Spring in the Baltics: Casting a Nervous Eye to the East

The canola was in its spring bloom in the Baltics in May. The vast fields of vivid yellow against the brilliant blue sky created a natural Ukrainian flag. Yellow and blue flags are omnipresent across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The Balts are incensed and frightened by Russiaโ€™s unwarranted war against their fellow former Soviet state. …

Latvia beats US to win bronze in world ice hockey championship

"Latvia! Latvia! Latvia!" By chance we are at the Dome Square in the Old Town of Riga as the Latvian national hockey team beats the team from the United States in the world hockey tournament! Even though our team lost we were delighted to be part of this excited crowd! Check out our video: https://youtu.be/Ynkyd4PSj0k

Feeling a Little Fuel-less: How NOT to see Croatia

This PROBABLY could have happened anywhere, but it left us with a clear new first-order-of-business action when entering a taxi/Uber/Lyft/private car: CHECK THE GAS TANK LEVEL. Stunning Dubrovnik, Croatia, was a canโ€™t-miss for our friends who had never been. We made it a priority. So after deboarding our yacht north of Split, the six of …

London’s new ‘must see’ … the ABBAtars take the stage

Would you pay for pricey concert tickets to see digital avatars perform? Prices on par with seeing a legendary band? I would have said no. But then we saw ABBA featured on CBS Sunday Morning โ€“ one of our favorite TV programs - and were intrigued by the allegedly stupendous cutting-edge technology the band was …

Goodbye to a Culinary Legend at a Landmark New Orleans Restaurant

Five days before Christmas 2018, Leah Chase grasped my hands between her warm, papery palms. Her long fingers, steady and strong at then 95 years of age, one missing a tip, gripped mine for minutes. A beatific, genuine smile lit her face as we entered her kitchen at Dooky Chaseโ€™s Restaurant in the Treme area …

New Orleans: The Garbage Can Serenade, and other Quirks of the Quarter

Iโ€™m writing this a few minutes after some dudes decided to serenade us with the sound of garbage cans being kicked around under our balcony at the Royal Sonesta. In any other place, Iโ€™d be on the phone yammering at the manager. But not here โ€ฆ we loved it. Weโ€™ve been to New Orleans a …

Scandinavia: Pricey Provisions & Puzzling ‘Pantsdrunk’ People

You should know one thing before traveling to the Scandinavian and Nordic countries โ€“ Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. It is expensive. That is, unless you donโ€™t think $27 hamburgers, a $3 chicken wing and $10 drafts are expensive. But at least the taxes are high. You could try to do it on the …
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