The City's Three Alternative Summer Festivals Amsterdam may be known by backpackers for its cannabis-serving cafes and red light district but this notorious city is also home to three world-class music festivals every summer. They aren't all pop tunes and over-priced burgers like many of Europe's offerings - in keeping with Amsterdam's bohemian reputation, the festivals are based on culture, diversity and experiment. With cheap prices … [Read more...]
The Guns of Central America
My journey started in Havana - probably the safest capital in Latin America. The Castro regime has put so many cops on the streets that I was instantly told from the very beginning that any assault on a traveller is unthinkable. Scams, theft, yes. But in terms of violence, it is pretty obvious on the streets of Havana who is the boss. Then I flew in to Yucatan, Eastern Mexico. As I wait in the queue for passport control, a guy in front of me … [Read more...]
The British Aura of London is Capped by Stratford Shakespearean Festival
As well, like London, Britain's capital, the town is intersected by the River Thames and as is the case in most of the towns in England it is filled with green spaces consisting of pleasant parks and thousands of trees. They offer year round opportunities for outdoor leisure activities and have earned the city the nickname 'Forest City'. Located in southwest Ontario-roughly halfway between Toronto and the U.S. border, London, a city of some … [Read more...]
Valencia – The City That Has It All
Western Europe is such an ultimate travel destination that anything worth seeing has already been triple-packed. It is practically impossible to find a place that has major attractions yet has retained its innocence. And, out of all countries, Spain - the place where annual tourist head count overtakes that of its residents - is a very unlikely candidate for such location. Valencia leaves you perplexed. When you see the vastness of its … [Read more...]
Trip to the Rhine in Germany
We flew British Airways from San Francisco Int. Airport, to Heathrow Airport, and then into Frankfurt Airport. Heathrow has a special assistance lounge. Ask for assistance when leaving your plane, and they will take you to the lounge. You give them your boarding pass and let them know what sort of help you need, and when the time comes for you to board your departing flight, they either let you know that someone will meet you at the gate with an … [Read more...]
The Ben Franklin House, London – June 2006
Ben Franklin House - When in London consider visiting the Ben Franklin House located close to the popular Trafalgar Square at 36 Craven Street. This is the only "Franklin" house still in existence and it was opened to the public only in early 2006. This home was built in 1730 and Franklin lived there for almost 16 years from 1757 and 1775. This house was also the first de facto US Embassy. Franklin was a man of many talents and is credited … [Read more...]
Translation for the global travel industry: attention to detail pays
Translation for the global travel industry: attention to detail pays As the World Travel Market opens in London, with over 50,000 representatives from 190 different countries, what better time to consider how travel and tourism as a sector can best respond to the challenge of communicating internationally and growing overseas markets. Travel and tourism is an inherently international industry, and is already one of the largest online market … [Read more...]
Walking with Ghosts
Hurricane Katrina had no favorites. She picked equally on the weak and the strong, black and white. She stomped on the rich and the poor and she stopped life in its tracks. Imagine life with all your possessions in the front yard or in the gutters. Worse yet, imagine you have no possessions, no house. Imagine searching for your friends, your family or your pet weeks after they disappeared. Yes, just imagine! This is the reality for thousands … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Colleges and Universities
These are a few of the universities that we have visited in Los Angeles and vicinity. Additional universities will be highlighted here over time, as this is by no means an exhaustive list. Cal Poly, Pomona is located just south of the 210 Freeway in Pomona. Originally a satellite campus of what was known then as California Polytechnic School in San Luis Obispo - the two schools became separate entities in 1966. One tradition however did not … [Read more...]
Fjord Water isn’t Salty….Impressions of Scandanavia
I hadn't been in Sweden for one hour and I found myself sitting in the back of a police van, bicycle and all. Now, I am normally not that much of an outlaw but this time I had decided to buck all Swedish rules against riding on the freeway, when I got picked up by one of the cops. It turned out that Stockholm's international airport was a good forty five kilometers from the city itself, a perfect distance to put my airplane cramped legs to good … [Read more...]