The lyrics to an old Three Dog Night Song keep running through my head. “I’ve never been to heaven, but I’ve been to Oklahoma. Well they tell me I was born there, but I really don’t remember.” We’re on a bus to Portsmouth, on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is my personal Oklahoma. They tell me I was born there, but I really don’t … Continue reading Exploring Roots
A (really) free walking tour is a great start to a day in one of England’s top sites There is a reason why Bath is one of England’s most popular places with tourists. The city is chock full of history and beauty, from the 2,000-year-old Roman Baths to the awe-inspiring Abbey to the honey-colored stone featured on much of the Georgian architecture. There is so … Continue reading Exploring Bath
Despite what the travel experts say, off-season is a good time to visit a Greek Island Conventional wisdom says don’t visit a Greek island in the winter. Just about everything is closed, and the weather isn’t conducive to fun in the sun. It’s much better to wait until the summer, the travel sites advise. But when you start your year of traveling in and around … Continue reading A Greek Island in the Winter
There’s a reason “eat like a local” is one of the most important axioms of travel. It’s a great way to experience and appreciate the culture of a given country and region. We try to do that as much as possible. We’ve enjoyed pastel de nata in Portugal, had tasty tapas and paella in Spain, eaten lots of baklava, moussaka, souvlaki, tzatziki, and saganaki in … Continue reading Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Renting a car is a great idea when visiting Paros. Just don’t expect too much. Traveling for an extended period while on contracted income requires economizing as much as possible. That means a lot of walking, supplemented by public transportation. Maybe by the end of this trip we’ll even learn to read bus timetables and routes. But 50-something days into our trip we arrived on … Continue reading The Mighty Panda
Off to See the World 