Old cultures, especially agrarian ones, love their seasonal festivals, and the best time is after the hard work of planting, tending, and harvesting is done. Late summer, as the hot afternoons stretch and… Continue reading
There’s a time honored formula for the first day of a tour. Welcome meeting to go over everything, then a moderate orientation walk with light-to-medium content on the way to dinner together. It… Continue reading
A flock of Dutchfolk crowded the floating dock in central Rotterdam when I arrived a couple weeks ago. The last of summer’s warmth was flexing for the city, scaring away work hours and… Continue reading
The orientation meeting went extremely well, dinner was positively delicious, and my introductory walk around Bucharest was going splendidly. The after-heat evening air was hot with both the indolence of summer and the… Continue reading
Guitar cradled in front of his chest, the young man was living the dream. His heartthrob crooning filled the summer street where the evening passeggiata stroll around Bucharest was well underway. Behind him… Continue reading
Abdul Hakim drove like gas was super cheap, the roads were paper smooth, and traffic almost non-existent. Granted, all of that was true in Oman, plus his engine roared with competency when he… Continue reading
The bright little lights sparkle all the way down the row of tidy stalls. They seem sharper in the cold winter air. Look above the row to see the dignified old buildings of… Continue reading
The main thing tourists do in Muscat is visit the souq, or marketplace, in nearby Muttrah. Given how hot Oman gets (50C / 122F in summer) they share the latitudinal tradition of resting… Continue reading
The first two steps would be easy, but the third may have disturbed my sleep the night before. (Or it could have been the chilis.) Phase One was catching the bus from Sur… Continue reading
I wasn’t sure about Luxembourg. I enjoyed it as a largely clueless tourist, but would it satisfy the discerning Europhile I had in mind for a tour member? I’ve lived in and love… Continue reading
