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ENGLAND LAKE DISTRICT ‘JOY RIDE’

Drive to the Lake District, the tour book says. It will be a fun joy ride. Whenever you hear the term ‘joy ride’ and it’s not about stealing a car, use extra caution. This was the joy ride around the Lake District.

BLAME ENGLAND FOR THAT?

Blame England? For what? For being so green, so lush, so historical with its leftover Roman roots? For having current people renting and living in four or five hundred year old houses? Go ahead and blame England for anything you want and you’ll be able to find evidence backing it up. Just make it good. […]

FEARLESS LIVING, AND OTHER MYTHS

The key to Fearless Living? Don’t live past a certain age. But what’s that age? The most fearless person I know is two years old, but they don’t know how fearless they are. Who among is living fearlessly past two? Who is not?

RICK STEVES SAYS TRAVEL IS A POLITICAL ACT

Is Rick Steves right about travel? He ought to know after all the traveling he’s done. From all over Europe, to Paris, he’s been around. So why is travel a political act?

ASIAN AMERICANS ARE AS AMERICAN AS IT GETS

Asian Americans are as American as it gets. I’ve said it twice. Fight me. Hate crimes against elderly Asian Americans is not a sport, not a statement, but an act of cowardice and ignorance committed by the sort of people we’ve seen too much of. Who are they? Who might be joining them? It’s people […]

LIME JUICE, LEMON JUICE, AND ORANGE JUICE

Juice comes from any fruit or vegetable that gets squeezed hard enough. But why not just eat the fruit or vegetable and call it good? Once you eat a grape, drink some grape juice, what’s next? Some might say wine, some might not, but wine is the answer.

HISTORICAL DREAM OF PARIS AND VERSAILLES

One historical dream, a recurring dream for adventurers and scholars, is being somewhere important by yourself. Imagine renting Disneyland, except it’s Versailles. And you’ve got it all to yourself.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL: JUST ADD WATER

Them: I haven’t seen you in a while. Me: I just got back. Them: Where did you go?

FUTURE YOU, FUTURE ME, UH HUH, WHICH ONE IS GOING TO BE

Will future you be alone in the world, walking the same path until the end of days? Future me says, “I hope not.” I’ve got a habit of watching people when they don’t know I’m watching. I especially like watching people who remind me of a different time.

FRENCH PRESS IN THE MORNING AND RICK STEVES HISTORY

I noticed the French press in the sidewalk restaurants one Paris local said cost $100K in fees for table rights. Tight stadium seating from one place to the next looked formidable, but not to Rick Steves fans. Stadium seating? All eyes forward in most cases, but what’s to see? Traffic, on foot and in cars, […]