I was lying on Tofo Beach in Mozambique with my shirt shielding my face from the sun when I heard the distinct plop of a human sitting down next to me. I peeked from underneath …
January 11, 2011
Go Abroad!
Tofo, Mozambique
Santorini: Oia and Akrotiri
Santorini is one of the undisputed jewels of the Greek Islands. Two of its most enchanting attractions are the village of Oia and the archeological dig Akrotiri, once a prominent ancient town. Oia and Akrotiri …
January 11, 2011
An Illumination in Quimbaya, Colombia
On December 8, 1854, Papa Pío IX established the dogma of the immaculate conception of Mary. Granted, the publication of a dogma is not very sexy, but for Colombians, the doctrine represents the kindling of …
December 23, 2010
Pontassieve, Italy: Where Wine Lovers Go
Bombed into near oblivion during World War II by Allied planes because of its importance as a railway junction, the Tuscan town of Pontassieve is back on the radar again, this time for its fantastic …
December 16, 2010
Magnet School Students Fly to China
Barnard Elementary School-located at 2930 Barnard Street in the Midway District recently returned from a trip to China. The Mandarin Chinese K-6 magnet school forged an official sister school alliance with the 65-year old Chongqing …
December 11, 2010
Doing Europe: Pompeii, Italy
After spending significant time in Prague, Czech Republic in 2000, Jesse and I were itching to go south to the Italian beaches, and decided to take a grueling 26-hour bus ride from Prague to Naples. …
December 2, 2010
Bread Quest
Great food is like great sex. The more you have, the more you want. — Gael Greene A toast was made to friendship; glasses full of sparkling gold clinked, and our smiles reflected the warmth …
December 1, 2010
Life on the Rocks: Salvador, Brazil
“Thirty percent of Brazilians live in favelas,” says Michael David Lynch, proprietor of Albergue Pedras da Sereia in Salvador, speaking of neighborhoods like the one he moved to 25 years ago. Basically, favelas are built …
November 20, 2010
Ghent, Belgium
Ghent, a small Belgian city (pop. 240,000) in the Flemish part of Belgium, may not be first on your Belgium list – but it should at least be in the top 5. My friend who …
November 18, 2010
Underrated Seoul, South Korea
Seoul, South Korea, is one of the most underrated places to visit. I highly recommend you visit this vibrant, animated “city of the future.” Although I visited Seoul in November and froze the entirety of …
November 18, 2010
Salzburg, Austria
My sleepy eyes drank in the Austrian countryside as the overnight train from Venice moved closer to Salzburg. The glorious green hills were a refreshing change from the equally stunning but distinct Italian scenery. I …
Timeless Athens
En route to Athens, my flight connected in London with a stopover just long enough to view the famous Elgin Marbles in the British Museum. Greece has been determined to have them returned to their …
November 3, 2010
The "Real" Shangri-La, Yunnan Province, China
Referencing the book The Lost Horizon, the P.R.C. changed this town’s name to Shangri-La (originally called Zhongdian) in order to attract tourism. We arrived after a long, long sleeper bus ride from Kunming, the capital …
Lima, Peru
With 9.2 million people, Lima is the fifth-largest city in Latin America behind Mexico City, Rio de Janiero, Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires. The municipality of Lima, Peru, has 43 separate districts, each with its …
October 23, 2010
Downtime in Montezuma, Costa Rica
I relax in the hammock, the sound of gently crashing waves reverberating in the near distance. I muster up the energy to raise my head and see a girl in her twenties relaxing on a …
October 14, 2010