starship VT

Very recently I traveled internationally for the first time since 2019. It felt wonderful to be traveling again because when the COVID virus virtually shut down the world, I lost my nearly life-long lust for travel. My friends were duly shocked when I told them in 2021 that I didn’t want to travel anymore, and at the time I sincerely meant it! I didn’t have COVID then, but I felt that some unknown malaise or ailment had incapacitated me in a most significant way and it seemed like the desire to travel had left me completely. Since my friends and acquaintances from varied parts of the world had also stopped traveling during the 2020 – 2021 time period, I stopped receiving postcards from them. The near total absence of postcard surprises, those tiny paper rectangles of ... read more

Our time in Fredericksburg had swiftly come to an end. The final morning began with a slow drive through the flower-covered hills and roadsides of the Willow City Loop which were fairly bursting with Texas Bluebonnets and red Indian Paintbrush with lots of other flowers making an appearance in this riot of color which this area is well known for. I could have stayed a bit longer in the Texas Hill Country as there was a lot more to see -- a few good museums, historic buildings, and some popular parks with interesting features including the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and Old Tunnel State Park to name only two. These are located within the city limits or a short distance from Fredericksburg. The remainder of our morning schedule called for driving on to the city ... read more

I think it’s safe to say that 2020 was a year like no other in many ways. Filled with extraordinary challenges and roller-coaster highs and lows, the global COVID-19/ coronavirus pandemic has changed life for nearly all of us in innumerable ways. Restrictions on activities and lock downs imposed by governments took many forms. For months the issued restrictions on normal daily life were far reaching and imposed serious hardships on many -- from people losing their loved ones, to loss of social contact, to people losing their businesses and livelihoods. For some this resulted in feelings of hopelessness, loss of control and depression -- these mental health issues are finally being recognized by the healthcare professionals but how are they being handled? During the earliest period of shutdowns, only essential businesses and medically-related venues were ... read more

On Thursday, October 17th, we arrived in the coastal city of Essaouira from the vibrant city of Marrakesh. As much as I enjoyed that great city, and even earlier visiting the red sand desert climes of the Sahara, I couldn't wait to be near the ocean again. Visiting Essaouira and reveling along her Atlantic shores is a panacea for anyone who, like me, cannot resist the siren call of the sea. Surprisingly, the strong draw I always feel for being near the ocean was nearly eclipsed by the charms of Essaouira’s terra firma. I knew then I would be forever under the spell of Essaouira. It combined all the features I find most interesting about any town – geographical beauty, history, architecture, culture, and most definitely a friendly disposition. Essaouira had all of these. Its medina, ... read more

Wednesday, October 16, 2019 - Day 11. We could have easily spent our second full day in Marrakesh discovering new sites in the “Red City” or spending more time at our favorite places seen the previous day. But the possibilities of going farther afield to see new sights and gather more experiences won out as usual when I have a choice. In this case a travel video I had seen enticed me to opt for a day excursion into the Ourika Valley. Beginning the day with an early wake up call and light breakfast, we were on the road by 8 am headed to our day’s destination. Traveling south and once more crossing the Plain of Haouz, our route backtracked some of the roads we had taken only days before when we were leaving the High ... read more