Let’s Embark
While the definition of embark relates to boarding a vehicle, it also means to begin a course of action. As we go from moment to moment, day to day, year to year, new beginnings emerge as new phases, mindsets, commitments, relationships, and perspectives change and vary. This blog is a place to share my thoughts and insights on the various adventures and daily journeys on which I, and we, will embark.
A Focus on Women and Art in Florence
In honor of women’s history month (March), a new walking tour focusing on women’s role in art has just launched in Florence, Italy. And isn’t it about time? A collaboration between Context Travel and the Advancing Women Artist Foundation (AWA), this small group tour –...
Botswana Beauty: The Okavango Delta
Sunday evening television was pretty sacred when I was growing up in the late 1960s and ‘70s. Although Laugh-In held the top spot in my house, I’ll never forget the mesmerizing wildlife images of Mutual of Ohama’s Wild Kingdom. Fast forward several decades and there I...
Getting some Headspace In Flight
Air travel can be stressful, boring, anxiety-producing. Once in flight, there’s no way to escape – the surrounding confines of a packed aircraft and its poorly circulated air, the tension that comes with making a connection, the inevitable lost baggage syndrome....
Walk into the Real “Downton Abbey”
This January, the PBS hit series “Downton Abbey” begins it’s third season, and I can’t wait to see what happens to the Grantham family upstairs (will Lady Mary and Matthew make it to the altar?) and their Downton staff downstairs (does footman Bates’ murder...
The (Mayan) Doomsday Ride on Two Wheels
According to the Mayan calendar, the world will end on December 21, 2012. To mark the event, the Tour d’Afrique biking company has organized the first (and last?) ever Doomsday Ride on La Ruta Maya. The trip leaves San Jose (Costa Rica) on December 20th and will lead...
Chocolate, Crosswalks and Close-by Adventure in Lucerne, Switzerland
“There are two kinds of travelers,” announced Jurg Schmid of Switzerland Tourism to a packed house of over 600 international delegates who convened in Lucerne, Switzerland for the annual Adventure Travel World Summit. “There are those who want to forget, to leave...
On a Gîte in Southwestern France
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to stay on a gîte – the French word for a holiday vacation home, often on a farm or vineyard. When a colleague mentioned she knew someone who’d opened a gîte on a vineyard near France’s southwestern city of Carcassonne, I...
Taking the “Om” on the Road
I used to pack a yoga mat nearly every time I traveled. I’d neatly roll up the rubbery sheet and press it atop my folded clothes, squeezing it in diagonally when necessary. Once at my destination, I’d place the mat in the corner of my room, unrolling it whenever I...
Peru (part 2): The Inca Trail, Machu Picchu & Lima
After writing my first post about Peru, I was all excited to write the follow-up. The trip had been amazing, and there is much information to share. But something kept me from getting to it and I kept on re-adding it to my “to do” list without actually doing it. Keep...
Peru (part 1): From Cusco to the The Sacred Valley
Clinging to the Andes, and resting between the Amazon rainforest and South America’s eastern coastline, Peru has so much culture, adventure, and a 5,000 year history – the trick is figuring out how much of the three elements will strike the ideal balance for each...
From Taos to Santa Fe. High on Chiles, Culture, Adventure (& Altitude)
As a visitor, New Mexico is one of those places – like New Orleans – that feels as if you are traveling to a foreign country – thanks to its local food, culture, and history. Add the mountains, the art, the natural hot springs and the options for adventure, and it’s a...
Triathlon to Tree Pose: Exploring the Power of the Breath in Mexico
I am married to a man who loves to compete. He is long and lanky, yet as strong as an ox. Much less competitive but also athletic, I have shared many challenges by his side for more than two decades – from running and cycling to rock climbing and skiing. While he...
