AS A DAY TRIPPER TO THE ARAN ISLAND OF INIS MOR (Inishmore) on a bright and sunny day in September, it’s easy to see all that is right and good in a place. And that’s the gratification of travel to beautiful and exotic places like the rocky west coast of Ireland. Heading directly to Galway…
Author: David Wilson
ITALY / SAN GIMIGNANO
Towers and white wine MEDIEVAL HILL TOWNS IN ITALY were built for securtity. They endure for romance. San Gimignano, about 30 miles south of Florence and 35 miles north of Sienna, is one of a the best loved and most visited. Trademark towers signal your arrival. Vernaccia grapes and resulting wine entice you to stay…
SPAIN / SEVILLE
Postcards from the Royal Palace in Seville, Spain On a warm summer afternoon my daughters and I threaded our way through the cool array of courtyards, elaborately tiled chambers and sculpted gardens of the Alcázar, the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. When members of Spain’s royal family take a spin to Seville for a visit,…
PERU / MACHU PICCHU
Postcards from Machu Picchu, Peru EVEN VISITORS WITH DEPTHS OF SCHOLARLY KNOWLEDGE of Machu Picchu stand in wonder when they enter the historic sanctuary. “How?” each asks silently and aloud. How did the Inkas, centuries ago, plan and build this city on a mountaintop in a tropical forest? Explore the terraced levels and you only marvel…
UNITED KINGDOM / GIBRALTAR
That was Spain. This is Gibraltar. DRIVE ACROSS THE BORDER FROM SPAIN TO GIBRALTAR and in a matter of minutes you’re at the foot of the world’s most famous rock. Up close, it takes a minute or two to visually scale and take in its sheer height and mass. And you are far from Spain. After…
CHILE / VALPARAISO
Exploring the color-filled city on the bay IF I SAY THAT VALPARAISO IS TO CHILE AS AUSTIN IS TO TEXAS, I mean to compliment both. Of course, I would have to layer in some New Orleans and some San Francisco to get the right mix, and yet that would not describe any of them justly….
ITALY / TUSCANY
THERE ARE NO BAD DAYS IN TUSCANY / I’ve enjoyed Florence in record summer heat and wedged in lines between tour groups. But, being there in late fall, when temps are cooler and visitors are fewer, it’s even better. Average high temperature in November is around 60 degrees F and low’s in the mid-40s. That’s perfect travel weather to…
NEW YORK / BUFFALO
Pull off the highway and prowl a business street that runs through any Texas town and I guarantee you’ll find several options for chicken fried steak, barbeque and tacos. But if you’re looking for a really good hot dog stand, head back to the highway because you’re taking a major road trip. Texans eat hot…
PERU / LIMA
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CHILE / VALPARAISO
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ITALY / TRAFANA
I CONFESS / I have never been to Trafana, Italy. Yes, it’s the namesake of my travel blog, but I’ve never been there. Nor do I know anyone who has. Hunting for a good name to market a line of contemporary furniture, I turned to a map of Italy for inspiration. Trafana it was! It never…
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