The word “anti” has been assimilated into the English language to mean roughly “being opposed to”, but its Greek meaning is primarily positional – “located opposite”. Thus, the name of Antiparos, one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Aegean Sea, which is separated from Paros by less than two…
Paros is not exactly tiny, but it is not big in any sense of the word. A week on an island of this size very easily leaves a visitor with a feeling of having seen everything there is to see. A local might certainly be able to point out the…
As I’ve been somewhat over-emphasizing lately, museums are a big part of my travel explorations. I always put a few potential targets on the map, research opening times in advance, and look for opportunities to stop by when in the area. One such target on Paros was the Museum of…
At the end of my photo-essay of Mykonos seven years ago, I included three different focal-length perspectives of the town of Naousa, as seen from the deck of a cruise boat. Those shots for years informed our desire to make Paros a target for a return visit to Greece. When…
For our week-long stay on the Cycladic island of Paros, we rented a gorgeous villa at the edge of Parikia, the island’s capital. Every evening, we went on a volta around the compact old center – you may be more familiar with the equivalent Italian term passeggiata – and probably…
Our stay in Athens this summer was almost entirely due to my desire to see the Acropolis Museum – we would probably have flown to the islands with no layover if not for that intention. The Acropolis itself is the can’t-miss sight in Athens, but the museum sits outside of…
Our trip to Greece this summer started with a full day in the capital city. It was planned specifically so that we could visit the Acropolis Museum, which did not feature on our first visit itinerary to Athens. Beyond that, we spent quite a bit of time reacquainting ourselves with Athens,…
We’ve been to the San Diego area a handful of times over the last 30 years, and yet we barely know the city and its attractions. I tried to rectify that a bit on the most recent visit last spring by setting aside time to explore Balboa Park. The huge…
We spent the majority of our California trip last March in the parts of San Diego County that are home to one of the youngest established viticultural areas in the country – the San Luis Rey AVA. We may no longer be the wine aficionados on the same scale as…
Museums are always a feature in my traveling itineraries. Art collections claim the top priority, but nearly any aspect of human history, endeavor, and achievement is bound to be of interest to me in a museum setting. When researching things to do in the north of San Diego County, I…
Wait, what!? Wasn’t the most recent announcement about the return from Greece? What does California have to do with that? Back in March, we were privileged to attend a wedding of one of our beloved cousins in the San Diego area. I don’t like traveling long distances for just one…
Two weeks on the Cycladic Islands in the Aegean Sea is such a magnificent treat that my preferences for exploring new destinations were largely set aside for our summer vacation this year. We have already been in 2018, and we especially loved the island of Naxos so much that we…
It is a mildly curious quirk of fate that I haven’t really been to Boston. While we were young and in the process of building our American Dream, we traveled sparingly and almost exclusively within the US. Boston was our “bad luck” destination. On two separate occasions in the 90s,…
In my obviously unbiased opinion, Versailles is a must-see in one’s lifetime (and, of course, it is a World Heritage site). But it is frequently unbearably overcrowded. And, being the early inspiration of grand royal residences, it is exceeded in splendor by some of its imitators, so if you’ve been…
One of the activities that should not be skipped when in Paris is getting on a boat for an hour-long cruise on the Seine. I have probably done it a dozen times by now – and almost always after the fall of darkness. Your mileage will certainly vary, but I…
One of the most famous creations of human ingenuity, the Eiffel Tower has been a dominating feature of the Parisian skyline since 1889. Initially meant as the temporary signature piece of the World Fair that year and roundly criticized by the intellectual elite, it quickly turned into a permanent cultural…
When it comes to selecting one sight you don’t want to miss, my Parisian choice may feel counterintuitive. In a city known world over for its architectural marvels and superb art collections, most visitors would make the Louvre, or the Notre-Dame, or the Eiffel Tower their unmissable attraction. And yet…
As I mark another trip around the Sun, I feel that I am finally coming to terms with the once outlandish idea that I have adult children. And as with any parent, recollections of them as kids are the fastest way to warm my heart. Below is a video that…
If you have been reading these pages for a number of years, you must have, in the past, come across my professed love for Paris. Our visits to this great city have become rather infrequent in recent times, but the affection remains in full force. When it comes to “there…
This post was originally written in 2016 and updated after a recent multi-day visit to London. I lived in London for three years. As more and more time separates me from that period, I find myself feeling increasingly nostalgic. Which is rather surprising given that London is technically not my…