PLACES Christmas in Córdoba, Spain: Discover the Stunning Mezquita Posted on November 26, 2015October 5, 2024 There were more than 1,000 mosques in Córdoba during the 10th century and the Mezquita was the most magnificent of them all. More than half a million worshippers prayed alongside the jasper, marble and granite columns that fanned out like a grove of orange trees.
PLACES Christmas in Spain: A Scenic Drive from Seville to the Cliffs of Gibraltar Posted on November 26, 2015October 5, 2024 We spent 4 days and Christmas in Seville. We were told we would be closed. However, we were pleasantly surprised and delighted to find they were wrong during Christmas in Seville. Initially, we were warned that many establishments would be closed during the holiday period. However, to our pleasant surprise,…
PLACES Christmas in Spain: The Magic of Granada and the Alhambra Posted on November 26, 2015October 5, 2024 Wandering the Alhambra in Granada I was exhilarated at the prospect of exploring the Alhambra’s courtyards in Granada. With a confident stride, the four of us bypassed the less informed crowds. I kept silent about the fact that our online tickets were worthless. Regrettably, we had missed our flight and…
PLACES Christmas in Spain: Festive Road Trip from Malaga to Granada Posted on November 26, 2015July 1, 2024 Road Trip in Spain I made the amateurish error of packing late into the night before travel and incorrectly setting the alarm for 5 p.m. instead of 5 a.m. I woke up in a panic at 6:30 for a 7:30 flight. It would cost us an additional $400 and a…
PLACES Discover the Islands of Santorini and Kos Greece Posted on November 22, 2015June 17, 2024 We caught the slow, overnight ferry to the island of Santorini to catch up with my daughter who is in the Navy. The ferry left Kos around 8pm and arrived in Santorini early in the morning. I called ahead and the owner of the hotel sent a taxi for us and had tea and biscuits waiting for us in our room. My daughter’s ship was anchored off the coast of Santorini for a week. We rode the cable car down to the jetty where we received a brief tour of her ship.
PLACES Kid-Friendly French Riviera: Spring Break Road Trip Rules Posted on November 22, 2015July 13, 2024 The hill was so steep, every time I took my foot off the clutch to give it some gas, it rolled back and stalled out. Me and the car were going in the wrong direction. I tried again and again with the same outcome. The nice people of Eze were getting a little impatient until one politely rapped on my window. Then he took off, up the hill with both my kids in the peering out the rearview window.
NOMADIC TRAVEL Tokyo’s Armed Forces Resort: The New Sanno Hotel and Resort Posted on November 20, 2015August 20, 2024 This is one time when the hype is well-deserved. I highly recommend the New Sanno Hotel & Resort. It is available to active duty and retired U.S. military personnel eligible to use other Armed Forces Recreation Centers, as well as DoD civilian employees duty stationing in Japan, contractors on DoD orders to execute contracts for the U.S. Armed Forces stationed in Japan.
PLACES Land of a Thousand Temples: Kyoto Japan Posted on November 6, 2015June 16, 2024 Kyoto at first glance doesn’t appear to be a traditional city. Kyoto Station is modern and surrounded by other modern buildings… just like any other city. It has modern conveniences just like any other city. It’s one of the only places you’ll see women in traditional kimonos and no one stops to stare. It’s a land of a thousand temples and where traditions flourish alongside cell phones and everything else modern.