Travel Journal
Relaying the experience of a journey…
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Off-the-Beaten-Path Sweden: Industrial Eskilstuna
More Details: Off-the-Beaten-Path Sweden: Industrial EskilstunaA year ago, I went to Sweden with the idea of spending a little more time in Stockholm than a one-day cruise ship stop allowed me years before. I really like Stockholm and its different neighborhoods, its surroundings (water!), and its old town. But, as part of this short trip, I also felt the urge…
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Making a Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France
More Details: Making a Pilgrimage to Lourdes, FranceA pilgrimage to Lourdes, France – a major Catholic pilgrimage destination – was a one-of-a-kind of experience for me. It was that for two very good reasons: It is the site where the Virgin Mary appeared to young Bernadette, a country girl with no education but a lot of faith. (Watch the 1943 classic “The…
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Andorra: The Last of the Tiny Ones
More Details: Andorra: The Last of the Tiny OnesI wrote earlier this year about my visit to tiny Liechtenstein, second to last of the small European countries left for me to step foot on. Nestled between Switzerland and Austria, it is protected by mountains which helps explain perhaps why it survived as an entity over the centuries. Well, 2017 was the year to…
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Eating Out and Exploring San Sebastian, Spain – Phenomenal!
More Details: Eating Out and Exploring San Sebastian, Spain – Phenomenal!As I mentioned in my earlier post, one of the goals of our trip to Spain was to visit the lands from which some of my Mom’s ancestors came to Cuba. San Sebastian (or “Donostia” in the local language), in Spain’s Basque country, was perfectly situated to serve as our base to explore before heading…
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In-and-Out: Vermont
More Details: In-and-Out: VermontAs part of my “In-and-Out” series (where I write about very short visits to places due to business trips), I am going to share about my visit to my 40th state. This week, I got an opportunity to visit one of my employer’s offices in Burlington, Vermont, a state I had never set foot on…
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Small European Countries – One Left to Go!
More Details: Small European Countries – One Left to Go!I admit it, I am not ashamed to share it. It is frivolous and perhaps not terribly inspiring. Hopefully, not embarrassing. Or so I tell myself… (Is there a support group, perhaps?) Here it is… I do want to finish the little ones in Europe; the little countries, I mean. I don’t mean “finish them” as…
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Ta Prohm, Cambodia: Trees Take over a Temple
More Details: Ta Prohm, Cambodia: Trees Take over a TempleBefore my trip to Cambodia, I knew about Angkor Wat (of course!). But, I did not know about Ta Prohm. I had seen pictures of it but did not know that it was a specific temple close to Angkor Wat and, much less, its name or extent of the wonders it contains. When you look…
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Top 14 Items for a Kilimanjaro Packing List
More Details: Top 14 Items for a Kilimanjaro Packing ListI assume that, if you are on this post you must be thinking of your Mount Kilimanjaro packing list. Well, you came to the right spot! How to prepare for climbing Kilimanjaro is a crucial step in your planning efforts. Via this blog, I share my preparation and packing tips for what to bring on this…
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Around Katarina Church in Stockholm
More Details: Around Katarina Church in StockholmWhile I like seeing the main sights of any city I visit, I also enjoy walking around aimlessly and seeing what I discover. Katarina Church (Katarina Kyrka) in Stockholm (Södermalm) was one of those discoveries. Perhaps if I had done my research ahead of time, the church and its neighborhood would have ended on a…
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Stockholm’s City Hall – Great Vantage Point
More Details: Stockholm’s City Hall – Great Vantage PointBefore my recent trip to Southeast Asia, I took advantage of a cheap airfare to spend a long weekend in Stockholm. I had been there a while back on a day stop from a cruise with my family. It was summer time and it allowed us to get a flavor of this city by walking…
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Angkor Thom’s Main Temple: Bayon
More Details: Angkor Thom’s Main Temple: BayonWhile Angkor Wat is the better known of all the temple complexes in Cambodia, there are others that are a must. Bayon is one of those. It is imposing and a veritable maze, making it fun to explore. Bayon (built in the 12th-13th century period) sits in the middle of Angkor Thom which was the capital of…
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Sunset over Tonlé Sap Lake | Off the Beaten Path Cambodia
More Details: Sunset over Tonlé Sap Lake | Off the Beaten Path CambodiaAs I mentioned in an earlier post about arriving in and exploring Siem Reap, we had asked the hotel to organize a drive that took us out of the town and into the countryside. We were looking to experience off the beaten path Cambodia. We were hoping to see more than seeing the fantastic and…