Eventually it had to happen. The third time is not always a charm. Good things come in threes…but not always. My initial reaction to our 3rd city in Europe wasn’t very good. I just didn’t like Prague. After a dreamlike visit to Venice and a surprisingly excellent first trip behind the old Iron Curtain in Budapest, perhaps it was due to happen. We left Budapest and enjoyed a comfortable train ride through northern Hungary, parts of Slovakia and a fairly large section of the Czech Republic. We arrived in the late afternoon at the main Prague train station. Our friendly enough AirBnb host helpfully met us at the station and after a quick look around our new neighborhood, dropped us a few minutes later at our new apartment for our month long stay. The apartment is ... read more

After a final ride down the beautiful Grand Canal, we sadly left Venice. The beautiful lights of the Palazzo blinked their goodbyes as we headed towards the Ferrovia. We were catching the night train to Vienna where, after a short layover, we would be on our way the next morning for our new home of Budapest, Hungary. We had a choice of private sleeper, four-person sleeper, six-person sleeper or regular seat. We decided to save a little money and take our chances with the 6-person. We hoped it wasn’t a full house. No such luck on this trip. David spent an uncomfortable night squeezing in a top bunk made for small children at best, and Nanci felt she had hit the lottery when she luckily traded an Argentine backpacker for a middle bunk. Attempting the wobbly ... read more

It is easily noticeable that men stand a little straighter when they are in her presence. Women hold on to their husbands hand a little tighter when they are around her. She has a magnetism and allure that is unquestioned and feels fleeting, but can be quite attainable. Perhaps everyone already knows her, but she was original to me. Of course, I should have been more familiar than I was. Her beauty and sophistication is legendary. Once you see her, her charms are obvious. She has an accent that sounds familiar, but you can’t quite place it. Latin origins, of course. Italian tones, yes. Certainly European and privileged. She speaks many languages but doesn’t always use a voice to communicate. Her outward appearance may show a little wear, but her style is as classic and rich ... read more

From Billy the Kid to Wyatt Earp, General Custer to Geronimo, the American West was filled with legendary characters. Novelists and short story writers blended fact and fiction to create bigger than life characters and made them famous in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Thousands of young and old readers living on the East Coast of the United States followed the stories of the daring men and women who tamed a frontier seemingly filled with danger and adventure around every corner. The cattle ranches were immense, the women were beautiful and the native people were both respected for their traditions and feared for their warrior-like aggression. According to the writers, the men who settled the west had to be brave, strong, wise and probably quick with a gun. They walked a little taller and talked ... read more

I sometimes think of traveling in the United States as being a bit generic. I think of everyone watching the same television shows, eating at the same chain restaurants and watching the same blockbuster Hollywood releases. It seems like you could turn on the radio in most parts of the country and hear the same basic playlists played by DJ’s that have similar sounding voices. Sometimes I think America just doesn’t have the exoticness of India, the artiness of Italy or the eccentricity of Thailand. My thinking would be wrong. Admittedly, uniqueness is a little harder to find in America. You have to get out of the main cities, off the major interstate freeways and away from the fast food outlets. Go into the country, away from what is advertised in the sophisticated glossy magazines. Maybe ... read more