Travel
Perfect views over invading knights in medieval Òsimo
I’ve been writing about a lot of impressive towns boasting spectacular medieval architecture in Italy’s Marche region. The medieval hilltop town of Òsimo is one such town that merits a visit when you next find yourself in the region. This is an easy one to reach – just a few kilometers from the regional capital…
Read MoreIn search of olive ascolane in the Marche’s Ascoli-Piceno
In normal times, finding Ascoli-Piceno’s culinary specialty in its historic center is no real challenge. But these are not ordinary times. My son loves olive ascolane – olives stuffed with meat and deep fried. This is a common appetizer at restaurants throughout Italy, although, all too often, they are simply the frozen variety. In the…
Read MoreVisiting the Holy House of the Virgin Mary – minus the pilgrims – in the Marche’s Loreto
The beautiful hilltown of Loreto, in Italy’s Marche region, is said to attract about four million pilgrims a year. But when my son and I visited on a rainy January day this year, most of the shops were shuttered, and we had the town and its spectacular basilica almost entirely to ourselves. We were returning…
Read MoreA seagull’s-eye view over Ancona’s port
For runners, Italy’s Marche region is a well-known winter destination for indoor track. I’ve already written about Ancona’s Palindoor track. On a recent trip for a race with my son, we enjoyed the “front row” view of the busy Adriatic Sea Ancona port, pleased to see such steady traffic even in COVID times. Ancona has…
Read MoreReliving carefree days on the slopes – in Italy’s Val Gardena
Last week in a post, I reminisced about tropical climes during a long-ago visit to Bali, Indonesia. But I realize my pre-Corona virus nostalgia also extends to days spent out on the slopes. Here in Italy (and throughout most of Europe), ski slopes have been closed since last year. After almost a year of impossible…
Read MoreJust another day in Paradise – in Bali
It’s that time of year again – February. Cold weather and short days. Every year at this time, I start to daydream about sunnier climes, and long ago vacations taken to these tropical locales. Then I torture myself relive those special moments by writing about one of those long ago journeys to sunny paradise. Somehow,…
Read MoreSkyscraper tourism : New York’s Freedom Tower
For any who follow my site, you’ll know my family and I are big skyscraper fans. I’m always attracted to skyscrapers, and have visited many of the major skyscrapers around the world. I grew up with New York’s twin towers, and went to enjoy views from the observation deck numerous times – including a few…
Read MoreGdańsk’s not-to-be-missed Solidarność Museum
There is lots to see in Gdańsk, Poland. This trip looms large in our minds since it is the last international trip we took before the era of Corona lockdowns last year, and so we often found ourselves returning to idyllic life when international travel was the norm. Although the city offers numerous attractions to…
Read MoreA stroll through Wheeling, West Virginia’s Woodsdale–Edgewood neighborhood
In my last post, I wrote about my visit to Wheeling, West Virginia. In addition to seeing the center of the city and having dinner with a panoramic view of the Ohio River and the coal barges passing by, we also took a nice stroll through the Woodsdale-Edgewood historic district. This district is on the…
Read MorePassing through Wheeling, West Virginia
This past summer, my son and I stopped off in Wheeling, West Virginia during a driving trip. We arrived in the afternoon, and took a walk around downtown before stopping for dinner. Wheeling, located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, was originally settled as a township in the state of Virginia. It is here…
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