Barcelona’s Backstreet Eats
It’s easy to find top name restaurants by perusing any guidebook, but discovering authentic eateries that locals keep for themselves is no easy task. While most visitors to Barcelona follow guidebook narrative and flock to the touted tourist trail of Las Ramblas, our challenge is always to seek ou
Alaska Cruise Countdown
What a great (albeit abbreviated) summer it has been for the great state of Alaska. For all the beauty, pristine wilderness and tales of gold that the state represents, the glitter faded when Canada’s pandemic-related travel restrictions took a toll on cruises last year. But thanks to forward-thin
48 Hours In Malta
Malta has always been a popular port of call but with it becoming a new staging ground for cruising as a home port, I embarked on a mission to experience everything the southern Mediterranean island could provide as a pre or post cruise option. Convenient flights to Malta are available from numerous
The Other Italy, Abruzzo Revisited
Have you ever visited a destination time and time again, never getting enough? I’ve been fortunate to travel to some of the most awe inspiring locations of the world, cruised on small gulets in Turkey, yachts in Australia and on some of the most glamorous ships at sea. What then is it that attract
The Joy of St. Croix
If you were asked to name the three U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas would immediately roll off the tip of your tongue, with St. John coming a split second later. For seasoned visitors to the Caribbean, St. Croix would likely follow. Content to let its smaller siblings soak up a good portion of the C
A Culinary Adventure in Emilia Romagna, Italy
I’ll admit it. I have a problem. I’ve been involved in a love affair with Italian food for most of my adult life. With the gastronomic trinity of Rome, Florence and Naples under my belt (in more ways than one), I’ve taken on a pilgrimage to discover the holy trail of food in Emilia Romagna, [&
The Spa Of Good Intentions on Celebrity Apex
One look at me and you can accurately deduce that I don’t spend a great deal of time in a spa. However, you’ll find it amazing that one of the first places I visit when boarding a ship is the gymnasium and spa. It’s a gesture of good intentions that may or may not have […]
Eating It Up In Athens
You all know my MO by now. I’m in a foreign city, hungry and have a hankering for some local food. This time it’s in Athens, Greece. Of course it’s easy to just hit the road well traveled in the Plaka district and some sidewalk cafe might jump out and tempt the tastebuds. In my […
The Secrets of St. John, USVI
You won’t find St. John, USVI on any cruise itinerary and that’s both good and bad. It’s good because you’ll never have to share the island with platoons of cruise passengers. If you are on a ship it’s bad because if unless you take an excursion from St. Thomas, you’ll never experience t
The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta Will Return in 2022
Starting with a mere 12 vessels participating in the inaugural race in 1980, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta has quickly grown in stature, with a record 284 boats racing for the title in 2008. With the trade winds of the Caribbean propelling watercraft that converge from all around the world, it’
This Cruise Leaves from St. Maarten Next Weekend
For what seems like an eternity, pandemic related restrictions have reined in the flourishing popularity of cruising and worldwide travel. Regulations may have challenged the possibility of arrivals and departures from US ports but the old adage necessity is the mother of invention has intervened an
Seabourn to Set Sail in July
They say that good things come to those who wait and after a year of pandemic patience GREAT things are happening for lovers of ultra-luxury cruising. Starting in July, Seabourn Cruise Line is resuming cruises with the Seabourn Ovation sailing in Greece and the Sea
Don’t Miss This Taco Food Tour in Cabo San Lucas
The question of the day; You’re in Mexico and hungry. What’s the one quick bite you think of? It’s a taco of course! As a vicarious foodie follower, you know that my go to solution for hunger pangs is a food tour and with a visit to Cabo San Lucas it’s no different. After savoring […]
Hiking Mexico’s Sierra de la Laguna
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The stories of generously flowing champagne, chic hotels and hedonistic nightlife dominate travel headlines about this jetsetting playground in the sun. Perhaps it’s the lure of sunset cruises around the iconic Los Arcos, seasonal whale watching, blue marlin fishing and wor
St. Thomas, Sophisticated
St. Thomas had a deep-rooted seafaring heritage long before I plied its waters. As a cruise director for many years, I visited the small, quaint island every Tuesday. Twenty-five years later, it has matured into destination adulthood, but in spite of its modernization, the island retains its playful
St. Croix Cocktail Hour: Try the Breadfruit Vodka
Serendipity has provided a new take on the old adage, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. On the US Virgin Island of St. Croix it’s become when life gives you breadfruit, make vodka. Watching the short shelf life of ripened breadfruit go to waste on the ground post Hurricane Maria, founder
It’s Time To Go Now
Would I be alone in sharing that over the past ten months of travel isolation, I’m tired of the ritualistic trip to the supermarket, the daily perusal of Netflix for mental stimulation and most of all the non-stop regurgitation of political discourse that’s fed to us every day? OK, good, we’re
Suite Secrets of the Riviera Maya
It’s inconceivable how the vibe of two neighboring regions could be more disparate than the tequila-induced debauchery of Cancún and the upscale chic of the Riviera Maya. But there is little doubt that the prominence of Cancún as a highly marketed tourist destination has greatly contributed to t
Deep In The Art Of Mexico
Once a sprawling textile factory before converting into a hybrid museum gallery, shopping, and cafe complex, Fabrica La Aurora is one of the most popular attractions in San Miguel. The spirit of the facility is fed by diverse artistic talents and the opportunity to exhibit conceptual designs in a re
Steve Leland’s 2020 Travel Recap
After nine months of travel lockdown, 2020 hindsight takes on new relevance as we grapple with how things could have been done differently, but then again who could have imagined the havoc that a renegade virus would wreak on the travel industry. Finishing out 2019 with a Transatlantic cruise from L