I’ve traveled to a lot of places. Most of them, due to my being an American, were places that I certainly didn’t speak the language. I’ve gotten by with the help of hand gestures and pantomime skills. I don’t want to brag here, but I’m good. Very good. I’ve taught class to group of Russian […]
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The Best Hotel In Paris.
It occurred to me this week that it was 20 years ago that I first traveled to Paris. It was 1992, and I was a bit leery when I arrived. This was long before the big “clean up” of the city to celebrate the year 2000. It was before laws were passed that every building’s […]
R and R. No, Seriously.
The holidays are over and I survived. This year seemed to be busier than most. There were of course the normal family dramas, the stresses of finding just the right gifts, and the food, good Lord, the food. This year also came with lots of traveling for me over the last few weeks. I made […]
Star Gazing
I headed back down to New Orleans last week, my second time in just a few months. This time it was for a wedding of a close friend and it was really lovely, and loads of fun. As the evening wore on the bride and groom left, and the party slowly dispersed. I found myself […]
Holiday Gift Guide for the Traveler in Your Life
It’s that time of year again! That’s right Oprah has officially announced her “Favorite Things” list! Oh, yeah, it’s also Christmas time! Everyone is currently engaged in my least favorite activity – fighting crowds. I hate it. I’m more of a sneak into the mall an hour before it closes a few nights one week, […]
Photography 101 – Just In Time For the Holidays!
The holidays officially begin this week and cameras everywhere will be wearing out their shutters. I’ve decided to pass on some tips to optimize the use of your camera. I’ve been playing around with photography for several years, but it’s only been in the last year that I have invested in a high quality SRL […]
Why I Went to Russia
I grew up in what I have come to learn might have been the last “Cold War” community in America. My elementary school had fire drills. We had tornado drills. We even had nuclear bomb drills. Seriously. I can remember being in my classroom and crawling under my desk to prepare for the pending nuclear […]
When It Hits The Fan
Inevitably, at some point, in even the best-planned trips, the shit will hit the fan. Your luggage will get lost. You will get lost. You will miss a connecting flight. You will get sick. The person or people you are traveling with will drive to the edge of sanity. Something WILL happen, and whatever it […]
Something Different…. Fat Tire Bike Tours
A few years ago I became obsessed with the idea of riding a bicycle in France. I think somewhere along the way, the posters that are mass produced in America of photos from the 1950s Tour de France, or the classic one of the child on the back of bicycle holding a baguette, with a […]
How To Travel – CHEAP!
You say you want to travel? You want to hit the road, but you don’t have lots of money to spend? You are in luck! There are options, for ways to cut corners, and get a bit more out of every dollar you spend. The realty is, I’m cheap. I don’t like to spend money […]
Toland Travels 