If you’re into adventure travel, do not miss Costa Rica. I’ve been there three times and could go another dozen and not do it all. Guest blogger Cory Harrison describes five different adventures in today’s Dog-Eared Passport.
Copenhagen has 15 restaurants that have earned 24 Michelin stars. Noma has been voted the world’s best restaurant five times. Emphasizing natural, local products from land and sea, New Nordic Cuisine has become the world rage. But in three days eating our way across the Danish capital this month we found it wanting. Like, we wanted more to eat. And the prices were outrageous.
For the fourth straight year, Denmark is ranked the second-happiest country in the world. Why? We visited last week and locals say the social democracy that’s heavy in taxes but also heavy in security is the main reason. Danes don’t laugh and skip down the street but there’s a subtle lightness in their step. The quality of life is high. Their country is beautiful. People look after each other. Not surprisingly, all five Nordic countries are in the top eight of the rankings.
I took a recent assignment to Kranjska Gora, a Slovenian ski town where I chronicled Mikaela Shiffrin’s quest to break the World Cup ski wins record for women. It’s a tiny ski village with a thriving outdoor sports scene. I didn’t ski but I loved the Christmas atmosphere, food, beauty and half-liter bottles of beer for €3,30.
Wednesday marks my nine-year anniversary of moving to Rome. And again, as I do every Jan. 11, I list all the reasons I love living here. This year’s is another new list, ranging from Marina’s great Italian dishes to the scenic walk I take to my soccer pub. Of all the blogs I write, this is the easiest.
After nine years living in Rome, I’ve been to every corner of Rome’s Lazio region. It’s time I brought these places closer to you, dear reader. I am starting a new blog this month. It’s called TraveLazio. Every other Friday I will focus on one place in Lazio, easily accessible from Rome. It will be short, with lists of things to do and information on where to eat and how to get there. Lots of Marina’s photos. Hope you enjoy it. We aim to launch it Jan. 13.
If you’re planning an Italian vacation next year, consider some lesser-known places I discovered this year. They’re wonderful bases to explore more notable sites but also worthwhile places to spend a couple days off the beaten path. I recommend all of them. They’re good for the soul and good for the budget. They are my top 10 list of Underrated Towns in Italy 2023.
Have your Christmas shopping done? I do. But my gifts go worldwide, garnered from my list of all that was mostly bad in the world. Yes, it’s time for my annual Christmas gift list. It comes at the end of a tumultuous year that saw war in Europe, women’s rights violated in the U.S. and Italy leaning heavily to the far right. There’s something for everyone, maybe even a few laughs.
Christmas is coming and it always brings back great memories of my Christmases in my hometown of Eugene, Ore. This month it has me thinking. What do I miss about the U.S? I struggled to come up with a list. It’s a short one. Christmas definitely tops it. Here’s a brief look at what I miss about the U.S. as an American expat in Rome.
Next month marks my 45th anniversary of my epic solo trip around the world. In 1978-79 upon graduation from college I spent nearly a year traveling through Europe, North Africa, Southeast Asia and East Asia, visiting 25 countries. It changed my life forever. But some things have changed. I travel differently. True, I do have more money than I did as a starving backpacker. But my attitude and outlook have changed. Here are 10 things I’ve noticed and not all of them are positive.
Thought about Christmas yet? Don’t know what to buy? I’m here to help. Do you have a traveler in your family or someone who wants to travel? Buy them a travel book, More specifically, an armchair travel book. These are long yarns about travel adventures that don’t offer tips but do other plenty of insights, some of them hilarious. I list my 10 favorite travel books, ranging from a 26-year-old miserable on an exotic island to an Australian ex-con hiding from the law inside the Indian mafia.
On a freelance assignment, we came to the village of Picinisco and discovered things we never read in guidebooks. It is the source of most of Scotland’s people of Italian heritage, it has some of the best cheese in Italy and has spectacular views with few tourists. We stayed in a charming B&B built in 1926 where we ate a five-course meal prepared by a gourmet chef. I also met a Scotsman who bought a nearby village. One of the best overnight trips of my nearly nine years in Italy.
