Top Selling Souvenirs in Europe

Posted by golfkat on February 12, 2021
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment

The map is very interesting.  Have I purchased any of those items?  See below for the answers.

Again, I tend to buy very little these days, but I still buy T shirts and refrigerator magnets, wine, and some candy, like Turkish Delight, wine gummies, and chocolate.


But you will see that over the years, I have purchased some things that I still have.

United Kingdom  Yes, I have an umbrella from Wimbledon, as well as a cap, polo shirt, tennis ball, and coffee mug.  I went a little crazy.  Stick to strawberries and cream!


Netherlands  I have brought home gouda, a collar for Lexi from the van Gogh Museum, a cycling jersey, and a hashish pipe (back in 1971).

France  Wine of course, from Bordeaux, and Champagne, cookies, and many insults from the French people (back in 1971).

Germany  Would you believe I bought a place setting for four of Rosenthal stainless?  Long story, I shipped it back home for an old girlfriend.

Spain  I have a great pair of leather golf shoes from Valderama, along with great memories of the topless beaches on the Costa del Sol.  All great pairs!

Finland  I bought some chocolate coated raisins for my brother.

Iceland  Yes, more raisins for my brother, as he works in the raisin business!

Ireland  I drank everything I bought there, except for the Templebar T shirts.  I did buy a sweater, but gave it away in Istanbul.

Austria  My waitress at the restaurant wanted me to bring her home, but I could not afford her.

Italy  I brought back plenty of heartburn from the food and terrible pizza.

Portugal  Would you believe I brought back several bottles of great, affordable single malt Scotch, along with a few vintage Ports?

Poland  After visiting the Madame Curie Museum, I may have brought back some radiation!

Turkey  I discovered Turkish Delight, and brought back a kilo!  I wish many kilos. Nothing grander than the Grand Bazaar.

Czech Republic  I would say Czechers, but you would not believe me.  I discovered pork knuckle.

Hungary  Yes, I brought back palinka, but gave it to my sister in law.  How about tokiaji?

Romania  After visiting Dracula’s Castle, I brought back the curse of Ion Tiriac (Ilie Nastase’s doubles partner and the richest man in Romania).


Switzerland  Only memories of the best Grand Marnier fondue ever.  I found out most of the world’s chocolate comes from Ecuador!

Scotland  Plenty, golf shirts, golf jackets, wind shirts, balls, and great memories of St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Turnberry.

Again, you may conclude that the memories and magnets last much longer than any trinkets.  But I do have a suggestion.  Just buy one or two items, of the highest quality possible.  Do not buy junk!  For those of you who collect things, just remember, someday you will downsize, and nobody wants your stuff!!!

Best Selling Souvenirs in Asia

Posted by golfkat on February 11, 2021
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Travel. Leave a comment

Take a look at the clever map.  These are the souvenirs the travel experts suggest buying when visiting.  On my dozen or so trips to Asia, I tend to buy fewer items on each visit.  My only vice remains refrigerator magnets.  I probably have several hundred now, and nowhere to display them!  If you have a fairly new refrigerator, you know the exterior have very little or no magnetic surface!  Oh, and lots of T shirts, but who knows where they are?


Anyway, here is what I have purchased, despite their suggestions.


Japan  My best purchase ever in Japan was in Kyoto.  I bought the world’s best tofu.  Of course, I had to eat it there.  You may recall my email about finding the world’s best.  It was delicious!


Thailand  Rather than harem pants, I had several nice wool suits custom tailored, along with some shirts that I never really cared for.


South Korea  Only a magnet, sorry.  I was obsessed with the Korea Airline flight attendants, who were perfectly dressed and coreographed.


Russia  I did buy the famous matryoshka dolls in Moscow.  But my best purchase was smoked omul at Lake Baikal in Siberia.  Skip the cheap vodka!


Singapore  Only a magnet, everything was very expensive, even the famous Singapore Sling at the famous Raffles Hotel.


China  Well, Hong Kong instead, but nothing but great memories of young ladies out for an evening of dinner and dancing with stilettoes trying to negotiate the steep hills of the city.


Cambodia  One of the greatest gifts is getting to visit the famous Angkor complex, with Ta Prohm being my favorite.  I have lots of magnets!!

Malaysia  I have a fake Rolex that still works!  The seafood here is simply the best in the world.


Vietnam  I love the art work here, whether their hand cut greeting cards, or silk woven art work of local people and country life.


Laos  Despite seeing all of the opium being grown on the roadside, the best was a cup of coffee, filtered through an old tube sock at a local wet market.


Nepal  After being invited to lunch at our guide’s modest home, we gave him all of our cash upon departing Katmandu.  It was a fair trade!


Myanmar  We visited a tobacco shop and bought local cigars and cigarettes at Inle Lake.  So very strange, since neither Mike nor I smoke!

You can most likely conclude that I don’t really buy much.  But back when I was managing many people, I managed to always find something to bring back.  One year, it was knock off designer scarves from Bangkok.  Some years, not as generous.


For myself, aside from magnets and T shirts, my heavy shopping days are over.  I am trying to think of some of our “great” purchases.  It seems most were either food items, or great memories!  Which do you prefer?

Champagne Primer

Posted by golfkat on February 10, 2021
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment

From time to time, a review of basic champagne is a good idea. 

Information is always a good thing:

The Champagne Method

Also known as the “Traditional Method,” the “Champagne Method” of sparkling wine production requires the wine to undergo two fermentations, wherein sugar is converted into alcohol.

Primary Fermentation – After harvest, the grapes are carefully pressed, and the juice goes through an initial alcoholic fermentation – usually in stainless steel tanks. The result is known as the “base wine.”

Blending – Next, base wines are blended together. Some of the base wines are saved for later use, and a large selection of base wines ensures that a Champagne producer will have a consistent “House Style” from year to year.

Secondary Fermentation – Now the blended wine is moved into a clean vessel where a mixture of wine, sugar, and yeast is added. The wine is then bottled, and a second fermentation occurs inside the bottle. Bottles are then capped and placed on their sides. This process encourages the formation of carbon dioxide bubbles.

Yeast Autolysis – After fermentation is complete, leftover sediment and lees (dead yeast cells) dissolve into the wine, usually for four to five years. This imparts the bread, biscuit, or pastry aromas and flavors we often associate with sparkling wines from Champagne.

Riddling – Once yeast autolysis is complete, all sediment and lees must be removed from the bottles. Traditionally, this was manually accomplished by delicately turning the bottles a few degrees each day over two months until the yeast sediment collected in the necks of the upturned bottles. Today, most producers use a mechanical device, known as  a gyropalette, to achieve this step in a much shorter period of time.

Disgorgement – The wine within the necks is then frozen and the bottles are turned upright. The caps of the bottles are removed, and the carbon dioxide inside forces the yeast sediment out. Finally, the dosage, a mixture of wine and cane sugar, is added to the wine before it is sealed by a cork and wire cage. This will determine the level of sweetness in the finished Champagne.

Vintage or Non-Vintage?

Wines from Champagne can come from a single harvest or from a blend of multiple harvests. Vintage Champagne is only made from the harvest of an excellent year and generally commands higher prices than Non-Vintage (NV). Non-Vintage Champagne is always blended from several years to maintain consistency.

Learning about Champagne is important, but nothing can replace the experience of drinking it. There’s never a wrong time to crack open a bottle of bubbly, pour a glass (or two), and toast to life. Cheers!

Styles of Champagne

Since the wines of Champagne may be produced from one type of grape or more, there are a range of styles from which to choose. Here are some common examples:
Non-Vintage (House Blend) – entry-level bottling produced from a combination of Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier
Vintage (Luxury Blend) – produced from a single harvest, and only in the best years from Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier
Blanc de Blancs – “white of whites,” produced from 100% Chardonnay
Blanc de Noirs – “white of blacks,” white wine produced from Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier
Rosé – often a blend of white and red wine, though it can also be made solely from black grapes

Levels of Sweetness

Although Champagne was originally a sweet wine, today the dry styles are more fashionable to drink. The amount of sugar added during disgorgement determines how sweet a Champagne will taste. The labels of Champagne bottles will always indicate a sweetness level, which can be found bellow, along with their explanation:

Brut Nature – bone dry
Extra Brut – dry
Brut – dry to off-dry
Extra Sec – off-dry to medium-dry
Sec – medium-dry
Demi-sec – medium sweet
Doux – lusciously sweet

The mid range on the above chart is where I currently stand.  I would say brut, and brut rose’ are my favorites right now, although I will drink all except the doux (lusciously sweet).  I still try to live by my own rule of thumb on price point, with $10 a bottle for every day drinking, and under $50 for parties and special occasions.  Let me know if you have some personal favorites that I can try.  Whichever you choose, just enjoy!!

I Love a Good Port

Posted by golfkat on February 8, 2021
Posted in: Cultures, Food, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment

We are talking about Port wine, not a port in the storm, or a cruise.  My love for Port wine blossomed when I was golfing in Portugal some years ago.  Each day, after a round of golf on the beautiful Algarve, Mr. Mike and I went hunting for vintage Ports.  We found many, but the prices were rather shocking.  So, as I have told you numerous times, we had to get creative.


Here is a great insight into Port wine from Winespeed:

The only Ports that need decanting are those that throw a sediment. These include two of the major styles: Vintage Port and Single-Quinta Vintage Port. None of the other major styles (Tawny, Reserve, or Late-Vintage Bottled) throw a sufficient sediment. Vintage Port is made only in exceptional years when Port shippers “declare” a vintage. A vintage Port may come from grapes from several quintas (renowned vineyard estates) as well as grapes grown by dozens of small, individual grape growers. Vintage Ports are first aged just two years in barrel, to round off their powerful edges. Then they are aged reductively (with only the tiniest amount of oxygen) for a long time in the bottle. A decade’s worth of aging is standard, and several decades used to be fairly common. To maintain the intensity, balance, and richness of vintage Port, it is neither fined nor filtered. This, coupled with the fact that Port grapes have thick skins and a lot of tannin, means that vintage Port throws a great deal of sediment, and always needs to be decanted.

In the years a shipper chooses not to declare a year as vintage quality, the grapes that would have gone into vintage Port are often used to make a Single-Quinta Vintage Port. The idea behind these Ports is that the very best vineyard estates are often located in special mesoclimates that allow exceptional wines to be made even in years when the vintage as a whole may not be declared. Apart from blending, Single-Quinta Vintage Ports are made in the same manner as Vintage Ports, so that the wine must eventually be decanted.Locally, we have some ports:  Port wines dating back to the 1940’s fill the wine library at Ficklin Vineyards in Madera County. Recently, the oldest port winery in America received an invitation to send their wine to the U.S. embassy in London.

“Across the pond, it went. it feels very good to be accepted into an area that is very traditional with port. So us a little California winery that specializes in that,” said Peter Ficklin of Ficklin vineyards.
Peter Ficklin says the Old Vine Tinta and Aged 10 Years Tawny Port was sent to the Embassy. They had to jump through some hoops to get the wine shipped..

The winery started with Ficklin’s father and started in 1946. The family buys Portuguese grape varieties from California and makes the wine in Madera County.

“Each variety brings a different set of flavors to the table so we have the opportunity to blend and bring those flavors together in the finished product,” Ficklin said.

If you have a favorite port, please let me know.

Revisit Sooper Dooper 47

Posted by golfkat on February 7, 2021
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Sports, Travel. Leave a comment

This was my last Super Bowl, Nawlins, 2013.

Super Bowl 47 will start this afternoon.  I will be there to watch the Forty Niners.  I became a fan in the Fifties, when two players from my hometown, offensive tackle Monte Clark, and all pro defensive back, Jimmy Johnson were drafted by the Forty Niners.

Back then, it would have been difficult to envision the concept of the Super Bowl, or the greatness ahead for these two players.  My Dad would have truly enjoyed being here today.  He introduced me to sports.  He took me to my first college and professional football games.  We started out on a local level, our high school, where the Johnson brothers Rafer and Jimmy) starred in four sports.

I am sure this little story gets repeated over and over across the country.  A young boy is introduced to sports by his father, and stays a sports fan for life.  Thank you, Dad, you were the best!!!! 


Meanwhile, in Nawlins, so far, Niner fans are outnumbered by Ravens fans by ten to one!  There are more Saints fans here, in fact, that Niner fans.  Was it the expense of travel or the ticket shortage out west?  Ravens fans are here, and will outnumber us greatly, unless everyone was hallucinating yesterday.

Speaking of yesterday, I went to the NFL Experience, with my two newest friends from Baltimore, Pat and Mark.  Mark has his own accounting firm, and Pat is an attorney and law prof.  Pat is a little scruffy, but so interesting.  He was a Fulbright Scholar, and has lived all over the world, and is fluent in Mandarin. (I went to visit Pat and his wife Renee in Bucharest, Romania in 2019, while on another Fulbright).

Anyway, we met yesterday morning at a nearby coffee joint, gave each other the “Go Niner, Go Ravens” greeting, sat for about an hour together, and decided to spend the day together.  Fortunately, Pat had his son, Patrick, aka “Little Sh*tty” with us to keep things on the up and up.  In other words, no honky tonks, strip joints, or seedy bars.

If you ever go to a Super Bowl, skip the NFL Experience.  It is mostly for kids to do some football skills, like throw and kick.  The NFL tries to sell a bunch of goods, like GM cars, Bridgestone Tires, Under Armour sporting goods, and propaganda.

Speaking of, do you know the take on locals (Nawlins people) view of “Bountygate?”  They believe that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell penalized the Saints so they would not have any chance of playing in the Super Bowl here.  They say it makes a FIVE fold difference in revenue to the area businesses!  I find that hard to believe, but…..

Meanwhile, in the next few days, after we win our Sixth title, I will tell you more about the great folks here in the Crescent City.  Meanwhile, Go Niners!!!!

Yes, we lost this one, and Super Bowl 54 last year.  But I am still friends with Dirty Pat, after all these years!!!

  • I decided $5,000 was too much for Super Bowl 54 last year.  Then we lost in dramatic fasion.  Just imagine how much great wine or single malts I can buy instead!

My Super Bowl Table

Posted by golfkat on February 6, 2021
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Travel, Wine. 2 Comments

Since my team, the San Francisco Forty Niners are not in the Super Bowl, I decided I might as well enjoy some good food.  And maybe some special wine.  One simple item I always enjoy is guacamole.  Another are soft cheeses, like Brie and camembert.  My wine is usually a sparkling wine, usually brut rose’ from either Domaine Carneros or Aimery in Loire.  And something to hold me until the heavy duty food (barbecued steak) is ready, like a plate of Bobby Chinn noodles (pictured ).


But for the rest of America, since we cannot have parties, the volume of Super Bowls past might be a little different this year.  Foods particular to Tampa and KC might be fish and barbecue, respectively.  I have been to both cities, and though I enjoyed both, I give the nod the KC barbecue.  SB Sunday is second only to Thanksgiving for total food consumption.


Pizza is the top snack or food item, as one in every seven people order pizza on SB Sunday.  Naturally, chicken is the second choice, and wings seem to dominate.  More than 100 million pounds of chicken wings are consumed on SB Sunday.  


I wonder what 11.2 billion pounds of potato chips look like.  And 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips.  Just for kicks, add 4 million pounds of pretzels.  My favorite, guacamole totals 8 million pounds.  Add 3.8 million pounds of popcorn, 10 million pounds of ribs, and 2 million pizzas.


But what about the adult beverages?  A mere 325 million gallons of beer are consumed on SB Sunday.  This amounts to about $1.5 billion in beer alone.  The most popular beer is Coors Light, followed by Bud Light and Miller Lite.


Females account for 47% of viewers on SB Sunday.  And 57% of the women will drink wine.  In total, over $600 million will be spent on wine.  I wonder how much on champagne, unless they save it for the winning team.


Whatever your favorites, keep in mind this important fact.  Whatever you are enjoying at home is about ten times better than anything at the stadium.  Take my word for it.  Spend your money on a good Super Bowl souvenir, something that will last longer than yet another hot dog and beer!

A River Runs Through It

Posted by golfkat on February 5, 2021
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Travel. Leave a comment

After getting a good response from my emails about lakes and mountains, I thought I would try rivers next.  So, after the mighty Mississippi, and the amazing Amazon, what might be some of the others.  I have yet to see the Nile, the longest in the world, though it is looking less likely as the years go by.


Here you go:


Mississippi River  I went on a sunset dinner cruise with a company I worked for back in the 80s.  Actually better than I thought it would be.  But the water is muddy!


Amazon River  One of the most amazing trips of my life.  I would go again.  Biodiversity, mosquitoes, but very interesting.  (Photo below)


Columbia River  Uneventful.


Danube River  Beautiful, made me think of the song, Blue Danube.  But also in Vienna, and Budapest. 


Rhine River  My first river cruise, with the town of Rudesheim very cute, but cannot remember where I started or finished.


Volga River  Somewhere in Siberia, I remember crossing the Volga River, perhaps having consumed too much Volga vodka!!


Missouri River  The longest river in North America, I crossed it twice on Amtrak’s Empire Builder.


Zambezi River  A sunset cruise, with mostly old ladies from a tour group from Vegas. Convergence of Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.  (Photo of Vic Falls below).


Seine  Quite overrated, but nonetheless, very French.  Bring a key since it has locks.


Rio Grande  I did not see anyone trying to swim across from Mexico!  Who needs a wall?


The Potomac  Only because of the cherry blossoms (above)


Colorado River  Having the Grand Canyon surround it is truly magnificent!


Ob River  Crossing at Novosibirsk, where I tried to deliver corn tortillas to a transplanted Texan who now makes vodka there.


Ohio River  Somewhere near Louisville, when we went to the Kentucky Derby.


Amur River  The longest bridge on the Trans Siberian Railway, a bridge probably built around 1900.


Yukon River  I actually walk on it, since it was frozen over with about six feet of ice, so they say.


Chao Praya River  Most charming, labeled as the Venice of the east, I think it smells better than Venice!  A definite Bangkok activity.


Irawaddy River  First in Yangon (Rangoon, Burma), then up in Mandalay.


Mekong River  A short ride from Luang Prabang, passing a prison, on our way to lunch. Starts in China, then Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.


Tonle Sap River  One of only two rivers in the world that flows both ways.*

Coeur d’Alene River  Second of only two rivers that flow both ways.*

*the flow changes of course with the seasonal rains (Tonle), and spring runoff (Coeur).

Some rivers are beautiful, some not.  The best part is crossing them by plane, train or automobile, rather than in the water itself.  The only one I crossed on foot was the Yukon, somewhere between the Arctic Circle and Fairbanks.  The most impressive?  Hard to say, perhaps the Danube, or the Amazon.  Definitely, the Amazon.

Go Jump in a Lake

Posted by golfkat on February 2, 2021
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Travel. Leave a comment

After my little review of famous mountains, why not review some famous lakes?  There is something magical about both.  Lakes tend to evoke a more tranquil feeling, for the most part.  The bluest of blues can be seen in many of the lakes I have visited.


Lake Tahoe   Close to home, and a year around destination, Lake Tahoe’s water level seems to rise and fall with regularity.  It is pretty any time of year.  I have fond memories of taking the chairlift to the top of Heavenly Ski Resort, and looking over my shoulder at the most beautiful blue water, in contrast to the snow covered mountains.  A recent article featured a man who helps recover bodies from lakes, from a depth of over 1500 feet!


Crater Lake   One of Oregon’s famous landmarks, I found it to be a somewhat windy, and isolated.  But beautiful in the middle of a rater.


Lake Michigan   When one thinks of this lake, one thinks of the great city of Chicago.  I have always enjoyed Chicago.  One of the more famous lines we used there:  “Where’s the lake?”  My buddy KenBob remembers well.


Lake Baikal   On my two week trip on the Trans Siberian, I had to stop here for a few nights.  In May, we got snowed in!  It is the deepest fresh water lake in the world, and holds one-fifth of the world’s fresh water.  It freezes over in winter.  How many of you can say you have been there?


Lake Okanagan   A beautiful lake in BC, home to a July 4th Elvis Fest.  The area is rich in both wine and ice cream.  And many nice golf courses.


Lake Lucerne   In the middle of Switzerland, it almost makes a person want to yodel.  Well, not really.


The Great Salt Lake   A most unique lake, and home to the Bonneville Salt Flats, and their land speed records.  


Lake Manyara (Tanzania)  A great place to see water fowl and hippos.


Lake Titicaca  Peru has much to offer, Machu, culture, lakes, and cuy.  And the name is interesting!


I am sure I left off some of your favorites.  Many of you are also into fishing, boating and sailing.  You must have a secret place you can share?


PS:  Maybe we can explore islands or rivers next?

Travel Inspiration 2021

Posted by golfkat on February 1, 2021
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Travel. Leave a comment

From Jetsetting Fools:

Travel inspirations – like movies filmed in far-away places and food from foreign lands – can have multifaceted affects. A film can spark wanderlust for places you never knew existed. A book can create excitement about an upcoming trip. Feasting on cuisine from another country can quell the urge to book a trip and sipping a glass of wine can bring back fond memories of previous travels.  GK:  the only movies or TV shows that inspired me were the Olympics.  Places like Vancouver, Montreal, Rio, Tokyo, and Sydney!

With a good travel book – or a destination cocktail – in hand, we can virtually travel to cities around the world…even if we are currently stuck at home.  I have read all the Bryson and Theroux books, always inspiring!

The thrill of a new guide book:

Yesterday, I actually walked into a bookstore and bought a travel guide for Greece.  Though it sounds relatively mundane, I became excited today as I opened it for the first time.  Realize of course, I have several books on travel in Greece, and subscribe to numerous travel websites as well.


I must tell you that it feels great to open a travel guide, after being confined to this county since last March.  And after I get my second covid vaccination on Feb. 1, I might even dream about sitting on the beach in Santorini, or gazing up at the Acropolis while having dinner.


Perhaps I would not be as excited, if not for the pandemic.  I guess we will all feel some degree of exhilaration when we hit the skyways or roadways again.  I know I will, even if the first few flights are within the US.  Right now, I guess it does not take much to get excited about travel.  Or even going out to dinner.

When I learned Southwest Airlines begins flying out of my city, I immediately booked a $39 fare to Las Vegas.  Not to gamble, but to visit dear friends.  And I used a credit to book a flight to Phoenix in March.  I feel liberated!


National Plan for Vacation Day (NPVD) is January 26—the day set aside each year to encourage Americans to plan their hard-earned time off at the start of the year for the remainder of the year. It’s an intentional step to slow down, unplug from work for a bit, and carve out vacation time in your busy schedules. Studies show that planners have an advantage over nonplanners, using more days to travel on average per year—but 28 percent of American households still don’t take the time to plan vacations.

On a personal level, I find that planning ahead for trips saves time and money.  Last minute trips tend to be more expensive.  The trade off, of course, is the spontaneity, or sense of adventure that comes with last minute planning or lack thereof.


One of the most beneficial aspects of travel is making friends around the world.  Many have some great travel advice to share.  This is particularly true when choosing a hotel location within a big city.  Since I like to walk and explore, I like a hotel where walking is safe, and plenty of options exist for food and shopping.  And most importantly, I like to be on a major bus or metro stop.  Many thanks to people like Angela, Jason, Itsuyo, Danny, Barry, and Ric.


As time goes by, your network will become richer and more numerous.  I would say, please take advantage of it.  This has helped me in numerous places around the world, like Rangoon, Bangkok, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Paris, London, Buenos Aires, Quito, Sydney, and NYC, among other places.  Never under estimate the power of local knowledge.

Travel As My Identity

Posted by golfkat on January 30, 2021
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Travel. Leave a comment

Megan from Conde Nast Traveler:  

Everyone is talking about how much it sucks not being able to travel. I’ve heard people around me say they feel trapped, or they’ve been down about canceling vacations they were really excited for.  (Me too!)

But for me, not being able to travel feels like something bigger than that. Travel is the thing I’m most passionate about. When I describe myself to people, the first thing I say is that I’m a traveler. I feel like I’ve been cut off from the thing I cared most about, from something that defines me. I’ve even struggled to answer the question, What do you like to do? recently, because normally I’d just say: travel. It’s also something I really good at. My friends know to come to me for travel advice, or even for help scoring a cheap last-minute flight. That’s my role.   (I am not that desperate, yet!)On some level, that could be me.  I often get asked for travel advice.  I send a daily email when I am on the road.  My travel is often the main topic of conversation with friends and even my relatives.  Three of my books are about my travels.


Furthermore, from Megan:  Travel for many people represents more than just a vacation, so not being able to move isn’t like losing one hobby, or one relationship—it’s like having an entire means of interpreting and relating to the world taken away from you.  Amanda Villarosa, a travel photographer who has shot some of our Women Who Travel trips, described her experience in a way that really struck me: “Traveling is how I celebrate, it’s how I mourn, it’s how I fulfill my curiosities about the world,” she says. “It’s how I meet people. It’s also how I get to know people I’ve already met. And it’s how I get to know myself. Having to pause the one act that allows me to be my true self, and give up this therapy, was a challenge I hadn’t faced before.”  (Travel is not about my true self, it is fun for me)

Ask yourself what consumed you and brought you joy before travel. When you’ve been on trips, what are the activities that most draw your interests? Now can be a time to explore those passions. 

And when it all feels too much, just take it day by day. “The psychological experience of things stretching out into eternity is unbearable,” says Graham. “There is a lot of peace in just tackling it one step at a time.”Personally, I think they are over thinking this. 

Yes, travel is restricted.  So what?  We are safe and well, doing our best to survive.  I am not crying or complaining, though I have felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.  I know many people who either got Covid, or are struggling financially. 

Let’s focus on the people who need help, and not our inability to travel.  And let’s keep our country together!