On a crisp Fall day with clear, azure skies it’s hard to take a bad photo – but I’m having no luck. It’s “Blue on Blue.” My subject seems to blend right into the sky and nearly disappear – except for the white icing and sparkly bits.
To the delight of modern tourists, Maya kings sought to outdo each other with more and more impressive temples, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Uxmal (pronounced oosh-mal) is an outstanding example.
Bali … it’s one of those take-your-breath-away destinations. You ask yourself, Where has this place been all of my life?
Sunday morning is the perfect time to explore any new city. The tranquility makes it easy to see the bones of the place without the people, traffic, and workaday commotion – and there’s no better way to do it than on foot.
Other than sex, there seems to be no stronger temptation in this world than chocolate. That luscious, dark confection can bring strong men to their knees and make smart women swoon.
There’s no denying that Petra is a place that inspires superlatives. It’s one of the world’s über-famous archaeological sites, and like most first-time visitors, we were astounded. With vibrant red, white and pink sandstone cliffs carved into beautiful, ornate temples and tombs, the city is absolutely awe-inspiring.
Like many young couples, as soon as we could afford it, we went to Europe. These were the days of Arthur Frommer’s Europe On $25 A Day, Rick Steves’ Europe Through The Back Door, and Eurail Passes were the way to get around.
Bangkok is an assault on the senses. Mad Max tuk-tuks careen wildly through traffic while the Skytrain glides effortlessly above. Sleep-deprived backpackers rub elbows with cellphone-toting monks and neighborhood masseuses.
In January I received an email from out of the blue. Although I recognized the name, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was from a man I’ve never met, but admire immensely.
“The only thing I know about Slovakia is what I learned first-hand from your foreign minister, who came to Texas.” —Then governor George W. Bush replying to a Slovak journalist. Actually, Bush met the Prime Minister of Slovenia, not Slovakia. Continue reading
You should’ve heard the conversation. We were strolling through the fantastic open-air City Market in lovely Ljubljana, admiring the rows of fresh produce, local honey, and the straight-from-the greenhouse mums. Continue reading
I’ve always been a four-seasons-kinda girl. I’m not talking about hotels or restaurants, but rather the changing of the seasons. And I love each and every one of them for entirely different reasons. So when we landed in lovely Ljubljana, my heart soared. It was Fall. Continue reading
Fancy yourself an orthographer? Try spelling the name of the capital of Slovenia: Ljubljana. Like Reykjavik and Yogyakarta, it’s charming to visit, but impossible to spell. Continue reading
“And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes.” ― Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are Continue reading
Whether by design or default, our homes reflect a good deal about our personalities. But what does a 6-story house covered with rhinos, elephants, frogs, catfish, lizards, stags, mermaids, and a snake hanging down like a scaly drain pipe say about the owner? Continue reading
“Caviar? Caviar? Gude deescount price. Luke! Luke!” This is the sound you’ll hear if you ping the tourist radar just inside the door of the Besarabsky Market in central Kyiv. Continue reading
