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Dupuytren: My surgical dive into private Italian healthcare

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I started noticing my right pinkie involuntarily bend about two years ago. Soon it was at a 90-degree angle, making typing difficult. What I have is Dupuytren disease, a condition that shortens and thickens the connective tissue in the palm. I had surgery two weeks ago. It was tremendous insight into the world of private healthcare in the second-ranked healthcare country in the world.

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Schengen Visa: Who needs it and how do you get it?

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If you’re not from an English-speaking country and want to visit Europe. you’ll likely need a Schengen Visa. Europe’s Schengen region consists of 29 countries, and the type of visa you need depends on what country you come from and your purpose of travel. Guest blogger Laurie Amber breaks it down.

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Ghent: Belgium’s other canal city the perfect 9th anniversary escape

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Marina and I love Belgium. It’s maybe the most underrated country in Europe. So we decided to break from our usual anniversary routine and left Italy. We spent three days in Ghent, Belgium’s second-largest city but oft overlooked as it’s in the shadow of the more glamorous Bruges up the road. We found Ghent so charming and life on the canal is a good place to remind us how far we’ve come.

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My 10 favorite restaurants in Lazio outside Rome

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Ever since Marina and I started our TraveLazio blog in January 2023, we have discovered fantastic restaurants in little towns outside. Rome. After traveling to 34 towns in the Lazio region, I came up with my 10 favorite restaurants. They’re in rough order and include contact info, photos and links to the towns we featured in TraveLazio. If you love Italy, this is a must read.

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17 hours in Shanghai: Dumplings, Bund and a lot of concrete capitalism

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On our way back from Japan recently, China Eastern Airlines stuck us with a 17-hour layover in Shanghai. But with China’s handy 24-hour airport visa, we could get a glimpse of the world’s third-largest city. We had a great authentic Shanghai dumpling dinner then were amazed at the Bund and Lujiazui, the city’s areas with the spectacular trademark skyline. But too much concrete. Too much smog.

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Japanese cuisine: Tasty, healthy and — yes! — cheap

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Eating healthy while traveling can be challenging. Eating unhealthy in Japan is almost impossible. During our visit three weeks ago, Marina and I ate mostly raw fish, grilled fish, vegetables, rice, noodles and teriyaki. It was not only tasty and healthy but, thanks to the yen tanking, mostly cheap.

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Kyoto: Chasing cherry blossoms in the land where the sun did not rise

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I waited 45 years to see cherry blossoms again and when I came to Japan last month I was greeted with the worst spring weather the country’s seen in 10 years. However, I found three places in beautiful Kyoto where cherry blossoms were in full bloom. It was the highlight of Japan’s most star-crossed city, one battling for balance in the world of tourism.

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Japan’s bullet train puts travel in the fast (200 mph) lane

Japan’s bullet train puts travel in the fast (200 mph) lane

One incentive to spending my birthday last week in Japan was riding its famed bullet train. Called the Shinkansen, it’s the fifth-fastest train in the world at 200 mph. The train stations are confusing but once you settle into your comfy seat, the Japanese countryside goes by in a flash. Don’t blink.,

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Japan: A travel tale from hell on a journey too short

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We went to Japan for a week to celebrate my birthday Friday. On our way to Kyoto to see the cherry blossoms, we had two nights in Tokyo which were spoiled by a horrible cough, terrible weather and worse views. Our tiny hotel room with a rooftop bar consisting of a vending machine didn’t help.

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