Heading south from the Amalfi Coast, Paestum tucks away from the tourists and crowds that seem to linger solely at Pompeii. Having never heard of this ancient site, I figured it was worth the gamble to go see. The UNESCO listed temples of Paestum seem like a well-kept secret. With only a handful of tourists wandering around the site in the heat of summer, I could appreciate Paestum fully, letting my imagination run wild. All that can be heard amidst the reverberating locust’s song are the sounds of history lingering. The Greek settlement of Paestum contains some of the best-preserved Continue Reading
To There and Back With No Postcards To Prove It
Sicily is a place you can’t really escape after visiting. I was putty in Sicily’s hands, returning after just a year of being away. I found myself back where I started, but not. I was looking for a “slow travel” day. Alone on an island, I felt somewhat useless. If I have a day here and there when I travel where I don’t get out and see the world, I feel like I have let myself and the place down. As a result, one gray day, I boarded a train to Ragusa to go see, as they say. Not really knowing much about the city, I sat in the Siracusa station as construction workers kept trying to make eye Continue Reading
The Solo Travel Fraud
With a heavy southern accent, an older man approaches me at the airport. “I’m going to follow you little lady because I don’t know where I’m going. I can’t hear the announcements.” I laugh and say I will alert him when the plane starts to board. My flight on the eve of New Year’s Eve is set to go out in Denver’s first blizzard of the winter. The airline employees keep doing a song and dance of “let’s board, then let’s not.” I can see why the man was confused. Once boarding is called, I motion my friend traveling solo it’s time to get on the plane. He shuffles behind me like some child that Continue Reading
Freiburg, Germany Wishes You Were Here
This week’s Wish You Were Here post comes from Andrew Couch of Grounded Traveler. Andrew left the US to pursue work in Germany, where he became an expat, living and doing as the Germans do. Be sure to check out Grounded Traveler, follow Andrew on Twitter and enjoy Freiburg, Germany through his eyes. My newly adopted hometown of Freiburg is a university city nestled against the Black Forest near both the French and Swiss borders in the south west of Germany. They say it is the warmest and sunniest corner of Germany, which makes for wonderful times sitting outside with a beer, watching Continue Reading
Favorite Travel Blog Posts of 2010 From Their Creators
When a writer sits down to compose a piece, he or she might not always know just how it will turn out. With travel, it is usually the experience we had in which we are writing that tells just what that outcome will be. For me, there are travel experiences I feel that I captured perfectly, only to read it to a second party and not get the same “how amazing is this post” reaction. In 2010, keyboards and paper and pens were busy, writing, especially amongst travel blogs. I asked travel writers on Twitter and Facebook to send me their favorite post they wrote this year. Reading through them Continue Reading
Oia, Greece Wishes You Were Here
This week’s Wish You Were Here post comes from Danee of Museum Chick. Apart from being your ultimate museum lover, Danee is an excellent photographer. Be sure to check out Museum Chick, follow her on twitter and be incredibly jealous of Danee's words and photos below. After sweating in the 100+ degree heat in Athens, the Greek Islands were calling my name. Doing the Santorini-Mykonos two step by ferry may not have been original but it sure was beautiful. There is definitely a reason why Santorini is the most popular island visited in Greece and the “face” of many postcards featuring the Continue Reading
Redheaded Travel Mishaps of 2010
In travel, moments of pure serenity, unending calm and satisfaction occur. Those moments when you realize why you travel are what help most part with home. I am no different, but I tend to find the mishaps of travel all the more rewarding. A travel mishap, in theory, may sound like something you avoid. Being scammed on the streets of Mumbai isn’t really high on a traveler’s list. However in those failures, when the travel world shows it true colors, I learn the most about myself and even more about why I travel. Throughout 2010, I have had my fair share of travel mishaps, things Continue Reading