The carefree spirit of late summer lingers in the gentle warmth and golden leaves of early autumn. Still, Reader, now is the time to begin planning your holiday travel, especially your holiday flights. Remember those days when last-minute airfares would offer irresistible deals on unsold seats? Paul and I do. We gladly took maximum advantage of travel opportunities that suited both our pocketbook and our schedule. Alas, those days are gone. And remember those rumours that booking flights on...
15 days ago • 1 min read
The Empire State’s brand-new bridge opened on June 13th, 2025, in the 19th-century town of Brockport, New York. The serpentine bridge gently curves around the existing guard gate and gracefully spans the Erie Canalway. The stair-free design incorporates slopes, promenades, and landscaping to make the Brockport Pedestrian Bridge and environs accessible to everyone. It’s a fitting (and fabulous) demonstration of the Erie Canal’s two centuries of ongoing transformation, connection, and...
29 days ago • 1 min read
All roads lead to Rome. Because in the 1st century AD, Emperor Augustus raised the Golden Milestone monument in the Roman Forum, marking the origin of all roads. The Roman Empire’s most strategic road, the Via Appia in Italy becomes the Via Egnatia upon crossing the Adriatic Sea. The Via Egnatia runs the entire length of the Balkans. It connects Rome to the great cities of Thessaloniki and Constantinople – the “New Rome” founded by Emperor Constantine, now modern Istanbul. And everywhere...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Is there a special something that captivates your imagination, something you especially seek when traveling? Maybe it’s medieval castles with mighty bastions. Quaint stone villages with blossoms aplenty. Sacred and secular spaces with soaring ceilings and stunning art. For Paul and myself, it’s all of the above. And also, bridges. The best bridges blend the science of engineering with the elegance of design. Thus, the best bridges serve both the user and the beholder with connection,...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Do you ever wonder how certain places became in-demand vacation destinations in the bygone days before social media? Books, magazines, newspapers, TV, and films perform a vital service in travel and tourism, then and now. Take the Greek island of Crete, for instance, the setting for two very different productions filmed on location and released in the same year, 1964. The acclaimed 1964 film Zorba the Greek, is a bittersweet rumination on life, love, and loss that became a blockbuster hit: ✨...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air’s salubrity,” wrote Raph Waldo Emerson in the poem “Merlin’s Song.” Excellent advice. Because sunshine, sea, and fresh air impart a certain sense of health and well-being. (or “salubrity” in our turn-of-the-century poet’s rhythm and rhyme) So, how do you as a traveler confidently choose a great place to get a good dose of Vitamin Sea? Well, one way to make a confident choice is the Blue Flag Awards, an annual global program that...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Wandering through Plaka, Athens’ oldest neighborhood, you notice people snapping shots of an unusual eight-sided marble tower. You smile, wondering if they know that’s the world’s oldest weather station, operating since the 1st century BC. The Tower of the Winds is the highlight of the Roman Agora, endowed by Emperors Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar. It’s one of your favorite antiquities in the Greek capital. Form following function as Roman architecture is wont to do. The tower’s ancient...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Morning mist cools your brisk walk to the Ancient Agora, located at the intersection of Athens past and present: Below the 4th-century BC Acropolis. Next to the 18th-century Monastiraki neighborhood. With the 20th-century Athens Metro rumbling past. Paying the entrance fee, you enter the archaeological site with a lineage and legacy as important as the Acropolis above. Here, commerce and cultures flourished. Democracy and philosophy were born. Laws and coins were minted. Religion and rituals...
4 months ago • 2 min read
The sturdy motorboat chugs through turquoise waters to the small island just off Crete’s eastern shore. Shivering, you button up your denim jacket. Maybe it’s the sea breeze causing chills. Or maybe it’s the stout bastions drawing near. The little island is a short ride from chic coastal resorts and white sand beaches. But it seems so distant from that holiday scene. For this is Spinalonga, a world within walls on an island apart. From the late 1500s to early 1900s, a medieval fortress...
5 months ago • 2 min read