- Forgotten St. Petersburg: Shadows of the Romanovs Many Romanov sites in St. Petersburg and nearby Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) have been restored in the past few years, but a few remain untouched. I had planned to write an article about “Reinventing the Romanovs” as Russia continues to restore and open many new palaces. But as often happens to me, my plans shifted once I arrived. […]
- Guernsey: Shadows of German Occupation Guernsey, an island previously known more for its cows than World War II, is becoming a port that savvy cruise ships choose to add to their itineraries. Sailing into St. Peter Port much seems the same as it did during the Occupation Thanks to the best-selling novel, “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” […]
- Luxury Travel: It’s About Access, Not Thread Counts Luxury is about opening doors…or gates. The author at Burghley House in England. “Show me something I can’t see on my own, introduce me to someone I could not meet. That is the trip I will take. Luxury is Access. “ That’s my travel mantra and apparently, many UHNW travelers share my view. At a recent […]
- About Viking Cruises: What I Meant to Say Leaving the port of Le Havre, France onboard Viking Sea. Returning to my cabin after another exciting Viking Cruises‘ christening in Koblenz, Germany, I found a letter, asking if I would consider being interviewed. I emailed the Viking video team that I would be happy to share my thoughts on Viking and cruising. (This is […]
- Exploring Petra There is so much to see in Petra beyond the iconic Treasury. Like the majestic Temenos Gate, Roman 2nd century AD. On my recent Azamara Club Cruises cruise from Rome to Dubai, I asked many fellow passengers why they chose this itinerary? The almost universal answer was to see Petra. One of the new “Seven Wonders […]
- When in Rome…Beyond the Top Ten Sites Beyond the Colosseum many exciting, less visited, world class sites are waiting for you to explore in Rome. Here are a few of my top finds. Hint: they include Michelangelo, the Borgias and Mussolini. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Slow down, relish the moment, savor the tastes and dig a little deeper […]
- Pompeii 79AD A stop on the Grand Tour since the 18th century, the site of Pompeii still mesmerizes…even for the return visitor. A favorite port stop on many Mediterranean itineraries is the Amalfi Coast. Flowers, vistas, lemons and limoncello lure travelers to long lunches and evening strolls. Pulling into Sorrento by ship is one of the most striking […]
- Cruising the Seine River Viking Cruises introduced their first ocean-going ship last year, the Viking Star. I was privileged to sail on her from Lisbon to London including a short cruise up the Seine River in France. Nothing compares with sitting on your balcony, sipping wine, watching small french villages go about their daily routines. Look closely at this short video […]
- Cruising to Borneo, Brunei and Bangkok Silversea Cruise lines ranks as one of the top luxury cruise lines in the world. I agree. Check out my video for a snapshot of this expedition: I have cruised with Silversea in the Mediterranean, the Arabian Gulf and most recently in the South China Sea. While the ship I was on, the Silver […]
- Finding “Miss Saigon” in Ho Chi Minh City Today Miss Saigon is returning to Broadway next spring. The revival of this classic musical about the Vietnam War is refreshed and always touching, and has been a major hit in London. Visiting Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon) last week, I met two of the lead personalities, or at least their 2016 incarnation, “The Engineer” […]
