On this trip we had a guide and a driver in each location. The guide met us at each airport and returned us back for our next flight. I will focus on Beijing, Xian, Lhasa, Chengdu, Yangze River, and Shanghai.   Beijing: Tiananmen Square is at least three times the size I expected it to be. It stretched in front and in back of the Mao memorial and burial place.  It was quiet when we visited, but our guide said that in the morning when the memorial opens, the line to get in is usually over an hour.  The square behind the … Continue reading 41. China – 2016

Baltic Cruise This post will cover Bruges, Warnemunde, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. Bruges, Belgium Our large ship had to dock at the Bruges container port and we were bussed into the town of Bruges. We took the 7:30 AM bus and arrived in Bruges by 8am, on a Sunday, and of-course, nothing was open that early.  The other option was a 9:30 bus. However, because it was so early, the town was peaceful and the streets were magical in their quietness. The sun was shining and the light on the buildings made them glow. Bruges is a beautiful … Continue reading 40. Baltic Cruise – 2015

While we were visiting our friends, Vicki Ondis and Stewart Pemberton, they invited us to come with them on a Baltic cruise leaving out of Southampton, England.  The itinerary looked awesome.  We decided to add a pre-cruise tour to Scotland with Rick Steves. The tour started in Edinburgh, continued to Pitlochry, Inverness, Oban and back to Edinburgh.  I will, again, give the highlights only. Edinburgh The Architecture of Edinburgh is marvelous. The buildings are all about 5 stories high and built from warm light brown stone, and very pleasant to look at. There is ribbon park with the hundreds of flowers, some made … Continue reading 39. Scotland – July 2015

I had heard of the beauty of Slovenia and Croatia and chose Rick Steves’ tour itinerary. I prefer smaller groups, but decided to give his tour a try even though the group size could be as much as 26 people.  The size was not a problem because his tours attract people who are real travelers and conform to his rules.  This was a great trip. Slovenia:  Ljubljana I like to be sure that I arrive in plenty of time for a tour, therefore, we arrived in Ljubljana a day early.  I pre-arranged with the hotel for a driver to pick us up and drive us … Continue reading 38. Slovenia and Croatia – 2014

My dear friends, Ajit and Laurie had recently visited Sri Lanka (Ceylon), his birth place, and they highly recommended it for our 2014 winter get-away. Sri Lanka is a small island in the Indian Ocean. Therefore, we originally thought that 2 or 3-week trip would be adequate, but it soon became apparent that if I wanted to see all the principal sights and have down time, the trip needed to be extended to 30 days.  Even with the extended time, we had to eliminate the far North and East of the country. We hired Varini De Silva, owner of Ceylon Express … Continue reading 37. Sri Lanka – 2014

Rome, Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este Rome, Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este were the third leg of the Athens to Rome trip.  Rome is well known; therefore, I will only mention a few outstanding experiences.  Rome Many monuments and churches in Rome are amazing, but it was Titus’ Arch which really got to me.   The arch depicts the defeat of the country of Judah and the bringing to Rome the artifacts (Menorah and Shofar) of the Temple in Jerusalem. The items were being carried by the Hebrew slaves, who also built the monument.  I had seen representations of that relief before … Continue reading 36. Athens to Rome III- 2013

Windstar Athens to Rome:  After our wonderful time in Greece, we boarded the Windstar boat to begin our week long cruise.  I will write about the stops at Monemvasia, Gythion, Mt. Elba and Vulcano Island. Monemvasia, Greece Monemvasia is a town in Peloponnesia, which belongs to Greece.  Peloponnesia is the ancient home of the Spartans, the warriors that fought Thebes.  Spartans settled Monemvasia, south of Sparta, in the late sixth century when they fled the Barbarian invasions. They built their houses along the sea below a towering mountain.  This is what is now the old town.  They also built fortifications, houses and a church … Continue reading 35. Athens to Rome II – 2013

Five months traveling in Central America was wonderful, but by fall that year I was ready for another adventure, this time Athens and Rome book marked with a Windstar cruise between these cities. I am reporting on this trip in three posts: 1. Athens and Greek Islands 2. Windstar cruise and 3. Rome/Hadrian’s Villa/Villa d’Este Athens and Greek Islands Athens From our hotel, Electra Palace Hotel, we were only a 10-minute walk from the Acropolis and could even see the it glowing from our balcony!!!!   There were many wonderful things to do in Athens, but I will only mention my … Continue reading 34. Athens to Rome I – 2013

Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala: After a brief trip to the U.S. to regroup, we headed back to Central America for another seven weeks.  During this part of the trip, we visited 10 exciting archaeological sites, and 9 magnificent Spanish colonial cities, as well as focused on Mayan culture. We also had awesome beach time. Mexico We spent the first week at the Mayan Riviera, in a small (26 room) jungle resort right on the beach. Lovely sitting in the beach cabana, looking at the clear water and gentle waves. I participated in yoga classes, walked the beach and swam. It was … Continue reading 33. Central America Part 3 – 2013

 Windstar Cruise & the Panama Canal: We timed the Costa Rica section of the five month adventure, to end in time for the Windstar Cruise through the Panama Canal. Windstar is a lovely sail/motor boat. Although the sails are unfurled as we set sail, the boat actually uses motor power almost exclusively. One evening we took zodiacs around the ship as the sun was setting on the sails. Although we had a number of stops, I am only writing about our Panama Canal crossing part of the cruise. But before I get to the crossing, I will tell you … Continue reading 32. Central America part 2 – 2013

After devoting ourselves to our non-profit responsibilities; Jane Austen Society (JASNA) and the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York (GSMT), I felt that I needed a real break from volunteer work.  Our solution: travel for five months in Central America in order to have a clean break. Part I: Costa Rica Costa Rica is a perfect place for an eco-vacation.  There are many national parks and private reserves that are havens for birds and animals.  It is illegal to cut down primary forests or make pets of wild animals.  English is widely spoken in tourist areas, tap water … Continue reading 31. Central America part 1 – 2013

Cuba is only 45 minutes by plane from Miami, but such a different culture. I was excited to join the Galapagos Travels approved Cuban humanitarian mission. In order to fullfill the mission, each participant brought about $50 over-the-counter pharmaceuticals for the St. Vincent de Paul old age home for women.   Once in Cuba, we met some of the nursing nuns at the home and learned that they help  everyone, not just Christians.  Bringing the pharmaceuticals did not seem like a big deal to us, but it meant the world to them. We were to fly from NYC to Miami, to meet our … Continue reading 30. Cuba – 2012

 It might sound a bit crazy to fly to the middle of the Pacific Ocean to see a few statues.  But it was awesome. We stayed at the Aloha Noi B&B (above) run by our guides, Ramon and his wife Josie. Ramon was born on the Island and the B&B is the house he grew up in. Josie was born in the U.S. to an Islander dad and an American mother. The big attractions of Easter Island are the 900 or so Moai including those that were carved but were never taken to a pedestal. What are Moai? They are statues … Continue reading 29. Easter Island – 2011

In February 2011 (a good time to escape cold NYC) I had Galapagos Travels arrange a trip to Easter Island starting with a bit of time in Chile. This post will focus primarily on our time in Torres del Paine. We began in Santiago, Chile, where it was in the low 90s and sunny. Our hotel was located in the old part of town and was central for touring on foot. This allowed us to walk along the main square, enjoy the beautiful buildings, the day, and the ice cream.  In addition to walking on our own, we had arranged for a … Continue reading 28. Chile – 2011

Madagascar, the land of lemurs and baobab trees, wasn’t even on my short list of places to visit. However, an email arrived in my inbox from Galapagos Travel announcing a trip to this fascinating country.  When I read the itinerary, and realized that unlike most packaged tours, this itinerary provided 3 and 4 nights at most locations and the 3½ weeks would allow us an opportunity to see quite a bit of the country, I couldn’t resist.  I had gone to Galapagos (January, 2004) and to Antarctica (January 07) with Galapagos Travel.  I trusted them and signed us up. Madagascar is … Continue reading 27. Madagascar – 2010