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Cuba Journal: Cancun an unfortunate layover on journey to Marxland

A man on the music-filled streets of Havana.

(THIS IS THE FIRST OF A 10-PART BLOG DETAILING MY RECENT TRIP TO CUBA, A BEAUTIFUL PARADISE WITH A TORTURED POPULACE. CUBA IS SALSA POURING OUT OF EVERY WINDOW, FRUSTRATION POURING OUT OF EVERY SOUL AND UNSPOILED BEACHES THAT MAKE YOU WONDER WHAT AMERICA WILL DO TO THIS PLACE WHEN THE CASTROS DIE AND THE […]

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Panama’s Archipelago San Blas is life in a Far Side cartoon

Panama’s Archipelago San Blas is life in a Far Side cartoon

By John Henderson Special to The Philadelphia Inquirer ARCHIPELAGO SAN BLAS, Panama – The canoe with my two backpacks sitting precariously at the bow motors through the royal blue Caribbean Sea. I’m cruising past miniscule, uninhabited islands not even charted on maps, and I’m heading to one of them. I’m spending two days on the […]

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Puglia journal: Trip to gorgeous Adriatic beach is a true recycling affair

The gorgeous beach north of Otranto, just before tourist season.

SATURDAY, MAY 12 – OTRANTO, ITALY There’s a bottle of ice cold water near my laptop that I would’ve given five years off my life or my left testicle last night if it was available. I’m so dehydrated I don’t know if I felt worse this morning or yesterday when I had the vicious hangover. […]

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Puglia journal: The Puglia milk run consists of seven connections and 11 hours

My hotel in Otranto, the Bacconcino d'Oriente.

FRIDAY, MAY 11 – OTRANTO, ITALY I take back anything good I’ve said about Italian wine. They don’t need preservatives and phosphates, the mine fields of American wine, to produce a nuclear explosion in your frontal lobe. I’m writing this with one eye closed. It’s to lessen the pain from a savage hangover from the […]

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Puglia journal: Vieste a romantic hideaway on the spur of Italy’s heel

Cheese vendor Costanzo Laprocina with a backdrop of caciocavallo cheese in his shop in Vieste, Puglia

TUESDAY, MAY 8 – VIESTE, ITALY Sometimes in travel you find yourself in such an idyllic place that you think you’re the only person in the world this happy. This is one of those times. I’m on the rooftop of Rocca Sul Mare, my hotel here high above the Adriatic Sea. The rooftop is barebones, […]

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Porto Journal: A day trip to lovely Pinhao

Pinhao's 700-year-old stone bridge.

TUESDAY, MAY 1 Living in the States sometimes I forget the simple facts of Southern Europe. Take the siesta. Or pausa. Or mid-day break. I completely forgot that some countries completely shut down. In rural Portugal, you might as well not leave the hotel. From 3-6 everything is closed. So what time did I take […]

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Porto Journal: A true slogging tour of port wineries

Calem winery in Porto.

MONDAY, APRIL 30 Now I know why Porto takes like grape juice but wallops like grappa. It’s filled with brandy! The fucking Brits used to put brandy in their wine to preserve it for shipping. The brandy they use is 78 percent alcohol. That’s just one of the little tidbits of information I heard on […]

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Porto Journal: Cheap wine with high alcohol, a deadly combination

The distinctive blue tile azulejos design in Porto's train station.

SUNDAY, APRIL 29 It’s 11:07 a.m. and I’m just now getting out of bed. Whether it’s Brazil or Portugal, these people know how to party. I’m drinking myself blind over here. Last night is a haze. All the bars melted into one long slog. I blame this port wine, a new addiction on the level […]

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Porto Journal: Arriving to grilled meats wine and (erp!) 21% alcohol

Torre do Clerigos with 225-step spiral staircase.

SATURDAY, APRIL 28 The bells from the church seemingly in the next room have chimed nine times, 10 times, 11 times. It’s probably time to get up. The combination of 18 hours travel time and a wild Friday night in Porto hit me like a giant sand bag. I’m partially hung over, completely underestimating the […]

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