A maturing couple who believe getting old is all in the mind!
New Orleans is a great city to visit. Those of us who have been are drawn back as there are countless opportunities to have fun, with a diverse range of entertainment options. In this article, I outline 20 ideas of fun things to try out when visiting the “Big Easy”
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Some 800 years ago Polonnaruwa was a bustling commercial and religious centre for the Chola dynasty, as can be seen by the amazing density of ruins of temples, palaces and other buildings. In the early 13th century the city’s glory faded and it was abandoned. The capital moved to the western side of the island where Colombo is today. In 1982 Polonnaruwa as added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
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High-up in the California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains are two of USA’s most spectacular National Parks, Kings Canyon and Sequoia. Sequoia National Park gives you the chance to get up close to the largest trees on the planet whilst in Kings Canyon you can explore the most incredible alpine scenery with the backdrop of some of the tallest peaks in lower 48 States.
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This is going to be a strange posting, but on our recent trip to the Far East, we were both entertained by posters we found in toilets on etiquette and safety. It did feel creepy pulling out our mobile phones to snap pictures of these but the temptation was too much!
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We have been vegan for about a year and for a while we struggled with finding places to eat out, especially on our trips throughout the United States. Luckily, we came across Happy Cow, which has been a god send
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Pidurangala Rock, formerly a Buddhist Temple is located just a few kilometres from its more famous sidekick, Lion Rock with its UNESCO listed ruins. It is a less expensive option and offers equally spectacular views across the Sri Lankan jungle.
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Located along the trendy Mississippi Ave in Portland, No Bones Beach Club is Tiki-themed vegan restaurant with all the expected trapping expected of a Tiki Bar; surfboards, fishing nets and bamboo screens pineapples, coconuts; tropical drinks (with plenty of rum and coconuts) and tasty bites. While most Tiki menus contain a heavy focus on seafood and meat, No Bones replaces this with vegan alternatives such as jack fruit, soy curls and even cauliflower.
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Our first day in India was an exploration of New Delhi visiting the UNESCO sites Qutab Minar and Humayon’s Tomb. It was a public holiday so things were pretty busy.
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I am never sure what gives me the most pleasure the experience of a journey or the planning of the trip. One thing for sure it is not the getting there. I write this as I wait with Karen at the airport in San Francisco for our flight to Hong Kong at 1:30 am.
Read moreI have been capturing our families travels over the last 10 years or so in blog postings and also in picture books. As technology has improved since I first set out keeping these records I decided to upgrade to a new site.
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Documentaries about climate change are sobering and somewhat scary intending to frighten people into action. HBO’s “Ice on Fire” is no different but it does have some enlightening moments that provide us with some opportunities to reverse the direction we’re heading with respect to climate change and how to live in a more sustainable way.
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The Sigiriya palace and fortress complex in central Sri Lanka is recognized as one of the finest examples of ancient urban planning, which has resulted in it being recognised in 1982 as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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The Oregon Coast is beautiful and rugged, but even in the height of the summer there are few days where you would describe it as a “beach” holiday in the true sense. The Pacific Ocean crashes hard into the Oregon coast, especially in the winter when the waters are stirred up but frequent storms. It has more than it’s fair share of rain and wind.
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We were greeted in Hong Kong by some wet, miserable weather. The weather in the tropics are complex. For Hong Kong and this part of South East Asia this time of year can be wet, and our arrival coincided with a passing tropical storm. I was happy though, because I hadn’t seen any rain for 3 months! Karen was concerned by the warnings at the airport, but we were assured that the “standby signal No. 1” was nothing to be concerned about.
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During our week-long stay in Mexico City, we fell in love with the place. We stopped in the heart of the city, close to the historical centre. But if when we go back we will for sure to stop, as do many other visitors, in either bohemian La Condesa or the neighbouring hipster district of Roma.
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Back in the 1990s Peter Jackson was looking for a location for sets for his upcoming Lord of the Rings Trilogy. One of the important locations was Hobbiton and for this he selected a sheep farm just outside Matamata on the North Island.
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Hawai’i, the Big Island, like all the other islands in the 50th State of the US, has been formed by volcanic activity and is the youngest of all the islands. It sits over a hot spot in the Earth’s crust, resulting in two of the world’s most active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Visiting Volcanoes gives you the opportunity to get up and close to a volcano and learn more about the science of volcanology and its role in the creation of these islands.
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It was during the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa (250 – 210 BC) that the Arahat Mahinda, son of the great Buddhist Emperor Asoka, led a group of missionaries from North India to Sri Lanka. He, along with his group of followers, settled in caves on the hill of Mihintale. The new religion swept over the land
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A day spent walking the street of the Spanish city of Barcelona in Spain’s North East. We visited Gaudi’s Casa Milà, strolled along Las Ramblas, meandered our way through the lanes of the Gothic Quarter and ended the day at the Picasso Museum. (Catalonia)
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The ruins of Anuradhapura are one of South Asia’s most evocative sights, a sprawling complex contains a rich collection of archaeological and architectural wonders
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After a few days of trudging around the hard pavements of cities, we felt the need to escape to the countryside and get some fresh air and slow down the pace of life somewhat. I had booked for us to take a tour from Prague to the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, which takes about 90 minutes to drive.
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