John Henderson's Travel Adventures in Rome and Beyond

November 1, 2024

U.S. election: Four American expats weigh in on their concerns, fears and hopes for Tuesday

With arguably the most important presidential election in U.S. history approaching Tuesday, we American expats watch from afar. However, we are still affected. We are still emotion. We are still opinionated. I contacted four friends from around the world for a roundtable discussion about the issues.

October 30, 2024

Bran Castle: This giant tourist trap is more trick than treat

About 1 million people pour through Bran Castle in Transylvania every year hoping to connect with the legend of Dracula. I didn’t. I knew the castle had little to do with the famous horror novel or the legend that followed. What I found was one of the world’s biggest tourist traps.

October 25, 2024

Moldova: Village life a drop back in time in the least visited country in Europe

On every trip, I try to take a couple days and do nothing but watch that particular world go by. Who would’ve thought that in the middle of Moldova I’d find a village that was a pseudo paradise? Butuceni was that for me. I spent two days at the Butuceni Eco-Resort, getting to know the owner and locals and spectacular scenery.

October 22, 2024

Moldova wine: National Wine Day and world’s largest wine cellar plenty to drown my Italian-trained palate

Curious about Moldovan wine after a couple of tastings in Italy, I flew to Europe’s poorest country for the Moldova National Wine Day. For two days I tried wines from some of the 100 wineries that attended. I also toured the Milestii Mici winery boasting the world’s largest wine cellar with 2 million bottles of wine.

October 15, 2024

36 Hours in Rome: How I’d spend a short weekend here

The New York Times does a wonderful feature in its Sunday travel section called 36 Hours in … It picks a city around the globe and give readers places to go at appropriate times of the day. I did the same for Rome. I don’t include the major attractions such as the Colosseum and Vatican. You know those. I wrote about the places I would go as a Rome resident of 8 1/2 years. Hope it gives you some ideas next time you come to town, especially for the second time.

October 8, 2024

Travel tales from hell: Disease, machetes and the lessons we learn

(Director’s note: I’m traveling in Moldova, Europe’s poorest country which made me think of the worst trips of my life. I’m re-posting a blog I wrote five years ago on my travel tales from hell. I hope when I return I won’t add to it.”) To truly travel, one must truly suffer. It’s a backpacker’s […]

October 1, 2024

My Five Favorite Restaurants in Rome 2024: A new No. 1

251152987_311213257148805_8045493676234873648_n

I started running a list of my five favorite restaurants in Rome in 2016. I try to do it every year that’s not wiped out by a global pandemic. The 2024 list is a little late but it’s out today. There is a new No. 1 but my usual No. 1, Renato e Luisa, made the list for the fourth time. Keep this list handy for that next trip to Rome.

September 24, 2024

Bodo: European Cultural Capital no longer “Boring Bodo”

Once the butt of bad jokes, “Boring Bodo” has made international headlines this year after being named European Cultural Capital 2024. More than 1,000 events highlight a city that has boomed in the last 12 years. I went on assignment for BBC.com in June and rewrote it for my blog.

September 20, 2024

Shoulder season best time to travel, particularly South Africa

If you want to enrich your travel experience, do not travel during the high tourist season. Go in the shoulder season: right after or before the high season begins. In South Africa, the ideal time is spring and fall. Here is guest blogger Diana Parker looks at why shoulder season is the time for savvy travelers.

September 17, 2024

Skopelos road trip: Car ride around Greece’s greenest island reveals views worthy of Greek gods

Stafilos Beach graces the southeast end of Skopelos.

On our fourth trip to the Greek isle of Skopelos, we drove around the southern end of the island, away from the tourists and the beaches. What we found were spectacular views, quiet monasteries and, yes, more beautiful beaches. I also found a new love for goat cheese.

September 10, 2024

Feta: A trip to Greece and my love affair with its cheese

Ever since my first trip to Greece in 1978, I have been in love with feta cheese. Topped on a Greek salad, it makes for the perfect meal: tasty, healthy and filling. On my most recent trip to Greece, I visited a feta farm where it has been made for six generations.

September 6, 2024

Restaurant reviews: Boosting traveler trust in restaurant recommendations

When you’re traveling and unsure of where to eat, where do you go? First, you go to restaurant reviews. However, how do you know which are authentic or as fake as the food they write about? Here’s a guest blog to give you some helpful tips.

«‹ 3 4 5 6 ›»