Meet my friend Natasha. She hosted a lunch at her dacha for me a few years ago. This was formerly her great grandparents’ vacation home but is now permanent residence for her family… her husband and son. What is a Dacha? The noun “dacha”, coming from verb “davat” (to give), originally referred to land allotted […]
Welcome to My Dacha: Lunch With a Russian Friend Read More »
Sachertorte has a sweet secret. In 1832, the Austrian State Chancellor challenged his kitchen staff to prepare a “dessert to impress” special guests. With the Head Chef taken to his bed, his 16-year old apprentice, Franz Sacher performed the original culinary magic creating a chocolate cake which soon gained a cult following. From the imperial
Sachertorte, Schloss Mirabell and St. Nicholas Market: Sweet Secrets of Salzburg Read More »
As an American tourist traveling abroad, there aren’t many things more embarrassing than listening to a fellow citizen complain, in loud, rude disbelief, when someone in a service position in the destination country, doesn’t speak English. It happens far more often than you think. If you’re planning to travel abroad, please take the time to
Easy Ways to Learn Another Language and Why You Should Read More »
This highly visited African attraction is the world’s largest inactive, unbroken and unfilled volcanic caldera. So what’s a caldera? A caldera is a large depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses. During a volcanic eruption, magma present in the magma chamber underneath the volcano is expelled, often forcefully. National Geographic One of the Seven And more
The Earth’s Largest and Most Perfect: Visit Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater Read More »
Have you seen the signs at airports for TSA PreCheck and wondered if the benefits outweigh the effort to qualify? And how about Global Entry? Is it worth the trouble and expense? In a word, Yes. If you plan to travel internationally, Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck so look at this first then decide which
The Big Deal About TSA PreCheck and Global Entry Read More »
History calls it The Dark Ages. The earth is flat. Ships sailing across the ocean intent on returning with the fabled riches of India may perish in the void. Darkness has descended as a global cold front sweeps across Europe. In the ensuing misery of famine and disease, barbarians fan out across the continent intent
The Alhambra, Granada’s Lush, Lavish and Last Great Palace Read More »
This post is for the solo female traveler wishing to enjoy a meal in a restaurant while traveling on her own. This post is not for the solo female traveler trolling for a male dining companion. I’m pretty sure there are apps to make that easier so better to rely on those. Here are my
How to Enjoy Dining Solo: My Top Ten Tips Read More »
There are two types of travelers, those who nod off moments after “wheels up” and those who spend countless hours worrying about the mysteries of sleeping on long airline flights. I’ve been both and I know the benefits of starting a trip after a nourishing nap on a long flight. Dreamless, not drugged or otherwise
How to Sleep Like a Baby on Long Flights Read More »
Of all the sacred ground on earth, Jerusalem is one of the most prized; its history marked by bloody sieges and transfers of power, leaving wounds too deep to be addressed by politics or priests alone. You can’t possibly see everything, so choose the sites most important to you. Know before you go! Hotel and
O Jerusalem! What You Need to Know Before You Go Read More »
The Matterhorn which means “peak in the meadows” in German, is a nearly 15,000 foot tall mountain on the border between Switzerland and Italy. K2 and Mount Everest may outshine it in sheer stats but it’s the stuff of legends for any climber worthy of the calling. It looms, majestic and snow covered, purpled in
Five Really Cool Facts About the Matterhorn Read More »