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
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 […]
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
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
Eating It Up in St. Thomas
In my 10 years of weekly visits to St. Thomas by cruise ship, it had never entered my mind that a food tour would be an excursion of any consequence. I had indeed savored dozens of delicious dinners at world class restaurants on the island but with gourmet dining my prime objective, a food tou
A Tale of Two Transatlantic Cruises
Cruising has always fueled the imagination with dreams of far-flung destinations, and 2020’s unimaginable pause in cruising has amplified those dreams tenfold. It is very likely that we took this indulgent mode of travel for granted … but never again. Only when it was taken away from us could we
Looking Covid-19 In The Eye…Hey, I’m A Traveling Man
As friends cried out to me “are you crazy?”, I briefly contemplated that they might be onto something. With a pandemic raging throughout the world, why would anyone take flight from the safety of home base and travel? In my case FOMO was remedied with a CTA and the YOLO mantra. While you social
Binging in Baja: The Luxury Resorts of Cabo San Lucas
Depending on your personal perspective or inclinations, the trendy playground of Los Cabos, Mexico can either be party time central or ultra luxury paradise. It’s swank and snazzy, lively and hedonistic with an identity that precludes bland. Regardless of the attributes you tend to gravitate towar
A Taste Of San Miguel: Tacos and Tequila
I’m always hungry. Hungry for travel, knowledge, friendship and it goes without saying, food! If presented with an à la carte menu of excursions or adventures, a food tour is always my first choice. Hey, a guy has to eat! These ever growing foodie tours are popping up all over the glo
Cure Your Wanderlust in Guanajuato
Perched on the central plateau of the Guanajuato Mountain Range, there are very few destinations that can compete with the color, culture and character of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The city’s humble past has sprouted into full bloom and if it’s authenticity and character you seek in an
The Art and Soul of San Miguel de Allende
Although the ‘no sail’ mandate may be loosening its suffocating grip, cruising’s self imposed extension lingers with ships motionless at anchor or tightly tethered to their docks. What seems like a painful eternity finds cruising socially distanced from our travel wanderlust, making land trave
Travel Jeopardy
“I’ll take 2020 Travel Potpourri for $200 Alex” Answer: In 2020 ‘’It’ brought the travel industry to a standstill. Question: What is COVID-19? “2020 Travel Potpourri for $400 Alex” Answer: The duration of the 2020 international travel lockdown. Question: What is six months and six da
Not Guilty!
I’m pretty sure that we all glossed over the chapter on the rules for pandemic survival in the master plan of life. Regardless of our innocence and lack of complicity, we have all been convicted (somewhat unjustly) by the judge and jury to serve the collective six month and counting sentence of so
The Northern Sights of Norway
Savvy cruisers with a penchant for upscale travel will find a treasure trove of destinations to choose from in Seabourn Cruise Line’s catalogue of globetrotting itineraries. Few, however, would be as compelling as their summertime 14-day Majestic Fjords and North Cape itinerary aboard the impressi
