Travel
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Bolivia
La Paz and Copacabana
By: - Mar 25th, 2014Past problems behind, Bolivia is a new country under the leadership of its first indigenous leader, Evo Morales. Fast developing in tourism, it attracts with vistas of snow-capped mountains, lush rolling hills, bustling cities, and colorful native populations. La Paz is the country's largest city; Copacabana its most picturesque at the crest of the world's highest navigable Lake Titicaca.
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Kissing the Bleepin’ Blarney Stone
Blessed With the Gift of Gab
By: - Nov 27th, 2013When visiting Ireland it's obligatory to Kiss the Blarney Stone. Which I managed in my own fashion. The Castle is a dump. Better to be a peasant in a cottage with a turf fire than a lord living in that damp pile of stone.
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Uzbekistan: Part Three
Khiva and Fergana Valley
By: - Oct 09th, 2013Khiva is the most remote and intact medieval town in Central Asia. Passing through the gates of the crenelated clay walls offers a journey back in time. The fertile Fergana Valley, home to 1/3 of the population, harbors the towns of Margilon, Rishtan and Kokand, each famed for an ancient craft or historic monument.
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Uzbekistan: Part Two
Shakhrisabz and Bukhara
By: - Sep 30th, 2013Tamerlane's hometown Shakhrisabz preserves a rich history of architecture. Bukhara, the Holy City on the Royal Silk Road fascinates with a multitude of mosques, madrassahs and mausoleums. Many of the historic buildings are now restored museums and craft workshops, which provide a unique setting for carpets, ceramics, textiles, metal work and wood carvings.
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Uzbekistan: Part One
Tashkent and Samarkand
By: - Sep 21st, 2013The fertile oases across Uzbekistan have attracted great conquerors in history, each leaving an architectural legacy along the fabled Silk Road. On this ancient trade route the cities of Tashkent and Samarkand shimmer with turquoise domes and spectacular mosaics. The cities also brim with exceptional crafts, fashioned out of silk, wood, metal and ceramics.
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The Roads of North America, Part Four
From DC to Georgia and Home
By: - Sep 14th, 2013When we started planning a trip south, Savannah, Georgia, was the first location that came to mind. Actually, John Berendt’s novel, 'In the Garden of Good and Evil,' triggered our thoughts and imagination. We wanted to explore Old Savannah, as he had portrayed it. Other stops along the way fell into place after that.
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The Roads of North America, Part Three
A Drive South from the Berkshires to Georgia – 2013
By: - Sep 07th, 2013Part Three you wonder? It's our second road trip which we chronicled in daily entries, noting all roads by numbers. And what an adventure! The stops in this report include days in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC.
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Provincetown Launches Season
Life is a Beach
By: - May 02nd, 2013Now that it is May beach resorts are launching the summer season. We got a jump by visiting Myrtle Beach and Tybee Island in February and a week on the Cape in April. We offer a preview of Truro and Provincetown with plans to return in the fall.
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Bascom Lodge Celebrates its 75th Anniversary
Events from June 1 through October 20
By: - Apr 22nd, 2013In celebration of its 75th anniversary this year, Bascom Lodge, the iconic Berkshire landmark at the summit of Mount Greylock, has planned a series of special events and programs related to the rich history of the Lodge, the mountain, the 1930s, and local history and folklore.
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Chile and Argentina: Part Three
Chilean Fjords, Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn
By: - Apr 18th, 2013Cruising southernmost Patagonia around the channels and fjords that border the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and Cape Horn is an electrifying experience. Majestic mountains, towering glaciers and charming colonies of coastal birds portray indelible images.
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Chile and Argentina: Part Two
Buenos Aires, El Calafate and Patagonia
By: - Apr 07th, 2013The capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires is a twenty-four-hour city with colorful neighborhoods, fashionable districts, and a vibrant cultural life. El Calafate is the gateway to Patagonia, the southernmost part of South America both in Argentina and Chile. It is a vast land of national parks, towering mountains, pristine lakes, and large glaciers.
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Chile and Argentina: Part one
Santiago de Chile and Easter Island
By: - Mar 30th, 2013At the crest of the high Andes, Santiago is a bustling, international city with architectural treasures and cultural attractions. Easter Island, Chile's Pacific outpost, fascinates with Polynesian lore, impressive large stone statues and volcanic natural wonders.
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Touring Carnivals in Europe
Part Two: Nice, Tenerife, Binche, Aalst, Viareggio
By: - Jan 10th, 2013The Carnival in Nice is a lavish show with a seafront parade of beautiful floats decorated with cut flowers. In Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival ends with the burial of a giant paper mache sardine by the sea. Binche and Aalst Carnivals of Belgium are loyal to tradition, offering unforgettable moments in anonymity. Viareggio Carnival is a seafront show of colossal proportions , poking fun at authority with biting satire.
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Touring Carnivals Europe and Americas
Part One: Trinidad, Quebec, Venice, and Basel
By: - Jan 07th, 2013Dating back to the Middle Ages, Carnival, meaning "farewell to flesh" in Latin, is a celebration that marks the beginning of Lent. Each one is unique based on the tradition, culture, and climate of the country where it is observed. During the years I directed First Night Boston I attended nine carnivals to glean ideas for community involvement. The events were delightful, enchanting, and inspirational.
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Tanzania: Part Four
Ngorongoro Crater and Karatu
By: - Mar 29th, 2012A volcanic bowl, Ngorongoro is a wildlife refuge, where over 20,000 animals live year-round. The Crater's floor of open grassland, dotted with animals big and small against a backdrop of mountains, is a sight to behold. Karatu is the major village in the Highlands, which provides fantastic views of the crater, along with an array of lodges for visitors.
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Tanzania: Part Three
Olduvai Gorge and Serengeti National Park
By: - Mar 23rd, 2012Man's first footsteps were printed in Olduvai's volcanic ash. This weathered land extends to the Serengeti Plains, which with its multitude and diversity of wildlife against a spectacular African landscape is a feast for the eye.
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Tanzania: Part Two
Arusha and Tarangire National Park
By: - Mar 16th, 2012Arusha, the major city in northeastern Tanzania, is base camp for most safaris in the region's famous game reserves and tribal communities. Tarangire National Park, named after the shallow river, which passes through it, attracts huge numbers of game sustained by the river, as well as an impressive number and diversity of birds.
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Tanzania: Part One
Kilimanjaro Foothills
By: - Mar 12th, 2012Camping within the Masai's 45,000-acre game reserve that runs along Tanzania's and Kenya's shared border was an unforgettable experience. Here, below the impressive landscape of mountains, genuinely primitive people and animals share the boundless wilderness.
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The Hidden Treasures of Newport , Rhode Island
Things That Go Bump on a Summer's Eve
By: - Jul 05th, 2011During a drive around Newport, Rhode Island's famed Cliff Walk one encounters not just those fabulous cottages of the Gilded Age but also the armed fortress of the Patriaca clan. It is not a tourist attraction and drive by fast if you know what's good for you. With its craggy coast of nooks and crannies from early on it has been a smuggler's paradise and now a haven for mavens, Best known for fabulous jazz on a summer's day and lots of other cool stuff. We have a complete cheat sheet with contact info. Clip and save for a glorious getaway from the steamy city. The Vanderbilts traveled by yacht but you can get there with a car.
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Festival of Water and Light
Thailand’s Laem Mae Phim
By: - May 07th, 2011Michael Bedford and Sarah Sutro have recently settled in the Eclipse Mill in North Adams after many years of living and working in Asia. This is the second in a series of essays by Bedford about those experiences.
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Bascom Lodge on Mt. Greylock
Open Through November
By: - Apr 29th, 2011Mount Greylock, is the highest point in Massachusetts at 3,489 feet (1,063 m). During the depression years the CCC built Bascom Lodge. Three years ago the artist, Peter Dudek, his brother John, a chef, and his partner Brad Parsons won a competition, a twenty five year lease, to manage the Lodge. The contract entails a half million in renovations over ten years. On May 14 they open for the third season which runs through November.
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Sri Lanka: Part Three
Hill Country and Nuwara Eliya
By: - Apr 23rd, 2011Sri Lanka at its most scenic is the Hill Country with verdant mountains, colonial mansions and views of colorful Tamil tea pickers in the vast plantations. Nuwara Eliya is the city on the hill, known as "Little England."
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The Bookseller of Dhaka
A Tale from Bangaladesh
By: - Apr 20th, 2011Author Michael Bedford and his wife the artist Sarah Sutro have recently settled in North Adams after many years of living and working in Asia. This is the first of what we hope will be a series of writings about their experiences. Here we are introduced to Bedford's rich and observant narrative style.
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Sri Lanka: Part Two
Dambulla and Kandy
By: - Apr 18th, 2011Dambulla and Kandy are major centers within Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle, which encapsulates extraordinary Buddhist art and architecture. Just to see Sigiriya and the Dambulla Rock Cave Temples alone are worth the trip to Sri Lanka. However, the region offers much more both in natural beauty and Sinhalese culture.
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Sri Lanka: Part One
Colombo, the Gateway City
By: - Apr 15th, 2011The range of contrasting landscapes and cultures packed into this small island, the size of Ireland, makes it a fascinating destination. Colombo, the eclectic capital, rewards with its mix of cultures and sights despite its seeming chaos and crowds.
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