Over the past eight decades the paradise isles of the legendary South Seas have provided a backdrop for many Hollywood productions. French Polynesia has been the most popular location by far, followed by Fiji and Samoa. Both Hollywood films set in Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal Diary (1943) starring Anthony Quinn and The Thin Red Line (1999), were about the Pacific War. Easter Island features in Kevin Costner's Rapa Nui (1994) while The Other Side … [Read more...]
A Storm on the River Missouri
I was a hundred or so miles into a 2,341-mile canoe trip on the Missouri River when I stumbled on my first big storm. The first indication came when my hat lifted from my head and flew forward into the water. High winds came up well ahead of an advancing cold front a mile or so upriver from Fort Benton, Montana. What had been blowing before had been a breeze, but soon rose to twenty or thirty miles per hour. The filled with dust and sand, which … [Read more...]
53 Days
What could 53 days buy you? Think of it. What if you had 53 days? What could you do in that time? That length of time could buy you half a summer vacation. Or maybe you would look at it as two months salary minus the interfering weekends. Not long ago I exchanged 53 days for 2,341 miles. I then took those miles and exchanged them for an experience that I think changed my life forever. I was between jobs, you see, and so I took a Canoe and … [Read more...]
Unique and unusual hotels revealed at HostelBookers
HostelBookers, the budget accommodation specialist, works with some of the best and most unusual cheap hotels in the world. Guests could sleep in tree tops in Turkey, shower in a reformed jail in Switzerland or even eat their breakfast while floating on the Danube in Serbia. In Europe, Trulli Holiday Hotel is a charming complex in Alberobello, in the Puglia region. The unique trulli houses are the traditional dwelling of natives and … [Read more...]
Paris by boat in September
September is a month of transition. Summer and vacation are ending. People go back to school and back to work. The slow rhythm of the summer accelerates a bit again and cities are coming back to life. Despite the return of this routine September is an excellent month to travel. The peak holiday season is over and you avoid big tourist crowds. Of course, a city like Paris doesn't really have downtime with fewer visitors, but the temperatures … [Read more...]
The Biennale and the Venice Film Festival
Every two years Venice holds the Biennale, one of the most important events in contemporary art and culture. I don't think there is another event on this scale that features so many different disciplines. Everything is present: Art, architecture, cinema, music, dance, and theater. The duration of the Biennale stretches over several months from June until November. One of the central events during the Biennale is the Venice Film Festival - … [Read more...]
Madrid, Once Upon a Time
Maybe it was a bad omen that I'd memorized Cinderella before I could read. By winter 2004, I had to accept that my life was turning to ashes. Single, living alone in Manhattan, I found myself without steady income, and few, if any employment options. My seemingly endless supply of crazy ideas to otherwise help keep me clothed and sheltered had long gone up in smoke. Factor in frequent, lengthy illnesses and my lifelong propensity for being … [Read more...]
The 4 Bridges Crossing the Canal Grande in Venice
The two most striking characteristics of Venice are its extremely romantic appeal and the picturesque canals that are like the unique equivalent of streets in other cities. The biggest of these canals is the Canal Grande (in Venetian referred to as Canalasso). At a length of 3800 meters it stretches through the whole city in the shape of an 's'. Curiously enough there are only four opportunities to cross the Canal Grande throughout the city, … [Read more...]
Travel Therapy
Travel Therapy by Karen Schaler We had just arrived home after yet another long International trip and were suffering from the throes of jet lag when we spied this book sitting on top of our pile of books to review. The cover looked nice, an empty beach, clear water and an empty beach chair just waiting for us. Sure, this is what the Dr. ordered, more travel as a kind of therapy to recover from travel! This is the latest book from Emmy award … [Read more...]
GranMonte Vineyards, All in the Family
After returning from Brunei and a quick day of rest we set out for the jungles of Khao Yai National Park and part of Thailand's "wine trail". GranMonte Vineyards located in the heart of the small Asoke Valley was the highlight of our day. This winery was founded by Thai couple Visooth and Sakuna Lohitnavy. Their daughter Visootha (or Nikki) is Thailand's first female winemaker (only in her 20's, she has many harvests ahead of her). The entire … [Read more...]
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