oldest university - the … [Read more...]
Exploring Lisbon Portugal
Headed out to Lisbon this week to catch up with my brother who is living in Verona, Italy - it was a good chance to deliver his mail from California as well as spend some time sightseeing in a city neither one of us have been to before. The airport is a small one and easily navigable. Oh and the metro connects right to the arrivals hall. I quickly jumped on the metro - found the hotel, buzzed up to the hotel room and we headed out. My brother … [Read more...]
LAX Unveils North Concourse & New Gates
Mayor Villaraigosa, airport officials unveil state-of-the-art aircraft gates at LAX’s new Tom Bradley International Terminal (Los Angeles, California – March 6, 2013) Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa was joined today by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and Singapore Airlines executives to unveil the north concourse and three gates of the New Tom Bradley International Terminal (New TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). … [Read more...]
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