Vin Pisano - Vincent D. Pisano

I am an American educator and an aspiring writer, born and raised in New England, who is trying to see as much of the world as he can. I try to stay away from all-inclusive resorts and tour groups, prefering instead to research a place, arrive, and find my own way around. For me, travel is not just about exploring the world, but also about discovering new things about yourself.

Both historical and cultural experiences drive my travel lust. I see the world through humanist eyes and view peoples' history and culture as part of the collective human experience, belonging to us all and not strictly defined by boundaries or ancestry.

I have thus far traveled to Europe three times, to Paris, Rome, and Hungary (blogs soon to come). I have been up and down the East Coast, including New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada.

Our next trips that are in the process of planning (should things work out) will be to Spain and Mexico.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” - Mark Twain

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” - Seneca

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien

Countries Where I've Traveled

Map Legend: 2%, 6 of 263 Territories

Where I Live

Where I've Traveled

Pre-TravelBlog Trips
November 4th 2003 -» November 4th 2008 NYC, Saint John, and Halifax Cruise 2009
August 1st 2009 -» August 6th 2009 Hungary 2009
August 10th 2009 -» August 24th 2009

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Joined on: June 3rd 2009
Last Login: November 23rd 2009

Blog Entries: 14
Photos: 401
Recommends 4

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Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by Vin Pisano, order by Date newest first.

By Vin Pisano
August 13th 2009

Geeking out, thermal baths, and a bowl of gulyás Europe » Hungary » Northern Hungary » Eger

Walking towards Eger castle

It is 3:30 a.m. and I am lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Kristen has somehow managed to remain asleep beside me, but as the roosters and dogs begin anew their incessant calls, I admit defeat and head out to the kitchen. Jetlag has won again. I find that Klara left the small radio atop the freezer playing before heading to bed, so to a curious Hungarian cover of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” I set up my netbook at the small dining table and type until the sun begins warming my back. By the time Gabe awakes and blurry-eyed begins brewing a [View Full Entry]

By Vin Pisano
August 12th 2009

Palinka and paprikas Europe » Hungary » Southern Great Plain

Kengyel totem

After finally falling into an exhausted sleep, jetlag ensures that I awake every hour, on the hour, throughout the night. Additionally, not growing up on a farm, I innocently had the impression that roosters crowed at sunrise. However, by three in the morning the village is a steady crescendo of roosters calling and claiming their territory. While I had seen living so close to one’s food source as charming and attractive yesterday, the idea is now far less appealing. Soon joining this chorus is, naturally, every dog in every yard. After stumbling out of bed at the first sign of dayl [View Full Entry]

By Vin Pisano
August 11th 2009

Where some previous American generations could not go Europe » Hungary » Southern Great Plain

The home in Kengyel

The Republic of Hungary - former member of the Soviet Bloc, current member of the European Union. A little more than twenty years ago, as American citizens, we would not have been allowed in this country. Likewise, Hungarians could not leave. The Warsaw Pact of 1955, which created economic and military alliances with the Soviet Union, raised the Iron Curtain in Europe, dividing it into two distinct and antagonistic entities. Immigration and media in the Eastern European countries were severely restricted. However, while the western NATO states flourished, the cooperating Bloc countries st [View Full Entry]

By Vin Pisano
August 8th 2009

Another wedding and another boat North America » United States » New York » Hudson Valley » Kingston

A Kingston Street

Just two months after we attended the wedding at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY, and just two days after exiting our cruise ship from Canada, we find ourselves once again in the area for another wedding and back onto a boat. About twenty miles north of New Paltz, on the western side of the Hudson River, is the town of Kingston, New York State’s first capital. The drive along the river gave nice scenic views, spotted surprisingly frequently with religious retreats and monasteries, whose impressive stone structures add a historic feel to the area, though perhaps their many gift [View Full Entry]

By Vin Pisano
August 5th 2009

Final day at sea North America » United States » Massachusetts

Carnival "Triumph" top deck

Our last full cruise day was spent, mainly, lounging and trying new foods. It was our final “fun day at sea,” and the weather had been much more tanning-friendly. The top deck was congested with sunbathing families, making the lower levels a place of quiet refuge. We sat in the café, sipping on lattes. As I typed some of these blogs on this Asus net book I attracted the attention of three different technophiles (all of them from Asian countries, in fact), including a cruise employee, all of whom asked excited questions about its various components. I should, as I reflect [View Full Entry]

By Vin Pisano
August 4th 2009

"You're not from the cruise ship, are you?" - Halifax, Nova Scotia North America » Canada » Nova Scotia » Halifax

Barrington Street

We arrived at port in Halifax, Nova Scotia, early in the morning. Kristen and I were able to set out on foot as soon as the gang way was ready. The skies were blue and a soothing ocean breeze swept through the city. We docked beside Pier 21, formerly the main immigration hub of this area (a Canadian Ellis Island). We made our way up hilly streets, past an old burying ground and an impressive gothic church, and poked into shops and mingled with locals as we neared Citadel Hill. As a side note, I loved hearing that distinct Canadian accent. [View Full Entry]

By Vin Pisano
August 3rd 2009

An historic city with industrial charm North America » Canada » New Brunswick » St John

Street Sign

Unfortunately, our movie experience was a bust. At 9:30 Kristen and I were the only two on deck, lying beneath large towels on lawn chairs as a fog swirled along the deck. We began watching Eagle Eye on the jumbo screen. Slowly, more people began to join us. The fog horn, which had been blowing all day, was only a minor nuisance through the first half of the movie. However, at around 10:30 the volume suddenly increased dramatically, shaking people with heart-racing fear and stinging the eardrums. By 10:45 we had had enough and retreated to the club areas of the [View Full Entry]

By Vin Pisano
August 2nd 2009

Floating with fog and food North America » United States » Massachusetts

Ship Interior

Well, we’re taking our first cruise. It is day two of our trip as I write this, described on our itinerary as a “fun day at sea.” We are far off the coast of Massachusetts. A thick fog has developed on this afternoon, veiling the ocean horizon and bringing chilly winds. The ship, by law, has been regularly sounding the horn to warn any other ships (though their radar and radio are probably of better help). And this is all fine by me. Kristen and I are laying on deck chairs on an upper level deck, which except for a few [View Full Entry]

By Vin Pisano
July 22nd 2009

The Shenandoah Valley, Charlottesville, and Antietam North America » United States » Virginia » Waynesboro

Road to Belle Grove Plantation

At least once a year my wife and I make the eight-hour drive from Connecticut down through the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to visit my grandfather. Before he moved there, he was among the swarms of retired ex-patriot Yankees living in the Myrtle Beach area. I grew to know that area intimately, and I particularly fell in love with Charleston, which lay over an hour’s drive down Route 17. Many times I wandered those old streets, exploring back alleys and gardens, and it was one of the first places to which I took my wife when we began dating. The Shenandoah [View Full Entry]

By Vin Pisano
June 27th 2009

A day at Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY. North America » United States » New York » New Paltz

Mohonk Mountain House
A view from the Skyline path.

My wife and I had the opportunity to spend a day at the Mohonk Mountain House just outside of New Paltz, NY, south of the Catskill Mountains. It is about 90 miles north of New York City. We were attending my mother-in-law’s wedding and were able to spend a great day of fun with friends and family. Truly, Mohonk (meaning “lake in the sky”), built around 1879, though the property dates Smiley family ownership back to 1869, with nearly 300 rooms, has a whimsical Victorian quality, much like coming upon Belvedere Castle in Central Park. The massive hotel rises from the [View Full Entry]

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