Living La Vida Loca

A Global Adventure

  • After our few days in Budapest, we sailed along the Danube River which – thank goodness – had enough water level the entire way to avoid any detours and bus rides that others had experienced other seasons as the river ebbed and flowed. With the exception of our last stop in Prague where we had… Read more

  • Cruising the Danube

    After our wonderful week in Puglia, we flew from Bari to Budapest. This is where our Silver Seas cruise on a beautiful riverboat began. We spent a couple of days exploring the city and found it to be both charming and humbling. The Hotel Matilde is very close to the waterfront and adjacent to some… Read more

  • It would take a Herculean effort at this point to document all the incredible experiences we had and sights we saw while in Puglia. We visited a number of lovely smaller cities during the week we were there, and I’ve collected a few choice photos to share. The memories that stick with me… Trani: A… Read more

  • We agreed that a quiet breakfast and sleepy midday was in order as we had planned a cooking class for the afternoon and evening. Cesarine is an Italy-wide organization that connects tourists with families or individuals who would like to host a cooking class. We were lucky to have been the first group to experience… Read more

  • We decided to visit Martina Franca – a nearby town – specifically because we’d heard about an antique street fair street fair from the owner of the bed-and-breakfast. We had rented a car so we could venture out easily to the many small towns and cities in the Puglia area and this turned out to… Read more

  • Grotti di Castellana

    The breakfasts at the main house of the bed-and-breakfast we stayed at were plentiful each morning. Micaela, the owner, does all the baking of breads, and there was always a spread of cereals, yogurts, fruit meats, and great coffee. We got to meet some of the other guests and particularly a couple from Amsterdam. He… Read more

  • It was basically two days in transit to Puglia, Italy (The “heel of the boot”). Historically, this was the poorest region of Italy but in recent years it has grown in population, industry, and tourist popularity – known now for friendly people, beautiful farmland, wines, and great rustic cuisine. We took a train from Solana… Read more

  • I am painfully aware that I live in a very comfortable daily bubble.  I am privileged in so many ways I try very hard to not take that for granted. Sure, Andrew and I have our individual and collective challenges along the way, but I am overwhelmed now – emotionally and intellectually – by feelings… Read more

  • When Andrew and I first mentioned to friends and family that we were thinking about visiting Medellin, there were many raised eyebrows. “Have you seen Narcos?” “WHY would you want to go where the cartels are shooting each other and innocents who get in the way?” “Are you going to buy cocaine???” The fact is… Read more

  • I’ve just returned from four days and four nights in Tecate Mexico. My friend Laura invited me to join her and 170 other people on a working trip with a group called Club Dust. Club Dust was founded more than 40 years ago by one man with a very big heart and an even bigger… Read more