My entire life, my relationship with my dad has been rocky at best. But during the last year or so we’ve reached a cordial balance. I’m learning to accept him for who he is and let go. He doesn’t always make it easy, but I can’t control how he is, only how I react., Read More

The Strait of Gibraltar. It’s a breathtaking view, just a narrow passage of water, where the North Atlantic becomes the Mediterranean, separating two continents. Europe and Africa, close together like a pair of lips anticipating a kiss. On the Spanish side, Tarifa. Chilled and relaxed, it’s a kite surfer’s paradise with long stretches of, Read More

What’s your definition of the perfect day? Mine is spending an afternoon in Seville, eating tapas and drinking either sangria, cerveza Cruzcampo, or tinto de verano at a local restaurant where the décor is old-fashioned, the walls are lined with bottles of wine, and from the ceiling hangs air-dried meat. Seated outside, I can, Read More

When it comes to eating out, I’m up for a challenge. Cash only, no problem, I’ll run to the ATM and forget about those bonus points. No wi-fi, great, you don’t need a cell phone to eat. Have to walk uphill for half a mile and then meander down some sketchy alleyway to get, Read More

The mistake of any good traveler is trying to see and do everything at once. Time is an enemy, working against you. Only so much light in a day. But when you stop and pause and ask yourself what do you really want out of the experience, time becomes an ally. Do you really, Read More

Porto. Some places just speak to you. There’s no explanation. It has the right vibes. Feels authentic. Incorporates the perfect blend of modern and old. For some reason, you can see yourself staying there indefinitely. That’s the concept of home, a place where you belong in a world constantly tilting and shifting.

Madrid is a hard city not to like. On paper, it’s nothing special. There’s no distinguishing, iconic landmark that’s worth traveling halfway around the world to see. No Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Parthenon, or Colosseum. But still, it has it, that feel. You want to go everywhere at once. Take it all in., Read More

  French cuisine is all about the experience. A meal is something to be savored and enjoyed; a marathon, not a sprint. First order of business, wine, which the waiter brings to you and pours at the table. Next, freshly-baked bread, eaten plain or with butter or Pâté. Then it’s on to the main, Read More

  Normandy. The first thing that comes to mind is D-day and the beaches where thousands of Allied soldiers lost their lives during WW II. My great grandfather fought in that war. As a replacement soldier he came after D-day, but still landed on Omaha Beach when he shipped over to France from England., Read More

Seeing a big city in short bursts, either on a long weekend or even during a week, has all the excited energy of a one-night stand or short-lived romance with no strings attached. It’s fun, random, but also temporary, a vacation from reality or like being drunk without the hangover. But how much do, Read More