No matter how fantastical the artwork, the Youthful Adventurer can only appreciate so much of it before being obligated to run, jump, shout, and—as has happened more than once—set off museum alarms. We were fortunate to find alternatives in Paris that could keep the young set amused: the elevator ride up the Eiffel Tower, a…
The Sunny and Strategic World of Les Andelys
It was on our first stop away from Paris that I realized I didn’t remember enough about the history of France. On the Uniworld River Baroness with the Senior and the Youthful Adventurers, we awoke to sunny, pastoral town of Les Andelys, a throwback in time from the dazzles of Paris. Walking up to the…
That Summer Light at Giverny Really Is Different
A pink house with green shutters and a killer garden are the few things that could possibly persuade me to leave Paris. Yet, having seen some muddied water lilies at the Orangerie, I was ready to be underwhelmed at Giverny. Still, how could I not go to the place that inspired all that creativity? …
If Only All Truck Stops Were as Good for You as Bedford’s
Continuing my attempts to time travel, I stopped by Truck in Bedford Village, N.Y. on a hot, humid, too-bright-to-be-experienced-outside Sunday afternoon. Honestly, I wasn’t there for the healthful food—and there is plenty of that—but for the Mexican Cokes, margaritas, and air-conditioning. That there were locally grown veggies in my enchilada made it all the better….
Traveling to Remember
Sitting at an outdoor café three blocks from the Rome Termini one morning 24 years ago waiting for my friend Julie to arrive, I had no appreciation of the folly of our planning. In the days before cell phones, all I knew for sure was that Julie was scheduled to arrive from the United States…
Paris: Macarons and Macabre All in One Morning
Is it okay to stop for a macaron at McDonald’s Paris before descending into the ever-so-slightly macabre catacombs, also known as the empire of the dead? The Bashful Adventurer finds out.
Tripping on Chocolate
Indulging in Chocolate Tourism Attempting to crack open cacao beans one afternoon at Cyrila’s Chocolate near Punta Gorda, Belize, I couldn’t help but wonder what led people, thousands of years ago, to begin torturing beans in a way that would eventually yield chocolate. These aren’t string beans; you can’t just yank them off a plant…
“I Survived the French Revolution and Didn’t Even Get a T-Shirt”
History, for me, is best understood in manageable nuggets. I keep targeting the French revolution because of the convergence of so many ideas: the roles of church, state, kings, budgets, freedom, violence, revenge. I can’t imagine I’ll ever understand it, or why it flowed quite the way it did, but I keep looking and reading…
Without Plans in Chi-Town
After more than enough days sitting in a beige conference room somewhere in the city, I decided that a weekend of a great void would be more than alluring. All I knew was that we’d stay over in Chicago; we didn’t quite know where; we’d get to that then. The lake was a draw, but…
Visit Versailles via ‘Farewell, My Queen’
Does anyone understand Marie Antoinette? How someone, anyone, the queen of France could be so entirely oblivious about what was going on all around her entirely befuddles me. Every time I make excuses for her—she was too young for her role, her husband was supposed to be in charge—I can’t help but think of another…