Travel Memories:
Traditional Irish Thatched House

The thatch roofed houses peppering the sea of emerald grass fields seems so oddly reminiscent of another era but yet are actually still found in areas all Ireland. Landing on the Aran Islands off of the west coast of Ireland is like taking a full leap into a small and traditional pocket of intensely Irish culture; Irish is their first language and the traditional Irish céilidh on the weekends counts among the best Irish music jam sessions I have ever heard…although some of it is done …

Travel Memories:
Biking Pit-Stop for Mulberry Foraging

Spotting a huge mulberry tree on the side of the road after hours (ok, barely two hours really) of biking uphill read like salvation – like a thirsty man in the desert spotting a mirage this seemed too good to be true. It was hot, I was sick and forced to pull over frequently during the bike ride and the last steep hike to the top of the Bribirska Glavica archeological ruins outside of Krka National Park in Croatia were just no longer worth …

Everyone has those signature dishes they’ve tried in a new country – whether it’s a local delicacy or just bizarre street eat. But what about those fun snacks and new flavors on old favorites?
Delicious Snacks and Treats from Around the World
Some of these are sweets, some salty. But all are portable and can make a great treat on a long bus ride…interestingly, most of my favorites from my travels are centered in Asia!
NEPAL: Lapsi

Topping the list is this sweet jellied candy. I don’t even like chewy candies but this …

Travel Memories:
Traditional Bosnian Coffee and Turkish Delight

I winced as I took my first sip of the jet-black Bosnian coffee – it was certainly not your average American brew! My couch surfing hosts in Sarajevo, Furkan and his roommates Anida and Sidak decided that I couldn’t leave Sarajevo without stopping in the Turkish quarter for a traditional Bosnian coffee complete with Turkish Delight.
After that first wince from the thick unsweetened coffee, Sidak got a kick out of watching me attempt to sip the battery acid…I mean coffee, from a delicate …

Travel Memories: Street Theatre Festival in Slovenia

Visiting Slovenia the first week of July in 2009 was one of those happy travel accidents – I had no idea that the Ana Desetnica summer theatre festival was going on that week but now can’t imagine the lovely little capital city of Ljubljana without the huge festival tents and impromptu street performances that took over the green lawns and parks throughout the city-center.
In fact, I actually love the theatre festivals I’ve seen all over the world so much that when I was …

Travel Memories Monday: A Faceless Anonymity

The stunning anonymity of this giant face in Florence, Italy’s Boboli Gardens strikes me even today – a year later and only in a photo this time around. This is one of the few pieces of art that I’m inexplicably drawn to – I’m not an art buff in the least but I turned a corner after well over an hour of just puttering through massive hedged gardens and there it was.
Bizarre.
Huge.
Beautiful.
A strong stone face with pearlized green streaks running through the cracks. If …

Monday Travel Memories: Biking Through Tuscany

I like to think of this as my Secret Garden shot – I pulled off the side of the road while on a day-long Tuscany bike and wine tour (an absolute favorite part of my time in Florence, Italy) for a break. Through a peep hole in the gate was this lushly green and completely serene road. I have no idea where this path leads, but they obviously aren’t keen on visitors and I felt like I was privy to a tiny little Tuscan …

In an effort to add some regularity here, I’d like to start a weekly post called “Monday Travel Memories.” A photo and mini story from current or past travels…perhaps a neat person I’ve met along the way, or a photo that has a bit of a story but not enough for a full blog post…or perhaps just a random memory.
Monday Travel Memories: The Sheep of Connemara, Ireland

Ireland is one of those countries that I just can’t help describing melodramatically; the country just speaks to my …