In 1992, I traveled to newly-independent Latvia and the neighboring Baltic republics as a tourist, as my partner and I had long been interested in those three little countries in the far northwest of the then recently defunct Soviet Union. I wanted to see and feel the joy for myself, not to mention the beautiful architecture and historic sites -- and, of course, to support their fledgling economies with our tourist dollars.



While sightseeing in Riga, a city I especially…

Amsterdam is justly celebrated for, among other things, its canals. But if any Netherlands…

It’s one of those majestic sights that imprinted itself indelibly on my memory forever when I first visited many years ago: a mystical, mysterious forest of columns stretching into the distance of the vast interior space that was – and is – the UNESCO World Heritage …

Sharing a birthday, July 11, with the national day of this landlocked, mostly Buddhist country wedged between China and Siberia (a bit smaller than Alaska and with a population around 3 million) has helped drive a longtime fascination. In the early Middle Ages essentially a world power thanks to the westward conquests of Genghis Khan, in the 1990s…

Apart from Santo Domingo and its lovely colonial zone, in general the Dominican Republic is better known for its spectacular beaches than for its historic architecture – though over the years I’ve certainly come across some fetching examples scattered hither and yon. Happily for lovers of quaint and charming towns, San Felipe…

A fair number of folks know that Great Britain is still hanging on to its colony at the Iberian Peninsula's southernmost Iberia, Gibraltar. Fewer are aware that Spain, too, has its own enclaves hereabouts – though a big difference is that they’re not colonies – carved out of another country (those who have been paying attention to the international news, though, might have been hearing about African migrants trying to break into them).…

It’s true that Prague, with its ravishing Old Town, bangin' nightlife, and other allures, is enough to hold any visitor spellbound for an entire vacation and then some. But much of the essence of the Czech Republic flows from the cities, towns, and countryside outside…

Visitors to New York City don’t come for the beaches, certainly. But if you should happen to be in town during the warm weather (say, through September), and…

Both Spain and Mexico are known for their rich ceramics tradition stretching back centuries (that of the latter dating back to the Aztecs, Mayans, Olmecs, and other Amerindian civilizations, and on the Iberian peninsula at least to the pre-Roman-Empire Celto-Iberians). But when it comes to "brand names,"…

When I read not long ago that Peru‘s legendary Andean site Machu Picchu had made the top of TripAdvisor‘s annual “Traveler’s Choice” list of most prominent world landmarks, I certainly wasn’t surprised (though admittedly, the list was more than a little weird in some ways – number two was some mosque in Abu Dhabi, while the Parthenon and the Pyramid of Giza didn’t even crack the top ten).…

The many-centuries-long saga of the Sephardim, the Jews of Sepharad (as they called the Iberian Peninsula) reaches back to Roman Hispania (and there are suggestions there might have been trade links dating back…

Ever heard of the “Conch Republic?” It’s one of the names the United States’ southernmost city dubs itself, and dates back to 1982 when leaders in Key West decided to protest a U.S. border patrol checkpoint that was all but choking off traffic on the only road in by proclaiming independence, declaring “war” on the USA,…

If, as the old saw goes, everyone’s a little Irish on Lá Fhéile Pádraig, as they say in Gaelic (even yours truly just found some Emerald Isle heritage thanks to DNA testing!), what better occasion to visit the the gateway to the Emerald Isle which bestowed this happy holiday upon us? With a lovely setting on Dublin Bay, split by the River Liffey,…

New England sure has been getting walloped by winter this year. But come warm weather, there's no more delightful part of the USA - and one of my favorite parts of it is also one of America’s first and most historic holiday destinations – a 339-square-mile (880-square-kilometre) chunk of Barnstable…

Among various other things, Spain to me represents one enormous banquet table, laden with distinctive and delicious treats from every corner of the land and surrounding seas. But I daresay there’s nothing more distinctive in the country – or in Europe, for that matter – than the ubiquitous sight of cured ham hanging in…

The Big Apple is famously the world’s biggest melting pot, both of people and cuisines. But there’s one that reaches its pinnacle in New York City, a kind of cookery that you should make a…

“By their markets ye shall know them.” 



I kinda just made that up - but on my travels I have often found it to be true. After all, what lovelier (not to mention tastier) way to learn the nuances of a foreign culture than rubbing shoulders with the locals, tasting the flavours of…

New Year’s Eve in Spain or Latin America is, not surprisingly, one of the prime party evenings of the year. It’s also pretty much inconceivable without the famous ritual of the “12 uvas de la suerte,” or twelve grapes of fortune. Basically,…

This fall marks 500 years since Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa “discovered” the Pacific Ocean while traipsing across the isthmus of Panama. That event changed mankind’s concept of geography and the world, and Panama has played a key role in world…

In the summer, of course, the third largest of the Balearic Islands is arguably the party capital of the world, throbbing practically 24/7 from its beaches, yacht marinas, and discos to the cobblestone lanes of its ancient cities and towns. But as winter approaches and Ibiza’s population shrinks from millions closer to its usual year-round…