What was Parisian-Style Boulevards, Empty Eight-Lane Highways, and Chistendom's Highest Chuch-All Dead Ending in Jungle? I was working for a magazine in Abidjan, the principal city of Cote d’Ivoire (better known as the Ivory Coast), when some co-workers and I set off on a pilgrimage to one of the strangest ghost towns in Africa: Yamoussoukro. The official capital of the country since 1983, this modern “lost city” is the architectural … [Read more...]
A Bittersweet Roman Holiday
Rome: probably my favorite city on Earth, if I had to choose only one. Our time here was emotional and bittersweet, but Rome's beauty did what it could to try and ease the pain. We planned the last month of our round-the-world trip to be mostly a family affair. We saved Italy and Austria for last, because we thought it would be comforting to see some of my relatives after being on the road all year, and because it would be a smooth … [Read more...]
The Kenya Not Many See
When I was in Kenya this May, I didn't go on a tourist's safari. I didn’t ride in a Jeep with a group of other people, traveling across wide open plains, snapping pictures of dozens of wild African animals. I experienced that seven years ago, and though I would love to do it again sometime, this year there was neither time nor money in the budget. You may be asking yourself, “So why did you go to Kenya? Doesn’t everyone go for the … [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...]
Basking in the Warmth of Santa Catalina Island
Catalina provides the calm, quiet and the rural contrast to the urban 24/7 hum of the city of Los Angeles. The Ying and Yang of urban versus rural environments, if you will. Catalina is world's away yet still within the confines of Los Angeles County. In reality the island is only approximately 50 miles away from the extreme contrast of pulsating clubs and the craziness of late night parties on Sunset or Hollywood Blvds. We conveniently stayed … [Read more...]
If You Can’t Beat ‘Em
My husband Gaz and I donned our raingear and headed to Nanjing Lu, the main pedestrian thoroughfare and shopping district of Shanghai. Big, bright, neon and modern, much of Shanghai’s architecture resembled a caricature of what someone in the 50s thought “The Future” would look like. Shimmering glass buildings covered in a rainbow of glowing signs flanked the wide walkway. The streets heaved with people, and in the sea of short, black haired … [Read more...]
Car + Vacation, Volvo Factory Tour, Gothenburg Sweden
Recently I was in Sweden to help promote Volvo's Car + Vacation program for overseas car buyers - sponsored by Volvo, Visit Sweden, West Sweden Tourism and Skåne Tourism. This was an appropriate trip for me; at last count, my immediate family has owned six volvos - since my grandfather purchased my mom's first car in 1969. That vehicle was a new 2-door 1968 white Volvo that they spent a grand total of $2,300 at the time. My aunt followed the path … [Read more...]
A Romp in the South of France – Day 1: Bordeaux – St. Emilion
Backpack strapped on and ready to move, I marched onward and outward of the Youth Hostel, away from comfort; a comfort, to be fair, that had held me back, that had repressed my inner flame for too long. Yes I was over it, over these post-University blues, over this lack of motivation I constantly felt. I mean for God’s sake, I was travelling! And ten months had gone by. Now don’t get me wrong, I had done some awesome stuff and lived ten months of … [Read more...]
Ancient To Modern in Miami
Imagine a trip to Miami - fun in the sun, sand, and on the water; palm trees swaying in the breeze, tropical fruity drinks, tanning lotion, and dancing until dawn. But there's more to Miami than beaches and bars. It's a city full of history, culture, and architecture. These little gems - these not so typical tourist attractions - really tell the story of the city. Each time I go to Miami, I find some new cultural or historical treasure. It’s a … [Read more...]
Sofiero Palace and Gardens
My visit to Sweden this time was decidedly different than my previous. Enduring cold weather, cloudy skies and drizzly conditions during my last visit we spent much of our time indoors drinking hot chocolate, eating sushi and visiting with family who live in Malmö. During the entirety of that trip, the cold weather followed us up to Oslo Norway - and then over to Stavanger and Bergen with fleeting glimpses of the gorgeous fjords tantalizingly … [Read more...]
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