Excerpted from my book, OUR SUMMER in CARMEL, Amazon.com Why Carmel? Bearing in mind we are to consider the entire world each year for place to spend the summer, why Carmel? And why am I making repeated visits when I preach about the virtues of going to a different place each year? The simple answer is that I have an incurable attraction to the Monterey Peninsula. From the first time I drove through in December, 1964 upon returning from a year tour with the Army in Korea. It was love at first sight. I was seduced by the special appeal of [View Full Entry]

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Excerpted from my book: OUR SUMMER IN ESTONIA, AMAZON.COM Padaste Manor put us in a playful mood. There were not many guests and one could easily imagine the place was ours. We frolicked through our surroundings examining the livestock including the sturdy Scottish Hebrides cattle so suited for that place; giddily thinking about using the hot tub at night when the lack of pollution and ambient light allows the heavens to shine so brightly;plucking wild berries; strolling through the former parkland, some awaing patiently for their turn at a revival, and standing before the great manor house [View Full Entry]

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Excerpted from my book: Our Summer in Australia and New Zealnad...Amazon.com We are about as far away from Sydney as one can get, during our crisscrossing of Australia. About 2,500 miles away. As far as from Boston to San Diego, but let me say that Point Leeuwin is no San Diego. This a point where the Great Southern Ocean and the Indian Ocean meet. It was named by the Dutch and noted by Mathew Flinders' sighting on December 7, 1801 during his historic circumnavigation of the Australian coastline. Flinders' mission-to survey the entire coastline of Australia-was conducted due to growing conc [View Full Entry]

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(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA, Amazon.com) One of the attractions drawing Elysee and I to stay a summer in Slovenia was the proximity of so many attractive side trips. I explain to my fans of our lifestyle the delight we have in planning these excursions at our own leisure, and to suit our tastes. We don't usually book tours for that reason, preferring to be on our own at our pace, lingering if we so desire, not having to respond to the sound of the bus horn, or spend time in places of little value or interest to [View Full Entry]

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(Excerpted from my book: OUR SUMMER IN CARMEL Amazon.com) This posting completes a short history of the region from the period of pre-history to statehood. Springtime 1849 brought a new administration to Washington in the name of Zachary Taylor and a new Governor for California, Brigadier General Bennett Riley. Both men were pledged to act quickly on the complicated question of statehood, bypassing the usual period of territorial status. With the discovery of gold and the influx of 49ers something had to be done soon. Elections were held for Representatives to a constitutional convention a [View Full Entry]

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(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN CARMEL Amazon.com) It is one thing to proclaim that all of California now belongs to the United States, quite another to take charge. Commodore Sloat, being ill, and perhaps out of his element where spontaneous decision making was needed, turned his command over to the younger, more energetic, Commodore Stockton. Freemont, ever the adventurer, arrived with about 200 irregulars, spoiling for action. Walter Colton, a Navy chaplain, was appointed the Mayor of Monterey, with instructions to exert some measure of civil authority. Thankfully, much to the rel [View Full Entry]

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(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN CARMEL, Amazon.com) Although it took Spain almost three hundred years to get off their galleons and settle California, in a space of only seventy more years Spain would lose California and sovereignty would change twice over that vast rich area. During the early 1800s Spain, like much of Europe, was embroiled in the Napoleonic wars. Her increasingly scanty resources and accelerating loss of control over her vast overseas empire resulted in a weaker nation, compared to two centuries earlier. Not only were wars in Europe causing Spain much distress, but [View Full Entry]

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(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN ESTONIA available at AMAZON.COM) One criteria Elysee an I look for when selecting our summer home location each year is the opportunity for nearby excursions. Estonia offers ample opportunities for a few days of very interesting travel. We waited until September to visit Estonia's islands to avoid the summer crowds, allowing the tourists to get back to work and their children back in school. Yet the weather promised to still be pleasant. Our plans called for us to visit Muhu, Saaremaa, and Parnu. I know, it sounds biblical like Meshach and Abennego. [View Full Entry]

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(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN AUSTRALIA, AMAZON.COM) I hasten to mention here, as I should have done so when I began relating our cross Australia excursion, that our trip, including the train portion on the Indian Pacific, the Goldrush tours side trip to remote SW Australia, and the Outback stopover (future blog), was all put together with patience and a careful ear to our interests by Julia Lynch, of Adventure Tours and Travel, agent par excellence, in Coogee NSW near Sydney. "Good on ya Julia'. So, leaving the whaling museum behind we now traveled to the far southwest of [View Full Entry]

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(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA. AMAZON.COM) Big Ben is England, the Eiffel Tower is France, the Statue of Liberty is the United States, and so on for other countries. What about Slovenia? It is the Kazolec, Slovenia's unique hayrack. Seen everywhere Slovenian hayracks, Kazolecs, were taken for granted as a necessary part of farming life that occupied most of the country until recent years. It was only when artists began to paint pictures of them, that today they are seen as a national icon. They come in several varieties: single or double stacked, with or without smal [View Full Entry]

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