2019 Travel Posts

Lists: Virtuoso's "Where to Travel in 2019" and Cruise Critic's "Top Ten Cruise Destinations"

POSTED JANUARY 28, 2019

Lists - bucket, travel, cruise, cities, islands, etc.- can open our eyes to places we may not have thought of visiting. Here are two lists - one from the travel advisor website, Virtuoso, [link below right] and one from AARP based on suggestions from Cruise Critic [link below left].

Virtuoso makes the case for nine European trips "beyond the classics". Here's what they say about a couple of the destinations:

Coastal Croatia - “Cruising the Dalmatian coast is an experience that needs to be on your list,” says Becky Robinson, a travel advisor from Austin, Texas. “The Croatian coast is lush with vegetation, and many charming small islands dot the coastline.” Case in point: the breathtaking isle of Hvar, with its stately Venetian fortress, and Zadar, an uncrowded coastal city that Alfred Hitchcock once proclaimed to have the most beautiful sunsets in the world.

Warsaw - The Polish capital is becoming one of Europe’s hippest destinations for 2019. “The city has shed its dark past and transformed into a fun, cultural place with much to offer global travelers,” says Chester, UK-based advisor Claire Parsons. Explore the easily walkable Old Town and its surrounding museums, including the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews; take in an alfresco summer concert featuring the music of Warsaw native Frédéric Chopin at Łazienki Park; and dive into the city’s impressive dining scene.

The Cruise Critic/AARP list includes both river and ocean cruises. It includes destinations both oft-visited and less well known.

Glacier Bay - "There’s just no other place like it: It has sheltered fjords, glaciers and an abundance of wildlife. You could literally be looking at one of the most stunning glaciers in the world and a whale breaches in front of you. It’s that kind of place. It’s spectacular."

Arles - "A favorite of river cruisers along the Rhône in Provence, Arles has a quaint old-town area with cobblestone walkways, and a big Roman influence, with an incredible amphitheater built in 90 A.D. that looks like a mini-Colosseum. And if you’re an art fan, you know this is where van Gogh spent time and painted, so you can see some of scenes he featured, most notably 'Café Terrace at Night.' It’s a very special place."

The most mesmerizing places on Earth

POSTED JANUARY 30, 2019

Where to go in March

POSTED FEB 19, 2019

April may be the cruelest month but March is the month that has travelers wrestling with indecision. Should I wait it out until the spring? Maybe I can endure winter for a few more weeks. Or not. The groundhogs said we'd have an early spring. But who believes them? Enter arctic vortex, freezing rain, and the awful "wintry mix". World Travel Guide has some suggestions [link below left].

The World's Most Beautiful Train Stations

POSTED MARCH 12, 2019

Great vacation spots to see spring flowers

POSTED MARCH 27, 2019

Spring is officially here. The days are getting noticeably longer, the swallows have returned to Capistrano, and flowers will soon be in bloom. Travel + Leisure [link below left] and Budget Travel [link below right] give us their suggestions for where to go to surround yourself with beauty. The tulips of Holland and the gardens of Giverny make both lists. Closer to home, this is what Budget Travel says about D.C.'s cherry trees:

"Washington, D.C., decked out in cherry trees could melt the heart of even a politician. The trees were given to Washington in 1912 by the city of Tokyo and they attract about a half-million visitors each spring to blossom hotspots like the Tidal Basin. The National Cherry Blossom Festival (nationalcherryblossomfestival.org) traditionally runs through mid-April, with a grand parade this year on Saturday April 13. Your best bet for viewing the trees crowd-free is to visit before the parade weekend and hit the Mall before dawn to catch the blossoms as they're caressed by the dawn's early light."

Stargazing

POSTED APRIL 12, 2019

I am fascinated by the night sky. Living in the Northeast with its light pollution does not provide a perfect setting for star gazing, but there are other locales that do. Travel + Leisure and Smithsonian Magazine give their top choices for stargazing in the links below.

If you'd like to limit your travel to the US, Fodor's provides its list of the "10 Best Stargazing Sites in the U. S."

Top 10 Regions to Visit in 2019

POSTED MAY 30, 2019

Lonely Planet has compiled its Best in Travel top 10 regions to visit in 2019 - places less well known but "ready for the spotlight. Here's what they had to say about several of the regions:

Piedmont, Italy

"...with Turin’s contemporary-arts and electronic-music scenes flourishing, a very special self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci squirrelled away in the city’s Biblioteca Reale, sublimely remote Alpine walking trails and a clutch of exquisitely bucolic villages and valleys offering up arguably Italy’s best reds (wine) and whites (truffles), it might not be just the savvy, arty, foodie traveller’s secret for much longer.

The Catskills

Fifty years ago in the heart of the Catskills, the Woodstock Festival became one of the watershed events that defined a generation. Although the flower children may now have grandkids of their own, the free-spirited ethos lives on in the indie-loving towns of this picturesque region in upstate New York. In recent years there’s been an influx of creative farm-to-table restaurants, bespoke breweries and distilleries, and a growing array of arts collectives and high-profile concert venues. Speaking of concerts, August 2019 is the time to visit if you want to be a part of history – revelry and music will once again be in the air for the 50th anniversary of Woodstock.

Elqui Valley, Chile

Near the southern edge of the vast Atacama Desert, mountain rivers wind their way through vine-covered hillsides, chiselled peaks and serene villages slumbering beneath star-filled night skies. This is the Elqui Valley, one of northern Chile’s most alluring regions. Though its charms are many – 320 days of sunshine, birthplace of a Nobel Prize–winning poet and epicentre of Chile’s pisco production – the valley has remained largely hidden from the world’s gaze. However, word is slowly getting out about this remarkable region and astrotourists are coming in increasing numbers to view its famously clear skies, particularly in 2019 when a total solar eclipse will pass directly overhead.

Lonely Planet has updated its link, which now navigates to its home page where you can explore Best in Travel via a search text box.

Top 10 Regions to Visit in 2019

POSTED MAY 30, 2019

Lonely Planet has compiled its Best in Travel top 10 regions to visit in 2019 - places less well known but "ready for the spotlight. Here's what they had to say about several of the regions:

Piedmont, Italy

"...with Turin’s contemporary-arts and electronic-music scenes flourishing, a very special self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci squirrelled away in the city’s Biblioteca Reale, sublimely remote Alpine walking trails and a clutch of exquisitely bucolic villages and valleys offering up arguably Italy’s best reds (wine) and whites (truffles), it might not be just the savvy, arty, foodie traveller’s secret for much longer.

The Catskills

Fifty years ago in the heart of the Catskills, the Woodstock Festival became one of the watershed events that defined a generation. Although the flower children may now have grandkids of their own, the free-spirited ethos lives on in the indie-loving towns of this picturesque region in upstate New York. In recent years there’s been an influx of creative farm-to-table restaurants, bespoke breweries and distilleries, and a growing array of arts collectives and high-profile concert venues. Speaking of concerts, August 2019 is the time to visit if you want to be a part of history – revelry and music will once again be in the air for the 50th anniversary of Woodstock.

Elqui Valley, Chile

Near the southern edge of the vast Atacama Desert, mountain rivers wind their way through vine-covered hillsides, chiselled peaks and serene villages slumbering beneath star-filled night skies. This is the Elqui Valley, one of northern Chile’s most alluring regions. Though its charms are many – 320 days of sunshine, birthplace of a Nobel Prize–winning poet and epicentre of Chile’s pisco production – the valley has remained largely hidden from the world’s gaze. However, word is slowly getting out about this remarkable region and astrotourists are coming in increasing numbers to view its famously clear skies, particularly in 2019 when a total solar eclipse will pass directly overhead.

The World's Coolest Neighborhoods

POSTED AUGUST 5, 2019

Cool, hip, chic - all variants on being with it and in the know. Here are two lists of the coolest neighborhoods on the planet.

Time Out [link below left is to the top 25]: "To mark the magazine's 50th anniversary, Time Out's editors and city experts have compiled a list of the 50 coolest neighborhoods around the world after surveying 15,000 people globally about which areas have the best buzz, cool new openings, are affordable to live in, are great for visitors, and feel like they're "on the up."

Virtuoso [link below right]: "We fall in love with a city through its best neighborhoods. We asked Virtuoso Life writers who have lived and worked around the world to share their favorite ones for this story. Here are their odes to beloved locales, and our advice for how to discover each one on your own."

The lists differ - sometimes even to which is the coolest neighborhood in the same city. But both lists consider the West Village one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world and the coolest neighborhood in New York City. (Full disclosure: That's where I was born, but that has nothing to do with what lists I selected...I think.)

50 small towns to visit in the fall

POSTED AUGUST 21, 2019

Active Times presents "50 Charming Small Towns to Visit in Autumn" [link below left]: "The U.S. has a lot to offer every season of the year. But the fall brings out something else, especially on small towns. Many people simply want to experience the tranquility and charm of an old-fashioned town where hustle and bustle are non-existent, surrounded by the most picturesque panoramas possible."

The Italian Lake District

POSTED SEP 5, 2019

North of Milan and south of the Alps is Italy's Lake District, a region of stunning natural beauty. Home to Lakes Como, Garda and Maggiore - to name some of the most popular, the Lake District provides a change of pace from the cultural attractions and bustle of the big cities, a place to unwind and relax.

Lonely Planet advises that May, June and September are good times to visit - cooler and less crowded than the busier months of July and August [introduction to the Italian Lakes, link below left] and also provides a 48 hour itinerary [link below right].

Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon: remote, carbon negative and a national happiness mandate

POSTED SEP 16, 2019

Between India and Tibet lies the tiny nation of Bhutan. Its official name is Druk Yul - Bhutanese for "Land of the Thunder Dragon". The name is that of the dominant Buddhist sect of the country, and/or, as a CNN article speculates, a "nod to the violent storms that pound the rugged mountain peaks and flood the lush valleys." Closed for centuries, the nation opened its doors to tourism in the 1970's and is taking a unique approach to westernization, creating a concept known as the Gross National Happiness Index. Bhutan's Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering explains:

"When we say Gross National Happiness...it means contentment, control of your mind, control of wants in your life. Don't be jealous with others, be happy with what you have, be compassionate, be a society where you can be more than happy to share. Our king rightly calls Gross National Happiness as development with values. If the policy does not have a good amount of happiness index, if the policy is not every environment friendly, if the policy will not be able to ensure that it will result in the well-being of Bhutanese, that policy will never be approved in the country." (CNN, Sep 13)

Bhutan is often referred to as the world's "last Shangri-La". Writing of her recent trip for the Bangkok Post [link below left], Nianne-Lynn Hendricks tells us that: "It's easy to see why: as I make my way to the capital city of Thimpu, an hour-and-a-half from Paro, serenity takes over almost immediately. Fluttering prayer flags and chortens (stupas) are dotted along the roads and avenues, a constant reminder that everyday life is permeated by Buddhist teachings and philosophy."

Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" episode on Bhutan [link below right] posthumously received a 2019 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program. This episode will probably be the closest I will ever get to Bhutan. Bourdain, like Hendricks, makes note of the difficulty of getting there: "Flying in, you hang on to your seat, as the plane negotiates some alarming maneuvers through narrow mountain passes before dropping into the country’s only international airport, said by some to be the most dangerous in the world."

So enjoy Hendrick's write-up and Bourdain's cinematography and wish the Bhutanese well in their quest for national happiness.

The Most Beautiful Sites in San Francisco

POSTED OCT 4, 2019

From the Gold Rush of the nineteenth century to the counterculture of the 1960's to the tech giants of today, the San Francisco Bay area has played an out-sized role in American culture. Long ago, taking one of the early 747 flights, I visited the city and still remember an excellent meal at the Empress of China. Just as the 747's were being retired, the Empress closed in 2014 after 48 years. SF has always had a reputation for great food and 2019 is no exception - 7 restaurants earned a 3 star Michelin rating.

"See You in the Piazza: New Places to Discover in Italy "

POSTED NOVEMBER 11, 2019

Frances Mayes , of "Under the Tuscan Sun" fame, has a new book out. Wonderfully written as one would expect, "See You in the Piazza" is more of a travel book than her previous works. She introduces us to dozens of lesser-known and lesser-visited locales in Italy. Hungering for more understanding of Italy, she writes:

...my husband, Ed, and I suddenly pack up our little white Alfa Romeo and hit the road. Sometimes we are joined by William,our grandson ; sometimes we are joined by friends, for an hour or for a week. Our wanderlust awakened: For a year and a half, we seek unique places hidden in plain sight, and also cities such as Genova and Parma - the names known, but who has lingered there? Italy. Infinite.

During their one and a half year sojourn, they visit more than 75 towns - mostly in northern and central Italy. Criss-crossing the country, they share their enthusiasm for the sights, the people, and, of course, the food. (Mayes provides a couple dozen recipes that they picked up during their travels, including a great sounding lemon and ricotta tart (Torta al Limone e Ricotta) and a risotto made with asparagus and prosecco.)

Here are introductions to a couple of those towns.

Orta San Giulio is built on the slopes of a steep hill (the Sacro Monte) that forms a peninsula jutting out into Lake Orta, which the Milanese call La Cenerentola (Cinderella). Guests some years ago at a wedding in Orta San Giulio, where the bride was rowed to the wedding in a wooden boat by her father dressed in"top hat, cutaway morning coat and tails", Mayes and her husband return to the town to explore what they had not had time for during the wedding trip. Mayes writes:

In Orta San Giulio, you easily slip into a lost-in-time state of mind. The human scale returns. Low cafes and shops, all pastel and frescoed, face the tree-lined space along the water. Birds twittering and the slosh of wake are predominant sounds, and what's growing indicates a lucky micro-climate: palms, oleanders, and tea olive...Along the promenade, boatmen stand around chatting in groups. It's easy and cheap to hire a Chris-Craft-type boat to take you to Isola San Giulio.

Asolo, sixty kilometers from Venice, is "an appealing add-on to a visit to La Serenissima...Even in Italy, packed with fascinating places, Asolo stands out." Mayes describes her reaction after the drive across the industrialized Veneto plain:

...you suddenly begin a bucolic climb among cypresses and verdant fields, then arrive at this intact medieval town that looks like an illustration in a book of fairy tales. There's even a ruined thirteenth-century white castle, where a sleeping princess may lie in a glass coffin.

And what she found as they entered the town center:

A winged lion, symbol of Venice greets us..., the fountain still flowing with waters from a Roman aqueduct. As we park, we survey cafes bordering the irregular piazza. On the terraces, everyone seated faces the piazza. Under an awning, a group of men at tables with red-checked cloths enjoy plates of cheese and salumi...A groomed sheepdog trots smartly across the street like a politician on his way to cast the deciding vote. A woman opens her trunk and removes an armful of white lilies. Asolare, a verb, means to "disport in the open air, amuse oneself at random." [Asolare]...looks like a good thing to do in Asolo.

In links below, you can read what other travelers had to say about visiting the Lake Orta region and Asolo.

The frequent subject of paintings, prints and photographs, Mount Fuji is one of the most recognizable sights in the world. The great Japanese artist and print maker Hokusai (1760-1849) created a series of woodblock prints titled "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" and his most famous painting, "The Wave", has Mount Fuji in the background.

Just 60 miles from Tokyo, "Fuji-san" rises to 12,388 feet near the Pacific Ocean coast of the island of Honshu. Mount Fuji is one of Japan's three sacred mountains and it has been a place of pilgrimage for more than 1000 years, the first known ascent in 663 by an anonymous Shinto monk. Today it is a popular tourist destination and many of the 200,000 visitors make the trek to the top during the two-month period when the trails to the peak are free of snow (early July to mid-September).

Among the facts you'll find in the links below:

There are Shinto shrines dotting the base and also marking the various ascents of Fuji. Princess Konohanasakuya is the main deity of Mount Fuji and her symbol is cherry blossom. There are many shrines to her at the base of Fuji, and it is estimated that across Japan, there are 1,000 shrines to her in total.

Though Mount Fuji is an instantly recognizable symbol of Japan, and has been depicted in art for many centuries,... it is also used by modern companies as an easy-to-recognize image for their products. One of the main exponents of this is the technology company Atari, who use what looks like a very stylized version of the mountain as their company logo.

Both the most climbed peak in the world and Japan's top tourist attraction, it is surrounded by five lakes. The northern shore of Lake Kawaguchiko offers some of the most breathtaking views of the mountain that sometimes come with a reflection in the lake. The shores offer views of the lake and mountain in combination with cherry blossoms usually around mid April and in combination with autumn colors usually around mid November.

Springtime is perhaps the most beautiful time of the year to see Fuji. The snow-covered mountain is framed by pink cherry blossoms, giving Fuji the name Konohana-Sakuahime, which means "causing the blossom to brightly bloom."

Veneto: Burano and the Prosecco hill country

POSTED DEC 3, 2019

Veneto in northeastern Italy stretches from the Dolomite Mountains to the Adriatic Sea. With an expansive range of hills and a valley furrowed by rivers, canals and the Po River Delta, it is one of Italy’s most important wine-growing areas and home to Prosecco, Italy's sparkling wine. The capital of Veneto is Venice and the region offers many opportunities for day trips from the city.

The island of Burano, famous for its handmade lace and brightly colored fishermen's houses, is a half-hour boat ride from Venice. The "Walks of Italy" blog calls Burano the "perfect day trip from Venice", noting that "families used to paint their homes in bright colors to designate where their family’s quarters ended and a neighbor’s began, as well as to make their homes more visible from the sea. The tradition has stuck." Besides lace and colorful photo ops, Burano has great food. Because it is a working fisherman’s island, "you can get super-fresh seafood here—for a fraction of the price it would be over the lagoon on Venice". Unfortunately, like Venice, Burano suffers from severe acqua alta - particularly in the winter. See it soon.

"Prosecco land," Frances Mayes tells us, is "just two hours northwest of Venice." The twin towns of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano are connected by a 'Road to Wine', one of the earliest wine itineraries. Created originally in 1966, its latest incarnation is the "Prosecco and Conegliano Valdobbiadene Hills Wine Route." Completed in 2003, it covers a total of 90 km. The Veneto Inside web site describes the route:

Among the vineyards castles, villas, churches and abbeys arise (in addition to those in the two main centres), and also small wine bars and restaurants where one can sample the finest and choicest gastronomic delights and superb hospitality. And it is precisely because of the beauty of the area and the quality of the wine that on 7 July 2019 the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene were inscribed on the World Heritage List. The well-deserved recognition [received a unanimous vote of the commission thus rewarding] a world’s unique cultural and agricultural landscape, where breathtaking views and working practices - carried out strictly by hand - are harmoniously intertwined.

Lonely Planet (below left) and The Crazy Tourist (below right) have more ideas for day trips from Venice.

Photo credits: [1] Maps and Merlot [2] Glass of Bubbly

Christmas Travel Destinations

POSTED DECEMBER 19, 2019

Two lists - one from Trip Savvy (link below left) and one from CNN Travel (link below right). The CNN post has international as well as US locations. Its top three suggestions are: Malta, New York City and Bath, England.