You have seen pictures of El Arco many times, I bet!! When you see it up close and personal it is an amazing experience. It's like "Gosh this place really does exist, and I'm here!!" Our Princess cruise for my birthday took us there. I dove just outside the harbor at Pelican Rock. The waves were very high and rough but, as in most cases, once you are below it's calm and peaceful.  There are very few swimmable beaches here. The water is ccccold and there is an abundance of poisonous jellyfish. Be sure to check with a knowledgeable travel advisor (hint hint) about hotels that feature safe swimming!! Sailing north from Cabo you pass huge expanses of wild uninhabited beach areas. But travel there soon: many hotels are planned for the area!!

For me, one of the joys of traveling is learning about the cuisine and, of course, the wine produced in different parts of the world. I know it is for Linda and Dave, too. A couple of years ago, they were planning an outstanding trip to Chile, Argentina, and Patagonia. One of the great wines being produced in Chile today is from the Carménère grape that was well known in France and thought to have been wiped out by disease in the late 1800s. Turns out it was discovered to be thriving in Chile under an assumed name. In anticipation of Linda and Dave's trip, we had to open a bottle. It is a rich, full-bodied and flavorful wine. I love Cabernet Sauvignon so I was delighted the first time I tasted Carménère. My philosophy is that almost any occasion is an opportunity to open a bottle of wine and enjoy it, which we did as a prelude to Linda and Dave's trip, which I didn't get to go on. (Just sayin'.) ;-D Anyway, I wanted to share this occasion with you since we've ...

We have not traveled to India (yet) but had the privilege this June to attend our good friend Nathaly's wedding weekend. This event was the first of three and included food, dancing, henna tattoos for the ladies and a mingling of two cultures. These dancers are USF students who work very hard to keep their traditions vibrant!

Since Linda's granddaughter starts at Trinity this week we thought it would be nice to feature some pictures we took there during our tour in 2015. Allan mentioned that he is a bibliophile. It would be nearly impossible to get him out of here. Founded in 1692, it is the largest library in Ireland with over 6 million printed manuscripts, journals, maps and music. Our tour guide was a graduate student who roomed with Jack Gleeson, aka Joffrey Baratheon, Game of Thrones!!

Of course, Havana is sooo much more than the Hotel Nacional but an afternoon spent on the lawn here is worth the trip. From the gun emplacements, circa missile crisis, (not called the CUBAN missile crisis here!!) overlooking the Caribbean to the bar where so many notable ghosts from the city's heyday probably roam to the lobby that looks very 40s-ish. U.S. citizens may not stay here overnight but we can stop and enjoy a drink while pondering the vagaries of history.

So, I'm curious about something. Do you keep your travel pictures on your phone? If so, how long? This is a selfie of Dave and I at a brief stop at a North Shore beach on Oahu in March. We were on a private tour conducted by now dear friends to give us some local insights. Often travel photos are put in an archive somewhere on the computer (with appropriate cloud backup, of course). They're accessible but several steps are required to get to them. I retrieved this particular shot quickly because it was on my phone, as are probably all of the shots from our Hawaii trip. Oh, they're backed up on Google photos, too, but I've left them on my phone just because I've had so much fun sharing various ones with friends and family in the euphoria after our trip. I emailed it to myself because that seemed quicker than attaching the phone to the computer and downloading. So, back to the original question: Do you keep your travel pictures on your phone? If so, how long? I...

Sicily is a land unlike any other region of Italy and the residents love to make that point!! Of course there were many opportunities to sample great food and this pastry shop on the main piazza in Catania drew our group in two times in three days!! Oh, those cannolis!!