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Q. When you were a toddler, your dad brought you to a museum where you fell in love immediately with the artifact display. You were 5 years old at the time, what really piqued your interest when you saw the display and made you aspire to become an archeologist from that point onwards? What do you think parents and teachers nowadays should do to help children develop a love for the pre-historical human culture? I still remember those museum visits, and the one you mentioned stands out the most memorable. The […]

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On a recent trip to southern California, with some time on my hands on a Monday afternoon, I decided to point my wheels toward a place that had always intrigued me: the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. One of 13 presidential libraries in the United States, it sits atop a hill in the suburban enclave of Simi Valley, about forty-five minutes from downtown Los Angeles. I had never been to a presidential museum before and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. A serving of warmed-over historical […]

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Delicious food, wine, culture, history, outdoor adventures and nature: here is my ultimate Winnipeg travel guide! Ultimate Winnipeg Travel Guide! Winnipeg was once open prairie land, a region that aboriginals used as a trading center long before the arrival of Europeans. Situated at the bottom of the Red River Valley and Assiniboine River, Winnipeg’s landscape is still as beautiful today as it once was. Named the “Chicago of the North”, just 70 miles north of the US/Canada border, Winnipeg is a gateway into western Canada. The name “Winnipeg” derives from […]

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Ski season is already under way tempting passionate skiers worldwide to the snowy slopes of the most popular resorts in the Alps. Those of you who have already spent a few seasons skiing in award-winning ski tourist hotspots know that a weekend’s holiday may be financially draining. To those who are planning their first ski trip, the grand total in most ski resorts across Europe may seem daunting and worth giving up on the whole idea. However, European mountains hide a few less conventional ski resorts that offer the same […]

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John M. Edwards researches a future trip to a country he suspects doesn’t really exist. . . . I’ve never been there, and neither have you. The imaginary kingdom of Belarus, way off the beaten track, so far away in fact that no one ever seems to find it, belongs more to the world of fictionalized Tintin comics than the grip of postcardy Paid Advertisements. Even asking former communist expats from the various SSRs how to get there usually comes up with no evidentiary goods or services. Only blank stares. […]

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Wine, camera, action! Luscious wines and innovative independent movies in enticing venues on a gorgeous fall weekend in the Napa Valley? The Napa Valley Film Festival gets two thumbs up from my husband (“Mr. TWS”) and me! As film buffs and wine enthusiasts with a special affection for Northern California wine country, Mr. TWS and I indulged our senses at the third annual (but our first) Napa Valley Film Festival, which ran from November 13 – 17, 2013. Setting the scene Napa is beautiful any time of the year but the […]

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Wieliczka Salt Mine is located nearly 90 minutes from central Krakow in Poland. Take bus number 304 across from the main Krakow Galleria Shopping Center. This mine was the world’s longest continuously operated mine – open from about the year 1300 to 1996 when it became no longer economically viable to keep the mine open commercially. Today 3 hour tours are conducted through less than 1% of the total area of the mine (in a variety of languages). The mine was one of the first 12 UNESCO sites. You will […]

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John M. Edwards pulls up his proverbial time machine into communist Slovakia (1989), where appearances are illusory and life is lived on a virtual movie set. . . . “I AM THE BEST ARTIST IN SLOVAKIA!” The Best Artist in Slovakia bruited. With a cavalier wave of his hand, curved like a grinning alligator shadow puppet, he added in slow mo, “I paint you a picture you would not believe!” “Oh, really?” I said with a terse forced smile. “I really would like that.” Inside, I waited for explicit details […]

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Wallåkra Stenkärlsfabrik, a stoneware factory, restaurant and garden is located about 30 minutes outside of Helsingborg in Southern Sweden. The property is located within the small village of Vallåkra. Turn off the E4/E6 at the exit Landskrona North (27) and take the road to Vallåkra – look for signs once you are in Vallåkra. This was originally a site where pottery was made with local clay taken from the surrounding land. The original buildings date to 1864. In the late 1980’s, occupational therapist Åsa Orrmell was shown this property by […]

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Time Traveling to Copernicus’s “Crib” in Torun (Poland) John M. Edwards stalks the heretical ghost of Polish astronomer Nicholaus Copernicus back to his hometown: Torun, Poland. Here is a question nobody, not even Steven Hawking (A Brief History of Time) nor Erich von Daniken (Chariots of the Gods), can answer: How large is the universe? How can it be infinite if it is at the same time also “expanding”? I decided the only scientist worth his salt who could posit a satisfactory legitimate theory of time and space would be […]

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Pulled into Skopje late last night and like many of the cities in the nearby countries – easily found free wifi – a lifesaver when you are winging every hotel or hostel at the last minute. Looking for a break from the fast paced travel of the last few days – I got up Sunday morning and caught the early bus to Matka – which is just on the outskirts of the city. Most cities would kill to have a place like this within spitting distance of its urban area. […]

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As Berlin is a multicultural capital, its food has many foreign influences; flavors from Turkey, India, Russia, Czech Republic and Poland are combined with the traditional German essence to make a delicious melting pot of flavors. However, despite the international influences, it is still possible to differentiate the most authentic flavors of the German cuisine. You have been roaming around the city for couple of hours and wonder, why do you feel hungry and thirsty? You just had breakfast in the Berlin apartments you rented, but the smell of delicious […]

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While flying somewhere in Europe last month on a short Wizz Air flight we happened to spot an article about the salt mines near Krakow in the in-flight magazine. Hey, an in-flight magazine on a budget airline and more leg room than say Ryan Air – we were happy. In any case, the article caught my eye – a salt mine that continuously operated for 700 years and over time contained huge man-made caves, tunnels and sculptures carved entirely from rock salt. I was intrigued and planned a trip. A […]

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Krakow is a significant cultural and historical center; there is much to see in and around the city. A visit to Auschwitz requires a full day, including the main camp and then minutes away by a free shuttle, Auschwitz II-Birkenau. During the hours of 10-3pm you must pay to join a guided tour (given in a variety of languages). Human genocides do not get any bigger than this and a visit here is a solemn and moving experience. Exhibits showing huge piles of shoes, suitcases, shaving materials and human hair […]

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