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For any real traveler, Israel is a bucket list destination. A crossroads of history and religion, the area possesses countless opportunities for both tourism and exploration. Granted, the country and surrounding area has a long been the home of political problems and violence. that situation has made many travelers reluctant to attempt the country. I confess, I put it off going for many years. That being said, traveling to Israel is now… Read More
I was in Turkey back in the 80s but never really hit any of the major cities. Wandering around the deserts in the East made me want to return. And, after 30 some years, I finally managed to do so. Obviously, Istanbul was an absolute must-stop destination. So many different travel segments have been done on the city that everybody I know who travels has either already been there or just sighs… Read More
Okay, to start with this post probably should have been called the wonders of Heraklion, but Heraklion is in Crete so, there you go! Considering I had a singular vision of what Crete would be before I left, I’m super happy that I went. Crete (or the Heraklion area) is worth your travel time. Getting my butt to Crete! When I was planning my trip around the islands I wanted to use… Read More
I suppose most people think of Santorini as a Greek Island covered by whitewashed houses. That’s what most all the travel pictures show. That’s pretty much what I thought of it before I ventured there. It turns out that the island of Santorini, potential home of the lost city of Atlantis, ancient volcanic caldera responsible for the demise of the Minoan civilization, historic holder of volcanic covered cities, or fancy blue-capped whitewashed… Read More
There is an ever-growing disconnect between what guide books and travel companies are selling and what tourists end up buying. The hardships and harsh realities of our world effect everything, including the wonders of the world at large. Overpopulation and over-tourism have had impacts (both good and bad) on many cultural areas in the world. The pressure to keep a tourist attractions pristine versus the pressure of the outside world pushing in… Read More
I think it’s safe to say that everyone knows where Athens is. It’s such an enormous seat of history and myth that it still demands a place among the great stops in the world of travel. I have personally been wanting to hit up Athens ever since I started reading Greek Mythology. It’s one of those iconic places. It’s sights are (still) world class. It’s food is fantastic. And, it’s people are… Read More
When I was making plans for the European summer experience, the second place I wrote down was The Matterhorn. I blame this on growing up with Bugs Bunny. It wasn’t until I started looking at how to get there that I came to learn about the town of Zermatt. A small little mountain town dedicated to the mountain lifestyle, conveniently situated at the foot of the mountain. It seemed the right spot… Read More
The bullfights in Madrid happen throughout the warmer months. Festival season (from around May) sees bullfights every day, where the remainder of the summer they are weekly events. The Bullfights in Spain are very much a cultural event. Attendance ranges from young couples and family, to the older sections of the population. It can be date night, and escape, or a place for a gathering of old friends. An evening at the… Read More
