While staying in Saint-Remy-de-Provence for a few days, visiting the market and touring to nearby towns, we also enjoyed a hike out into the surrounding country for two local attractions: The hospital where Vincent Van Gogh was under treatment...
Paweł and I are back in his little red car on one-lane Polish roads behind tractors. Google Maps underestimates our driving time, and we’re going nowhere fast. Nothing fazes Paweł though, and he's ready with cameras for any kind of...
Congratulations to MAD Travel Diaries for recognizing the Swayambunath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal! It's also known as the " Monkey Temple " because of the large number of (mean spirited) monkeys that have all but taken over this complex...
The Orient Express! The very mention of its name brings images of eastern cities, romantic trysts, exotic costumes, shining spires and minarets—and, of course, that's why it was given that name. It began its run from Paris to Istanbul in...
El Morro National Monument On a drive from Taos to LA I was able to stop at El Morro National Monument ....
One of the events in Paris this year commemorating the start of World War I is a series of large photographs, mounted along the Champs Elysees from the Grand Palais to Rond Point. Each features the photograph, with captions and descriptions in English...
Reiner’s grave in Poland used to be unmarked, but I’ve made three trips to this beautiful country to fix that one error of war. My upcoming posts will highlight the progression of my research here to learn Reiner’s fate. In...
The cult favorite of many (I'm one), the Citroen 2CV was a true "people's car," designed to bring mobility to rural families. Designed before World War II, and with its heyday after, millions were sold. Legend has it you could fix any problem with a...
When we first visited Marseille's museum of the city's history, we found it fascinating; when we heard it had expanded and improved as part of last year's Capital of Culture celebration, we knew we'd be back. Model at top shows what remains above...
Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud is situated in France's western Loire Valley, a short drive from Chinon and Saumur. The name refers not only to Europe’s largest medieval abbey, built in the 12th century, but also to the...
There is a beautiful synagogue in Mád, a village near Tokaj in Eastern Hungary, that is not as popular as it should be amongst visitors. Today it is a Holocaust memorial and represents rare Hungarian synagogue architecture;...
After a brief holiday, I am back to Finding Reiner. I am writing this family mystery as a travelogue ( and as a graphic book illustrated by the fabulous Maria Lebedeva whose illustrations I include here ) for two reasons. First, war stories mean...
I love honesty in advertising! When a place as historically famous as Mission San Juan Capistrano tells you it's "Worth a Visit", it's not only a believable claim but likely one of the most understated in all of California. Founded in 1776...
The last of the great urban rail terminals to be built, Los Angeles Union Station is celebrating its 75th anniversary this years. It's not the largest of big city terminals; the age of the automobile was well under way, and the aviation age was...
Each of Paris’ 20 arrondissements has a Town Hall, the Mairie, and a district mayor responsible for local services; each Mairie also includes a district court that handles minor civil and criminal offenses, and each is housed in a suitably...