Travel
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Bavaria: Part Two
Starnberg,Herrsching,Glentleiten,Murnau,Garmisch and Regensburg
By: - Nov 18th, 2008Towns in the Alpine foothills of southern Germany offer spectacular scenery of lakes and mountains, along with distinctive local color and country charm. Regensburg is a picturebook city on the Danube.
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Bavaria: Part One
Munich
By: - Nov 15th, 2008Bavarians,who call northern Germans "Prussians", distinguish themselves with their traditional charm and exuberant life style. Munich sets the cultural tone of the region with its fanciful architecture, treasure-loaded museums, gastronomic delights and popular Octoberfest.
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A Portrait of the Northern Berkshires: North Adams, Adams and Williamstown
A Picture Book from Eric Rudd and Kelly Lee
By: - Nov 13th, 2008This is the third, self published book by artist/ entrepreneur, Eric Rudd. The superb images in this picture book were photographed by Kelly Lee who worked for ABC News and The News Hour with Jim Lehrer in D.C. before he settled in the Berkshires.
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Report on Southeastern Turkey: Part Three
Midyat, Hasankeyf, Diyarbakir
By: - Jul 22nd, 2008These three cities are distinctly different in character: Midyat is a mountain city of Syrian Christians; Hasankeyf is a city of impressive ruins, soon to be claimed by the rising waters of the Tigris River dam project; Diyarbakir,an ancient city of twenty-seven past civilizations, is now home to a large Kurdish population.
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Report on Southeastern Turkey: Part Two
Mardin
By: - Jul 21st, 2008Built on the side of a mountain with a commanding view of the Northern Mesopotamian plain, Mardin is an historic treasure. The artistry of the city's stone masons have shaped its architectural character, turning its streets into galleries in stone.
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Report on Southeastern Turkey: Part One
Gaziantep and Urfa
By: - Jul 20th, 2008Southeastern Anatolia is a very distinct part of Turkey culturally and geographically. This is Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris. With the demise of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War, Mesopotamia was divided by the allies to create national boundary lines for Iraq and Syria, and the Turks fought successfully to retain parts of their land. Inhabited by Arabs, Armenians, Jews, Kurds, Suryanis and Turks, the ancient cities of this area retain a cultural richness like no other.
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Report on China: Part Six
Hong Kong
By: - Jul 06th, 2008Although Hong Kong became part of China in 1997, it still operates according to the British system with its own $ currency. It is the financial center of China, where people seem to run instead of walk. The city boasts a panorama of high-rise buildings along with traditional districts. Hong Kong fascinates with its bustling local markets and harbor, and its shimmering skyline.
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Report on China: Part Five
Yangtze River
By: - Jul 05th, 2008Originating in the Himalayas in Tibet, Yangtze is the world's third longest river. Our three-day cruise included shore excursions to cultural sites, a visit with a farmer, who lost his land to the Three Gorges Dam project, fascinating lectures on Chinese traditions and breathtaking views of spectacular gorges carved by the river through limestone highlands.
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Four Score and Seven Years Ago
Visiting Gettysburg 145 Years Later
By: - Jul 05th, 2008On July 1-3, 1863 the Union Army under General George G. Meade engaged the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by Robert E. Lee. The three day battle ended Lee's advance into the North. The carnage was horrendous resulting in some 46,OOO casualties and losses out of the 165,610 troops that engaged in battle. When we visited the battle field was serene and sublime under a carpet of yellow wild flowers.
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Report on China: Part Four
Lhasa and Chongqing
By: - Jul 04th, 2008Surrounded by majestic mountains at 12,000 feet, Lhasa is the cultural and religious center of Tibet, one of five autonomous regions of China. Potala Palace, the former residence of the Dalai Lama,sits atop Red Mountain with sweeping views of the city. Ornate temples, silk shawls and colorful flags that sway in the wind carrying written prayers to the gods, all add to the beauty of this Buddhist land.
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Report on China: Part Three
Xian and Chengdu
By: - Jun 28th, 2008As the past capital of eleven dynasties and a center of Chinese civilization, Xian has a rich array of cultural treasures: the famed Terra-Cotta Army, Buddhist temples,herbal medicine markets, ancient folklore and crafts in addition to unique Sichuan cuisine. Chengdu is the home of the Giant Panda Sanctuary and its distant cousin the red panda.
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Report on China: Part Two
Beijing to Xian
By: - Jun 26th, 2008Beijing is the modern political and administrative center of China. Despite its mega city problems of crowded streets, traffic jams and polluted air, Beijing fascinates with its historic treasures, classical gardens, gourmet restaurants and cherished customs. It is a city well worth visiting.
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Report on China: Part One
Shanghai and Suzou
By: - Jun 25th, 2008The upcoming Olympics prompted me to share my impressions of China, which I visited three years ago. My three week itinerary with Overseas Adventure Travel included Shianghai, Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Lhasa, Chongqing, Hong Kong and a cruise on the Yangtze River. In this first of a six-part series are insights to China's modernity and traditions.
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Lafayette Cemetery in New Orleans
Remarkable Landmark and Heritage
By: - Jun 06th, 2008Because of the ground water issues the burials in New Orleans are above ground in vaults. A tour of the Lafayette Cemetery in the Garden District reveals interesting evidence of the ethnic diversity of the Crescent City.
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Pittsfield's Third Thursday
Lively Turnout Launches New Season
By: - May 16th, 2008Every Third Thursday of the month there is a celebration in downtown Pittsfield, in the heart of the Berkshires.
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New Orleans Reports: Habitat for Humanity
Building the Musician's Village
By: - May 11th, 2008In the devastated 9th Ward of New Orleans, Habitat for Humanity and its crew of staff and volunteers are nearing completion of the 70 new homes that comprise the Musician's Village. Some 70 new homes are also under construction by the organization which has been working in the area since the 2005 hurricane Katrina.
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New Orleans Reports: The Ninth Ward
The Post Katrina Cleanup Drags On
By: - May 10th, 2008Most visitors to the Big Easy come to party in the French Quarter. We took a day to see first hand the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in the working class 9th Ward which has been slow to recover. There were signs of hope, life, and renewal but the rate of progress remains a social and political scandal.
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New Orleans Reports: The Garden District
Touring Vintage Homes and Tulane University
By: - May 09th, 2008The famous trolleys have resumed service in New Orleans. From downtown we boarded the Saint Charles Street line for a tour of the scenic Garden District.
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New Orleans Reports: Ole Man River
Mark Twain's Life Along the Mississippi
By: - May 03rd, 2008Steps from the market in the French Quarter opposite Jackson Square is the Moon Walk of New Orleans. Strolling along the waterfront one comes to the river boat Natchez. On the top deck a musician plays the colorful calliope as folks board for an excursion.
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New Orleans Reports: The Big Easy
America's Party Town
By: - Apr 30th, 2008In New Orleans, for many visitors, every day is Mardi Gras. You see them on Bourbon Street well before noon clutching powerful concoctions such as Hurricanes and Handgrenades. Then there is a fabulous food from oysters and gumbo, a Po Boy sandwich for lunch, or K Paul and Antoine's for an elegant dinner. The Big Easy.
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Reports on Southern Africa: Part Six
Cape Town and Peninsula, South Africa
By: - Apr 15th, 2008Cape Town and Peninsula is a nature paradise with its oceans, mountains, flora and fauna. People from every part of the world have arrived here, some not by choice, creating a wonderfully rich and vibrant culture.
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Reports on Southern Africa: Part Five
Victoria Falls: Zimbabwe
By: - Apr 08th, 2008Victoria Falls is the world's largest curtain of water created by the Zambezi River. The tranquil river begins churning savagely as it nears the edge of a breathtaking gorge. Rainbows are etched in its rising mist; birds, butterflies and small creatures thrive in its rain forest.
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Reports on Southern Africa: Part Four
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
By: - Apr 03rd, 2008Hwange National Park rests on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. Waterholes, created by pumps to carry water above ground, have transformed the park into Zimbabwe's largest game reserve. Nearby villages provide insights to the traditions and the daily lives of the local people.
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Reports on Southern Africa: Part Three
The Okavango Delta, Botswana
By: - Mar 30th, 2008The Okavango Delta is the largest untouched inland delta in the world. It combines a lacework of islands, tree-lined riverbeds, open floodplains and dense gardens of aquatic vegetation. Its fascinating eco system plays host to a myriad of animal, bird and plant life. The night sky is a spectacle to behold.
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Reports on Southern Africa: Part Two
The Caprivi Strip, Namibia
By: - Mar 24th, 2008The Caprivi Strip is the wettest region of Namibia, known otherwise for its desert climate. Multiple rivers feed reed-filled swamps, flood plains, wetlands, and woodlands creating a verdant eco system that is home to over 450 animal species. Sunsets in this region are spectacles to behold.
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