With my brother and my friend looking to escape the miserable weather we've had all week (they are flying down to Greece in a few days) we opted for a trip together to the countryside before we parted ways. Today we visited Trakai, a prominent and historical Lithuanian Castle located on an island. Spotting an empty boat sitting near the drawbridge to the castle on the water's edge we walked on board. There were no guests but rather three crew … [Read more...]
Helsinki, Finland – a Quick Introduction
With approximately 600,000 inhabitants Helsinki and the surroundings comprises about a fifth of the countries' entire population. It is an International destination yet not large enough of a city to feel overwhelming; it retains a feel of a much smaller community and is fairly easy to get around with a well developed system of tram cars. During a recent visit a mix of using the tram cars and exploring on foot was the perfect recipe for getting to … [Read more...]
Walking Tour of Vilnius with Viator
Waiting on the steps of the prominent Vilnius Cathedral bell tower, we met Yurga, our guide for the afternoon. A Vilnius resident who is fluent in several languages, Yurga would lead us for the next three hours on a Vilnius city walking tour with Viator and Travel Mindset. A tour like this is educational, is rich in history and allows one to discover parts of the city that only a local would know. The old part of Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, … [Read more...]
Astana: Whipping up a storm
This is the story of how Stalin lost his nose and why the face of former British prime minister Tony Blair pops up in the strangest places in a former Soviet republic. But first I want to tell you about Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan. And later I’ll tell you about kyz kuu, a kind of lovers’ kissing game they play on the steppe of central Asia. Kazakhstan, independent since 1991, and squeezed between those other ‘stans’ (homelands) … [Read more...]
The Imaginary Kingdom of Belarus
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 … [Read more...]
“Two Tickets to Paradise”, Palau
“I’ve got two tickets to paradise. Pack your bags and leave tonight” – Eddie Money In the evening we arrived to the Airai Hotel located conveniently near Palau’s international airport. The Airai hotel staff was welcoming and our hotel room that overlooked the coastline from a distance and the hotel waterpark below us was a spacious and comfortable midrange option. At the restaurant we sampled tasty white snapper pesto served over a bed of … [Read more...]
Guide to Breckenridge, Colorado – There is Plenty to Do!
Breckenridge, Colorado is known for it’s quaint historic downtown and it’s epic 2,358 acres of skiing. Tucked away in the Rocky Mountains, it’s a small town that offers a lot. My husband’s family owns a small condo in Breckenridge, so we find ourselves up there quite often. It’s the perfect place to get away from the city life of Denver and relax. Over the years of visiting, we’ve discovered the best Breckenridge has to offer during both … [Read more...]
Sacred Guides
The eighty degree weather we’d had at breakfast in a California border town transitioned sharply into the fifties by lunchtime at the Grand Canyon. I exchanged my flip flops for socks and hiking shoes, threw a jean jacket over my summer dress, and donned a beanie, the only warmer things I had easy access to. My dress whipped around my legs in the chilly wind. The weather was unexpectedly far from ideal for sightseeing, but we couldn’t drive past … [Read more...]
A Sanka in St. Petersburg
The "Manhattan Candidate" John M. edwards has an Eye-Opening experience in Cold War Russia's St. Petersburg: Attempted Brainwashing Anyone?! The Neva is clad in granite Bridges stand poised over her waters --Alexander Pushkin INTERESTED in finding the St. Petersburg salon where the protagonist of Doestoevsky’s Notes from the Underground is snubbed and ridiculed by his friends, I set off for that fair city sometime in the springtime, I … [Read more...]
Rio de Janeiro Becomes the First Big City to Receive Title of World Heritage Site
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (November 9, 2012) – The UNESCO Heritage Committee has elected the city of Rio de Janeiro as the first big city to receive the title of World Heritage Site in the Urban Landscape category. The decision was made at the Committee’s 36th session in Saint Petersburg, Russia on July 1, 2012. The National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage – IPHAN – presented Rio’s candidacy in 2009 with the concept of the harmonious … [Read more...]