Barbara Barton Sloane

Haven’t we all, at one time or another, dreamed of staying in an Italian villa?

This depends, of course, on what you’re looking for. Great theater, head to London. Fabulous designer fashions, hop over to Milan or Paris.

“This may be death by chocolate, but what a way to go!” Jenna, my travel companion, said with a deep and lingering sigh. We were dining at Wittamer, the renowned chocolate establishment in Brussels, Belgium.

“Blanch your plantains!” our instructor commands in a no-foolin’-around voice. Blanch? “What does blanch mean?”

I recently visited the Mayan homeland, Cancun and Chichen Itza, Mexico to be exact, situated on the southeast coast of Mexico in the state of Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Lest I give the wrong impression, my visit to Burgundy, France encompassed far more than drinking wine.

"Don’t forget, s’mores on the terrace at 8,” a young staff member called as he left our room at Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.

Berlin has had a more wrenching history than most cities on earth. No European city in recent times has changed as much, in the process transforming itself from a divided geopolitical anomaly into a modern mainstream capital and undergoing a major overhaul at every level.

A weekend of warmth in store for all.” So stated a local Welsh newspaper, the article promising spring sunshine and the hottest temperatures of the year so far.

Stepping into an ankle-deep puddle, I almost lost my footing and quickly had to grab the hand of an elderly gentleman who then ceremoniously led me onto a large wooden plank sitting atop several inches of water, courtesy of the Grand Canal.

Why oh why Wyoming? Because! From Jackson Hole in the West to Buffalo in the Northeast and everything in between, this is a most beautiful land of staggering natural beauty, offering an authentic Western experience.

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch, we are going back from whence we came.” –John F. Kennedy

The sweet, intoxicating fragrance of cedar and balsam pine is the first thing that hits you when you arrive at Lake Placid Lodge, a beloved 19th century mountain camp transformed into a lodge of unparalleled rustic splendor.

Disclosure: This cruise was taken just prior to the Pandemic and, while recognizing that cruising may not be high on your list of “things to do” at the moment, I think we can all agree that – some day – we shall cruise again!

Calm, peaceful, laid-back. In the movie “Being There”, Chance, the lead character, embodies all of these traits.