Photo by Francisco Cornellana Castells

What is Into the Wild about? Into the Wild is one of those books that speaks to people on a lot of levels, depending on who they are and where they are in life. But one way to view it is as one man’s attempt to figure out how to live the richest, fullest life […]

Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame, Indiana

Ceiling of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. Consecrated in 1888 after 17 years of construction, this neo-gothic landmark now attracts over 50,000 visitors a year. The 116 stained glass windows, created by Carmelite nuns in Le Mans, France, add color, light, and airiness to […]

Wicklow countryside

View out over County Wicklow, Ireland. Despite being just south of Dublin, which is experiencing a huge internet-fueled building boom, much of Wicklow remains undeveloped. Small towns and patchwork fields bounded by hand-built rock walls line the coast. Inland, wild scrubland prevails, with soft bracken and hearty gorse covering the gently rolling hills.

Musee d'Orsay rooftop statue

One of three large statues on the rooftop of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris looking across the Seine to the Louvre Museum. This statue, entitled Orleans, was created as an allegorical representation of the city of Orleans, which was one of three major cities served by the train line that originated in the building when it […]

Nevada from Lake Tahoe mountain ridge

View out over Nevada from the top of the 7,600 foot mountain ridge that forms the divide between California and the Silver State at the southern end of Lake Tahoe. Although the valley in view is only 1,500 feet lower than the lake, the Sierra Nevada mountains block much of the rain and snow that […]

Skiers at Isola 2000, Nice, France

Young skiers at Isola 2000 ski field, 60 miles (96 km) north of Nice, France. Set in a high valley inside Mercantour National Park on the dividing line between France and Italy, the ski field gets its name from its altitude (2000 meters/6560 feet) rather than from any association with the year 2000. For full […]

Pre-departure checklist

Before leaving on any major trip, I always run through a pre-departure checklist that I’ve put together over the nearly 25 years I’ve been traveling. Some of the items on the list are fairly obvious, but I include them anyway on the assumption that nothing is too obvious to be overlooked. I learned this the […]

Wifi access in Europe

This post gives you tips on how to stay connected in Europe without it costing you a bundle. We discuss the benefits of using a  local SIM card in your phone and tell you where to go to access free Wifi connections. Wifi in Europe compared to the US/Canada In 2017, Akamai Technologies, a US-based […]

how to meet people when you travel

Figuring out how to meet people when you travel is one of the hardest but most enjoyable aspects of being a solo traveler. Going beyond checklist tourism to actually experiencing the local customs and culture firsthand. As a solo traveler, you’re in a good position to gain entry into the local community. It’s much easier […]

Chagall Museum, Nice, France

The Chagall Museum (Musée Chagall) is one of Nice’s two most popular museums, along with the Musée Matisse, which is located just up the hill. Although the collection is relatively small, it provides a satisfying and intimate glimpse into the magical and mystical world that Chagall envisioned. Chagall was closely involved in the design and arrangement […]

Chagall's Le prophète Elie (The Prophet Elijah) mosaic

Marc Chagall’s mosaic Le prophète Elie (The Prophet Elijah) on the wall of the Musée Marc Chagall in Nice, France. Created in 1970 specifically for the outer wall of the museum, the mosaic depicts religious scenes relating to the many miracles God performed through Elijah. The beauty and simplicity of the work is enhanced when […]

Self portrait

The Matisse Museum (Musée Matisse) is one of Nice’s two most popular museums, the other being the Musée Chagall, which is located nearby. Originally housed in a 17th century villa on the outskirts of Nice, the museum was expanded in the early 1990s and now includes a large modern wing where some of Matisse’s larger […]

Delicious Pocari Sweat sports drink

Japanese sports drink Pocari Sweat on sale at a mini-market in Dubai, UAE. In addition to this unfortunately named beverage, Japanese consumers can also buy Calpis (which sounds like “Cow Piss” when pronounced by the Japanese) and Moocos (pronounced “Mucus”). Perhaps not as bad as the delicious Japanese chocolate treat Crunky Ball Nude.

Hawaiian hula dancer

According to a study conducted by Booking.com, 72% of American women have embarked on solo travel trips. And they usually take three trips or more in a given year. When traveling alone, women need to take unique precautions to keep themselves and their personal information safe. The following link takes you to a post written by […]

Parade of "pointus" fishing boats during the Nice Festival du Port 2018.

Parade of traditional “pointus” fishing boats during the Nice Port Festival, June 9, 2018. Pointus boats derive their name from their pointed stern and tall bow sprit (“pointu” means “sharp” in French). These little boats were originally powered by latin sails and by oars, but now use standard motors when fishing the Mediterranean.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Coro (Basilica of Saint Mary of the Choir), Old Town, San Sebastian, Spain.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Coro (Basilica of Saint Mary of the Choir). Baroque Roman Catholic church completed in 1774. Located in the Old Town section of San Sebastian, Spain.

Picasso vase at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice, France. Because it was created without the use of a pottery wheel, the vase takes on a more sculptural aspect than a traditional one.

Picasso vase at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice, France. Because it was created without the use of a pottery wheel, the vase takes on a more sculptural aspect than a traditional one.

Red Bull Air Races, Cannes, France. April 2018

Red Bull Air Race, Cannes, France. April 2018. Pilots fly at up to 230 mph (370 kph) through inflatable pylons that are only 82 feet (25 meters) tall. During certain parts of the race, the pilots experience up to 10Gs of force.

Mini library on the beach, Dubai, UAE

Mini lending library on the beach in Dubai. Literacy rates in the United Arab Emirates have gone from 54% for males and 31% for females in 1975 to nearly 95% for both genders today.

Still Life with Stone and Car, by American artist Jimmie Durham.

Still Life with Stone and Car by American artist Jimmie Durham. This work was created in 2004 by dropping a two-ton boulder onto a 1999 Ford Festiva that was parked on the Opera House forecourt. Durham describes the work by saying: “This piece is concerned with monuments and monumentality, but also with nature; that implacable hard […]

Beaulieu-sur-mer beach umbrellas. Summer 2018.

Umbrellas on the beach at Beaulieu-sur-mer, France, located about 5 miles east of Nice. The town’s name aptly means “Beautiful place on the sea.”

Tips, recommendations, and proven strategies for dining alone

One of the constant and largely unavoidable challenges facing solo travelers is how to enjoy dining alone. Restaurants filled with laughter and conversation are great places to go to get to know the pulse of a city. But when you’re all by yourself, that sort of lively atmosphere can leave you feeling overwhelmed and isolated. […]

Surfers riding a solid swell at Biarritz, France.

Surfers riding a solid swell at La Grand Plage beach break in Biarritz, France. One of six breaks in the Basque region, Grand Plage is jam-packed in the summer, with newbies and intermediate surfers vying for the waves.

Dunns Swamp, New South Wales, Australia

Dunns Swamp, New South Wales, Australia. Created by the damming of the Cudgegong river in the 1920s, this scenic recreation area and campground is part of the larger Wollemi National Park. Despite its name, it’s not actually a swamp but a lake. Local fauna include common wombats, superb lyrebirds, satin bowerbirds, and an Australian owl called the […]

Stephen's Green Shopping Centre located at the top of Grafton Street, Dublin, Ireland

Interior of the Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre located at the top of Grafton Street, Dublin, Ireland. Prior to the mall’s construction, the Dandelion Market stood on this spot, location for some of U2’s earliest gigs.