Category: STORIES
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Scotland | Kingdom of Fife – The Bus Tour | Part One
Let’s face it, I’m really not a group tour kind of person. However, there’s no better way to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time than on a bus tour – which is why I joined a day trip in Edinburgh to “St. Andrews and the Fishing Villages of Fife.” The…
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People of the World
This is Bob Beveridge, in his secondhand violin / collectible shop in Falkland, Scotland. He is playing the prized guitar that was given to him by Roseanne Cash, when she and her famous father traced their roots back to this small village in the Kingdom of Fife. At the risk of missing my bus back…
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Edinburgh | A Castle in the Clouds
A castle under siege? No, it’s just a mob of soaking wet tourists, on their way into Edinburgh Castle. On this blustery, rainy day, I joined them. The 12th century castle overlooks the city of Edinburgh from it’s perch atop a dramatic volcanic rock that was formed around 70 million years ago. It turned out…
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Vancouver | Nature’s Design
My travels don’t usually take me into the wilderness, but when I was in Vancouver, Canada, I couldn’t resist a day of exploring – starting with a lurching, swaying, suspension bridge high above the Capilano River. The Capilano suspension bridge hangs about 200 feet above the river, and stretches 500 feet across. As I embarked,…
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India | Namasté
Wherever I am in the world, I am inspired by the beauty and color and character of unfamiliar cultures – the architecture, the landscape, the artifacts, and, perhaps most meaningful, the people. I have also found that my feeble attempts to speak even a few words of the language are usually rewarded with a smile…
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Copenhagen | In Spite of Babel*
At the Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard bus stop in Copenhagen, I sat down next to an elderly woman to wait. It was a long wait and, believe me when I tell you, she talked my ear off. She went on and on and on and on. Her name is Mrs. Arndt. We looked at her…
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Shenanigans in Sevilla
When I was in Seville, I broke into a church and a palace. The thing is, I only had a few days, and nothing was open when I needed it to be. I got to the Unesco World Heritage palace, El Real Alcázar de Sevilla, at 4:59. It closed at 5. I pleaded with the…
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Seville | Flamenco Two Ways
“Flamenco is the means through which man reaches God without the intervention of saints or angels.” -Luis Antonio de Vega Flamenco is one of the most dramatic forms of expression I’ve ever seen. While I was in Seville, I saw two flamenco shows, and they couldn’t have been more different… I saw them both in…
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Paris | History in the Walls
In 1902, a letter was delivered to Monsieur le Baron de Thénard, at Place Saint-Sulpice in Paris. It was from a mechanic, demanding payment for the work he had done on the baron’s yacht. In 2012, the letter was found in a wall. The letter was found by a construction crew that works for Americans…
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FLEA MARKETS | Madrid | El Rastro
On a Sunday in Madrid, there’s only one place to be. The El Rastro Flea market. Since the 15th century, the El Rastro neighborhood has been famous for the trade of second hand items. The market starts at 9, and by 11 the streets are teeming with people. I started at the Plaza General Vera…
