Naples, Italy (Note: the recipe is at the end ↓ Only 5 short paragraphs between here and there, I promise!) I first tried limoncello while out with friends and fellow Couchsurfers at Trattoria da Nennella in Naples. There were 14 of us there and we had lots of food and red wine. I'm a …
Featured photo: Mt. Vesuvio
Naples, Italy As a big fan of nature, I dislike descriptions of volcanoes that include words like "fury" and "wrath." It's just nature, after all. I mean, if you watch a cooking show, you don't focus on the tragic destruction of all those little wheat seeds, do you? No, you just look forward to the …
Featured photo: Stromboli
Stromboli, Italy Photo of a ship anchored off the volcanic island of Stromboli, with the Strombolicchio in the background. The Strombolicchio is the "throat" of an ancient volcano, possibly the oldest in the region. As I understand it, all of the Aolian Islands in Sicily are volcanic, with two of them (Stromboli and Vulcano) remaining …
Featured photo: Black Rhino
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania This is one of my favorite photos of all time. It had just started to rain in the crater (caldera, really) which added a nice, diffuse quality to the light. Additionally, the moisture made the hide of the rhino slightly reflective and the texture more distinct. There are so few black rhinos …
TED.com — Krista Tippett: Reconnecting with compassion
Great video about redefining the perception and use of the word, "compassion." See TED.com for more outstanding talks and innovation.
What’s the deal with Egypt?
A quick rundown of some of the confusing emotion, conflicting information, and different takes on Egypt’s revolution.
Quote: Nothing will ever be attempted…
Nothing will ever be attempted,
if all possible objections must first be overcome.
~ Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) English Author
Elephants, elephants, elephants!
1-4 Jan. 2009 Lake Manyara / Serengeti / Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania This post is ALL about the elephants. There's not a lot of narration here, but if you like elephants, you'll like the post! There are 3 slideshows and 1 video. Enjoy! A young, male elephant at Lake Manyara. It may not …
Quote: …travel is more than the seeing of sights
Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. ~ Miriam Beard
How to drive your Italian lover crazy!
Naples, Italy Out for a late night cioccolata with my handsome Italian companion, he suddenly leaned forward to kiss me. Finalmente! I had heard about how romantic Italian men are, and now I was being given a chance to test the theory. Fortunately, my charming companion was a talented kisser and did not disappoint. …
Our friend, Mena.
26 Nov. 2009 / 29 Jan. 2011 Aswan, Egypt / Cork, Ireland Tonight I sent a text message to our friend, Mena, whom we met in Egypt. Our trip to the land of the pharaohs was a whirlwind week spent seeing as many sights as we could, cram packed into a package deal with …
Quote: Laughter is the language of the Gods.
Laughter is the language of the Gods. ~ Buddhist saying
Serengeti: Day 2 (Part 2) – Hippos and Crocs!
3 Jan. 2009 Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Because the photo opportunities are so VAST in Tanzania, I still have not finished posting pictures from our trip. Not to mention that we have been rather busy for the last 2 years: visiting Egypt (egad, more pics!), moving from one place in Naples to another place in …
Travel Photography Roulette: Round 9
28 Jan. 2011 Cork, Ireland Johnny Vagabond is hosting the latest round of Travel Photography Roulette. The theme this time is water. There are so many fabulous photos entered that I feel like a bit of a hack. Still, I LOOOOVE this picture, so I entered. :) I daydream about this place every day… …
Quote: When someone does something good, applaud!
When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people happy. ~ Samuel Goldwyn
Quote: …you travel for the unknown
You do not travel if you are afraid of the unknown, you travel for the unknown, that reveals you with yourself. ~ Ella Maillart
Top 5 in Cork — x 3!
Cork, Ireland I was recently asked to do a guest post for GotSaga.com about the Top 5 in Cork. I asked if they wanted County Cork or Cork city, but by the time I got the answer, it was too late! I was already off and running — I had THREE top 5 lists! …
The Passport Initiative
10 Jan. 2011 Cork, Ireland America, great melting pot that it is, has only kept hold of a random set of cultural offerings from our immigrant founders. (Native founders, too. I mean, I love popcorn, but it's hardly a worthy tribute to the First Nations people, y'know?) Most of it is food-based. We Americans feel …