Have you ever dreamed of taking off into the great unknown at the spur of the moment? You don’t have to follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, and Vasco Da Gama to find adventures beyond your horizon. Just go with the flow, and wherever you land, savor the moment. Immerse yourself in the culinary and cultural delights each destination has to offer. Don’t forget to smile, enjoy the music and dance…
A while ago this lovely card landed in my mailbox. Delighted by its playful design and uplifting message, I’ve kept that little treasure tucked away in my drawer, yet from time to time I’ve pulled it out, reflecting on the ancient wisdom of nature: how indeed we’ll find the seeds of our thoughts and wishes…
Read more‘Where has the year gone?’ That’s the million-dollar question many of us toss around when the old year rolls out and a new one comes in. And the many times I’ve crossed that threshold, the answer has been elusive like a dream. So, what is ‘time’? I’ve pondered over and over, leaving my thoughts drifting…
Read moreAlthough Austria is famous for the timeless music of Strauss and Mozart, the breathtaking mountain vistas, and The Sound of Music, the crisp apple strudel stands out as one of the most favorite culinary delights this Alpine nation smack in the heart of Europe has to offer. Considered the “King of the Viennese Pastries,” the…
Read moreNo visit to Vienna is complete without a visit to the picturesque town of Grinzing nestled amidst vineyards and rolling hills on the outkirts of Austria’s capital city. So, on my last visit to Vienna I headed out to this charming community famous for its tasty wines and many cozy tasting places, called “Heuriger.” “Heuriger”…
Read moreSpringtime. Season of awakening, season of bright colored blossoms, season of new life. That’s what unfolded on stage at the Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque one evening in early March. 5,000 Years of Chinese civilization presented by Shen Yun Performing Arts. www.shenyun.com From the moment the curtains were drawn, an all-Chinese male and female dance…
Read moreIn 1821, with Mexico’s independence from Spain, a vital trading route was established between Independence, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Coming to be known as the Santa Fe Trail, this only thoroughfare out to the Wild West was America’s first commercial highway west of the Mississippi River, stretching 900 miles across Kansas, the Great…
Read moreRumi. The great Persian mystic who walked the earth way back in the 13th century. Over the course of seven centuries, his teachings have had universal appeal, spreading across national borders and ethnic discords with Muslim communities throughout Central and South Asia having embraced his spiritual legacy. Today his inspirational poems can be appreciated in…
Read moreSalzkammergut. Austria’s famous region of spectacular Alpine lakes, scenic valleys, and rugged mountain peaks stretches from Salzburg to the east into parts of Upper Austria and Styria. https://www.austria.info › … › Lakes & Nature › Salzkammergut – Lake District https://www.salzkammergut.at/en Since the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” I will leave the…
Read moreBuried deep within the famous mountain ranges of the Austrian Alps lies a precious commodity. White gold. This mineral rich mountain salt has been the main income source for eons, generating a flourishing mining history dating back 7,000 years. At the center of it all sits the fairytale lake community Hallstatt. www.hallstatt.net/home-en-US/ A Unesco World Heritage site,…
Read moreVienna owes much of her imperial glory and splendor to the grand Habsburg Dynasty, which ruled a vast stretch of central Europe for six centuries from its capital city Vienna. www.aboutvienna.org. Germans by origin, the Habsburg family gained power when Pope Gregory X needed support for a new crusade. To secure a counterweight to the…
Read moreVienna… an experience for all your senses. www.vienna.info. According to the World Economic Forum, Austria’s imperial capital sprawling along the famous Blue Danube River has been named the “City with the highest quality of life.” And strolling through the manicured city parks, down pompous avenues, and past baroque facades, this quality of life pulsating in the green…
Read moreIf you’re still spelled after my recent Googlewood story, check out the award winning four-star resort, the one and only Guglwald Hof. www.guglwald.at. Sprawling right along the Austrian/Czech border in a majestic manner, this romantic getaway has become quite the destination, drawing wedding parties, honeymooners, wellness geeks, and city folks from near and far. Upon…
Read moreA long, long time ago, long before the idea of a world wide web and the Google search engine was conceived, a sleepy hamlet along the Iron Curtain, as the Austrian and Czechoslovakian border was called back then, bore the cute, funny name Guglwald, Googlewood. I was quite lucky to get to know Guglwald in…
Read moreHeading north out of Santa Fe, curving around a rugged canyon, the unusual town of Los Alamos beckons after a scenic 33-mile drive. www.visitlosalamos.org. Tucked away in the Jemez Mountains of Northern New Mexico, this sprawling community once housed Pueblo Indians and the Los Alamos Ranch School until the early 1940’s. Today, the world renowned…
Read moreHave you ever been to Lisbon? The capital city of Portugal guarding the southwestern tip of the Iberian Peninsula? A global city known to be the grand dame of Europe and one of the oldest cities in the world? If you have not, let me show you around. Landing on the shores of the Tago River,…
Read moreHave you ever dropped everything to step out into the stunning aftermath of a thunderstorm? When you took a twirl in the moisture-tinged air? The last time I did, the clouds and blue banner of sky had transformed into a ferocious twirl of ominous shades, spewing across the horizon like a dragon. As you may…
Read moreHave you ever heard of the Huntington Library? If you lived in Southern California chances are that you have. When someone told me about this famous estate housing a library, art museum and botanical gardens, I thought it was somewhere in Huntington Beach. Quite logical, right?
Read moreMeet a very unusual woman. Miss Erna Haselgruber, octogenarian and artist who stumbled on her ultimate passion late in life. It all began one dreary Austrian fall day when, out of the blue, inspiration struck. 69-years young back then, something compelled Erna to buy a paintbrush, art supplies, and enroll in an art class. What…
Read moreThe stifling heat couldn’t stop my adventurous self, trading my air-conditioned hotel room for a stroll along the famous River Walk right in the historic heart of downtown San Antonio. www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com. The call from the river below my window was just too strong. Heading downstairs and out the cool lobby, I stepped up to the…
Read moreShaped over millions of years ago, rising amidst yellow-red sandstone cliffs, the Echo Amphitheatre in Northern New Mexico is quite a dramatic sight to behold. Towering over the dry desert landscape along Highway 84, about 15 miles north of Abiquiu and past the Ghost Ranch, these spectacular rock formations just take your breath away. According…
Read moreI’m stepping off the ferry from Long Beach and like every other time I have set foot on Catalina Island, I fall in love all over again. No wonder. Such perfect romantic setting. Locals call it the ‘Island of Romance,’ Hollywood has featured these sun-kissed shores in many of its movies and flocks of love…
Read moreSanta Fe, New Mexico. City Different, so the slogan goes. And indeed, when strolling around the historic Plaza past the chic clothing and extravagant jewelry stores, one notices immediately the staggering difference to the world beyond this oldest capital city of the United States. Maybe it’s the dry desert air coming over the Sangre de…
Read moreIn Linz, that’s where it begins. IT. A product launch. A new invention. A travel adventure. Whatever. The possibilities are endless. This slogan of my hometown was the going phrase the day I kissed my parents good buy on a snow drenched December day in 1981. And today, after thirty years, the saying has morphed…
Read moreOne cannot help but think of Princess Scheherazade’s fantasy tales of 1001 Nights when gliding into the frankincense dusted world of the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Sprawling along the pearl white Arabian Sea shore, this magnificent structure featuring shimmering blue mosaic domes, arched facades and cooling fountains looks like a transplant from Arabia’s…
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