Winter Solstice - Newgrange, Ireland

In honor of the winter solstice next week, I wanted to showcase Newgrange, the prehistoric stone structure from circa 3200 BC. Located north of Dublin in County Meath, the 5,000 year old Newgrange is older than both Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza. Covering an acre of land, the Neolithic structure is topped with grass and the face of the mound is a mixture of white quartz stone and soil.

While little is known about the exact intention of this site, it is widely believed to have been built for spiritual purposes. During the sunrise of the winter solstice, the cross-shaped inner passage and chamber of the mound glow with light from the sun for approximately 17 minutes. Undoubtedly built to highlight the shortest day of the year, the precise engineering design aligns the inner passage and chamber with the roof box above the entrance allowing the weak winter sun to shine through to its core.

Tours are allowed for this spectacular occurrence, but only 100 lucky people are selected each year. So make sure you plan well in advance to see this event.

Underground Cistern - Istanbul, Turkey

Who doesn’t like the idea of getting a glimpse of what lurks beneath the ancient streets of Istanbul? I don’t know about you, but it makes me just a tad bit giddy when I think of the layers of history just aching to be explored in this bewitching city.

The sheer number of remarkable riches scattered around every corner in the historic Sultanahmet neighborhood in Istanbul, can be daunting to even the most seasoned of travelers. The city is thought to be at least 2500 years old and as you can imagine, has acquired an abundance of cultural masterpieces during this time. When you need a break from poking around the harem in Topkapi Palace, absorbing the awe-inspiring grandeur of Hagia Sophia, pausing for a moment of reflection at the Blue Mosque, or haggling with the exuberant shopkeepers in the labyrinth of stalls known as the Grand Bazaar, head underground.

Located at the foot of Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern (or in Turkish known as Yerebatan Sarayı) is a Byzantium underground water tank that dates back to the 6th century. Hundreds of cisterns exist in the subterranean world of Istanbul, with Basilica Cistern being the largest of the bunch.

Soulful Shoes - Budapest, Hungary

Along the Pest side of the Danube River in Budapest, lies a powerful memorial commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. The memorial, Shoes on the Danube Promenade, was created by Hungarian sculptors, Gyula Pauer and Can Togayn, in 2005.

The monument consists of 60 pairs of cast iron shoes, all modeled after traditional 1940s footwear. Placed along the bank of the Danube River, the shoes represent the Jewish Hungarians, who were shot into the water along this promenade during the Arrow Cross terror reign in 1944 and 1945. Given the scarcity of leather shoes during World War II, the victims were made to leave theirs behind before they were brutally executed and buried in the water of the Danube River.

Strolling along the water’s edge among the fallen shoes, one can’t help, but reflect and pause in a moment of silence to honor those whose lives were taken much too soon.

Park Life - Kew Gardens, London

They lured me in with promises of traipsing through the treetops. Add in a lake, a palace, a pagoda, and miles of paths meandering through the world’s largest collection of living plants and you have all the ingredients for a spectacular day in the park. Throughout the 15 years that I have been exploring London, Kew Gardens has been on my park list. However, it wasn’t until a recent trip that I finally made the journey to Kew to see if the park’s beauty matched its reputation. And it did with Autumn colors!

Name: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (more commonly called Kew Gardens)

Location: Kew in Southwest London, England

Size: approximately 300 acres

Established: 1759

Park Highlights

Picture of the Moment - All Hallows’ Eve

Foggy day - Rock of Cashel, Ireland

Autumn Days in Julian, CA

We are midway through my favorite season, autumn, but you wouldn’t know it living in San Diego. Certainly not with the 80 degrees heat wave we had last week. I’m not complaining, but I do find myself longing for the more distinct seasons of my Colorado childhood. This year I was determined to at least experience a sliver of this glorious time of year. To satisfy my craving for multi-hued trees, crisp weather that warrants wearing a jacket and maybe the odd ramble in the wilderness, I set my sights on a weekend camping in Julian.

Julian, California is an easy hour drive east of San Diego. October is Apple Days in Julian and the Main Street of this historic mining town was nearly bursting at its seams with weekend tourists vying for a taste of the famous apple pie sold at nearly every café and coffee shop.

There are plenty of activities to partake in whether you are visiting on a day trip or for the weekend. Julian offers various places for wine and cider tasting, gold mine tours, nearby hiking trails and wooded campgrounds, romantic bed and breakfasts, farmers markets, apple picking at the apple orchards, and this time of year a fantastic pumpkin patch and raspberry picking.

Below is a glimpse of Julian in the autumn.

Pumpkin and Raspberry Picking

Hiking in William Heise County Park
 

After a weekend spent recharging with a nature fix, I am ready to reenter city life. But now that I have had a taste of autumn, I may have to figure out how to squeeze in more fall activities in the upcoming month!

Majestic Maine

I was in no way prepared for the quiet astonishing beauty of Maine. The luscious dark green trees, the multitude of lakes and ponds, and the gently rolling hillsides wormed its way into my heart immediately. Prior to this trip, the only piece of New England that I had sampled was Boston. I knew that extreme splendor lurked and stretched far beyond the Boston city limits, but I had yet to explore this pocket of the world in the detail that I wanted. So when I was invited to partake in a trip to Maine to spend a week living in a cabin on the edge of Great Pond, I enthusiastically said yes.

The location of my Maine adventure was Bear Spring Camps, approximately 30 miles Northwest of Augusta, Maine. Part of a treasured family tradition, my hosts have been coming to Bear Spring Camps, for the past 28 years. I had envisioned lazy days reading by the lake, going for the occasional swim, and getting lots of rest. Little did I know that there would be so much to do! The week was action-packed and I was anxious to not miss a single moment.

Days consisted of fishing white perch and bass, kayaking out to Chutes Island, sitting on camping chairs reading on the beach, nightly bonfires spent listening to Pearl Jam and big hair bands last heard in the 80s, multiple runs along the hilly winding country roads sucking air as the humidity caught me off-guard, walks up the deceiving steep hills for grand views of Great Pond, participating (briefly) in the annual 2.1 mile swim, pontoon booze cruises in the afternoons, fishing boat tours of the islands, lazing on rafts, happy hour at various cabins, sneaking naps in the hammock, rainy day spent playing cards, needing a flashlight to navigate the dark lakeside paths at night, devouring lobster rolls for lunch in Belgrade Lakes, lobster shopping at The Green Spot, and meeting and spending time with an amazing group of people.

1st Anniversary

Many of you may have noticed that I have been neglecting my weekly posts this past month. After seven and half years, I parted ways with the company I worked for and decided to take a few weeks to decompress and do a bit of traveling before I start my next adventure. But now I am back and energized and looking forward to the many exciting escapades that are just around the corner!

While I have been on sabbatical and enjoying the long days of summer, I completely missed an important milestone. My blog turned one year old! Not only that, but I apparently wrote 50 blog posts during this inaugural year. I couldn’t have come this far without your continued support and encouragement. I am so thankful to have such amazing friends and family cheering me on every step of the way.

In honor of this momentous event, I ran some statistics to find out what blog posts were the most popular this last year. Without further fanfare, here are the top five posts from the last twelve months.

5.  Cities of the Dead (tied)

     Travel Wish Lists (tied)

4. Turkish Bathing Beauty

3. China Through My Eyes

2. Favorite Moments- Habitat for Humanity

And the #1 post, by a landslide was:

1. Splendid Sognefjord

It’s hard to know what topics are going to be a hit, so I am delighted to see that a wide range of subjects made the list of top five posts.

It was such a struggle to take that first leap and actually share my travel writing with others, but I am so thankful I did. I hope you enjoy reading the blog as much as I enjoy writing it. Here’s to another year of discovering the world and appreciating all that life has to offer!

Pride Parade - San Diego, CA

One of my favorite San Diego summer activities is attending the Pride parade which takes place each July. I live just blocks from the parade path and have watched the jubilant march down 6th Avenue the last nine years. Considered the fifth largest Pride festival in the country, this year’s parade estimated 150,000 exuberant parade-goers.

As my San Diego neighborhood recovers from the Pride Week festivities that wrapped up yesterday, I wanted to share a few of the highlights with you.

Mission Brewery - San Diego, CA

If you haven’t heard, the craft beer community in San Diego has exploded the last few years. One of the newest tasting rooms to open is the award-winning Mission Brewery. Located in the historic Wonder Bread Building in the East Village neighborhood in downtown San Diego, the brewery officially opened its doors to the public on June 18, 2011.

Open Monday - Saturday for tastings, this dog friendly brewery is also planning to host frequent special events, such as yesterday’s Pints for Pups; an event benefiting Guide Dogs for the Blind.

 

Old Bridge - Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Two hours and four border crossings later, we had just about arrived at our destination, Mostar. As we drove farther away from the Adriatic, the Southern Herzegovina scenery started looking vaguely familiar with hints of Southern California style landscape. The dusty brown hillsides were a canvas of mossy greens desert scrub and not much else. As we approached the outskirts of Mostar, the skyline was peppered with minarets to the left and a Catholic Church spire to the right.

Prior to the war in the early 1990s, Mostar was probably best known for its Turkish style architecture and its 16th century single-arch bridge, the Old Bridge, also known as Stari Most.

However, in 1992 Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia and Mostar quickly became famous for being one of the main front lines of the Bosnian War. The war divided the city in half and the bridge acted as a natural barrier between the two fighting ethnic groups, the Muslims and the Croats. Sadly, in 1993 the Old Bridge was destroyed by shells and much of the stone from this historic structure fell into the Neretva River below, where it stayed until rebuilding efforts began in 1998.

Photo courtesy of Smithsonian.com

Croatia Through My Eyes

Over the past month, many of you have asked for more details about Croatia and here is my attempt to address all your burning questions.

Croatia Love

Prior to booking my trip to Croatia, I actually knew very little about the country. A dear friend had spent a day in Dubrovnik on her honeymoon a few years ago and her photos of the walled city are images that have stuck with me and inspired me to consider Croatia as my next destination. From the moment I arrived in Croatia, I was quickly pulled under the spell of her beauty and seduced by the rich history and the gracious people I encountered. Croatia is a fabulous fusion of Central European and Mediterranean influence and boasts of having over 1200 islands.

English is widely spoken and though we attempted some of the language, all the locals we encountered were anxious to practice their English. Tourism is fast becoming a pillar of their economy and the locals want to do all they can to encourage and entice others to visit their land. Currently, most Americans tend to just make the day trip to Dubrovnik as part of their Mediterranean cruise itinerary. My advice is to dedicate more time exploring other parts of Croatia as well and try to get there before the secret of this spectacular country gets out and becomes part of everyone’s travel agenda.

Favorite Moments - Croatia

Since my return from Croatia, images and moments of this stunning country have been swirling around in my head. The calm clear-blue waters of the Adriatic, limestone cobbled streets and stairways, walled cities, palace ruins, pivo (Croatian beer), hours spent sitting in outdoor cafes, wooden walkways, waterfalls, and the odd snake in Plitvice Lakes National Park, naps and nauseous bus rides through the countryside, margarita pizza, morning white coffee and chocolate croissants, Billy Ocean on the radio, walking the roads in Korcula, dogs walking with purpose, aggressive pigeons, getting lost in Zagreb and Dubrovnik, and the unforgettable day trip to the city of Mostar. And I must not forget the kindness of all the people I encountered on this journey.

Here are the top things I have been reminiscing about since my return to reality.

Favorite moment - Zagreb

Given that Zagreb was largely chosen for logical reasons as the gateway in and out of the country, I was pleasantly surprised to find the city full of energy and with a robust café culture. The nights were warm and balmy and perfect for café hopping along Tkalciceva, a lively avenue full of cafés and patios, near Trg Bana Jelacic, the heart of Zagreb. The fantastic people watching and inexpensive drinks along this boulevard of cafes made this a great way to begin and end my time in Croatia.

Croatia Teasers

Sadly, I'm back from exploring Croatia. However, I am chock-full of stories and escapades that I can't wait to share with you. To tide you over while I'm furiously scribbling away, here are a few photos from two amazing Balkan Peninsula countries.

Croatia

Plitvice National Park

Split

Korcula

Croatia Bound!

In just a few short days, I am off to explore the wonders of Croatia. My Croatian escapade will take me to the following locations:

Zagreb

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Split

Korcula

Dubrovnik

I have no doubt that this journey will yield some blog–worthy adventures! So stay tuned my friends. I will return shortly with all sorts of juicy Croatian tidbits.

Snapshot of London - St Dunstan-in-the-East

After all the media attention last week, featuring my beloved city of London, I found myself becoming homesick for this fantastic city (yes, even more than usual) and feel compelled to showcase one of my favorite pockets of London.

To me the heart of the city is the City of London. This historic square mile is the oldest part of London and its original city center. Hidden gems lurk along each narrow cobbled lane. Perhaps because this area is the financial and business pulse of the city, many travelers often overlook this vicinity altogether.

One of my most cherished City of London activities is to while away a few hours sitting in a garden that happens to be located amidst the ruins of a church. It really is as marvelous as it sounds. The garden within the church is St Dunstan-in-the-East (Monument tube station).

Why We Travel

“For in traveling to a truly foreign place, we inevitably travel to moods and states of mind and hidden inward passages that we'd otherwise seldom have cause to visit.” Pico Iyer

Why we travel indeed. My passion for travel has been such a constant in my life the last 15 years that it is hard for me to remember a time when it wasn’t a part of me. The passion has intertwined itself so deeply into my daily thoughts and is always within arms reach whether I am dreaming of new adventures or wistfully recalling fantastic escapades of the past. It has forever redefined my outlook on life and has influenced me in irrevocable and positive ways.

Travel gives me a much needed break from the realities of life. It is also an opportunity to clear the cobwebs from my head and recharge. But more importantly it is a source of immense inspiration. Traveling gives me the space to be exposed to other cultures, discover new locales, and allows me to learn about myself. Over the years it has given me the confidence to believe in myself again; to dream and aspire to do great things with the life I have been given. And what is no doubt going to be lifelong project, it is slowly teaching me how to become the person I want to be.

Pico Iyer, a favorite travel writer of mine, tackled this still very relevant topic over a decade ago. His essay, Why We Travel, is one that I reread every few months when I am in need of an extra dose of stimulation and motivation.

Iyer starts off his essay with one of my favorite passages:

“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again -- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.”

I think that Iyer captures and eloquently expresses the reason that travel is such a passion for some of us. But don’t take my word for it, read Why We Travel for yourself and let me know why it is that you travel.

Park Life – Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, CA

  

Three weeks ago, you may remember that I wrote about my love of parks and the inspirational sculptures that can be found in Vigeland Park. The park I would like to showcase this week is Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, CA. This national park is named after Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo, who has the distinction of being the first European to set foot on the West Coast of the United States.

Name: Cabrillo National Monument

Location: Southern tip of Point Loma Peninsula, San Diego, CA

Size: 160 acres

Park Highlights

Cabrillo Monument

The monument of Cabrillo commemorates the 1542 landing at Ballast Point in San Diego Bay. The sandstone monument, which stands 14 feet tall and weighs 14,000 tons, was donated by the Portuguese Government in 1939. Additional details of the life of Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo can be found at the Visitor Center.

Perfect Day Out and About in Salzburg, Austria

If someone were to ask what I think the perfect ingredients are for a day out on the town, I would have to say that the day would need to include good company, some sort of outdoor exercise, a bit of culture, and an afternoon drink in the sun. This agenda has served me well in many fine cities around the world. I have found that I can get a good sense of a city’s character using this set of criteria.

This week’s perfect day out is Salzburg, Austria. The city is probably best known for being the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and providing some of the stunning city scenes from The Sound of Music.

During a recent a nine day Eurotrip adventure that started in London and ended in Zurich, I found myself in Salzburg for two nights and one full day and knew just how I wanted to spend the time.

Biking

First order of the day is to get out and explore the exquisitely preserved city of Salzburg. One of the most enjoyable ways to get around Salzburg is by bicycle. Bikes can easily be rented from the Central Train Station or many hotels also offer free or inexpensive rentals. After picking up pastries from a bakery in Old Town, join the locals and other tourists on the numerous bike lanes strategically placed around this compact city. Head out along the banks of the crystal-clear Salzach River with the pristine Alps looming in the distance.