by Mary Charleson | Sep 1, 2019 | Europe
Stopped temporarily at a traffic light, our scooters idling in a hum with many others packed around us, I suddenly became very aware of the impending choices, as I was about to enter a 7- lane traffic round about at Plaza de Espana, amidst heavy commuter and tourist...
by Mary Charleson | Aug 15, 2019 | Europe
Guest post by: Victoria Miles 1:30 p.m. July 25, 2019. Lying flat on my back on the concrete floor of Ateliers des Lumières I am supposed to be having a digital art immersion experience. And I am, but more than anything I need to cool off, which explains lying down in...
by Mary Charleson | May 4, 2019 | Australia/New Zealand
“Ah yah, WillyWeather says the Wedge will be cracker in the morning – 2.3 WSW moderate swell. She’s an ebb ‘til mid-morning, then a flood. Weatha’s hot. I recon we should surfies tomorrow – grab our bathers, boardies and head on up.” Which roughly...
by Mary Charleson | Apr 13, 2019 | Australia/New Zealand
There are many ways to learn to kitesurf. Most involve pricy hourly lessons or half day packages at some resort. If you’re lucky and don’t injure yourself in the process, you can learn the basics at the hand of a patient friend with gear, or go wholesale and buy the...
by Mary Charleson | Mar 10, 2019 | Hawaii & South Pacific, USA
My husband and a buddy have long fantasized about doing a motor bike road trip and scuba diving expedition in Australia. In fact plans were solidly under way, until his friend had a stroke, just two weeks after retiring at 60. While both guys were shaken to the core,...
by Mary Charleson | Feb 16, 2019 | Europe
High in the northern Italian Alps, surrounded by endless rolling green valleys, turquoise lakes, and glaciers you’ll find the Italian Dolomites. Spanning over 142,000 hectares, the Dolomites were named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009 for not only their beauty,...
by Mary Charleson | Jan 20, 2019 | Europe
Do you have a bucket list? Or an experience jar? The bucket list is that forward-thinking aspirational list of places you want to see. Inspired by the idea that somehow one must knock things off a list while they are still able is great, but I find the thought that...
by Mary Charleson | Dec 30, 2018 | Europe
The city of Prague has survived centuries of conflict. Preserved in time, despite multiple wars and occupation, it has emerged beyond the curtain with a bevy of stories to share. It’s cobblestone streets, and the historical path they pave, can easily charm the most...
by Mary Charleson | Nov 11, 2018 | Europe
Massimo charged his glass in a toast to friendship, “Ad amici e buon cibo.” While we didn’t understand what was said, we all smiled enthusiastically in agreement, intuitively knowing it meant “to friends and good food.” The intense heat of the day had subsided, and in...
by Mary Charleson | Sep 9, 2018 | Europe
Prince’s Purple Rain filled the hot summer night air in Paris, as a chorus of thousands seated on picnic blankets under open skies belted out the well-known lyrics. Fireworks burst from both sides of the Eiffel Tower in an escalading cascade of purple light racing to...
