The New Year 2020. Madrid to Barcelona. No Agenda

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Another year’s gone. To welcome the brand new 2020, Marina and I headed to Spain. Continue reading “The New Year 2020. Madrid to Barcelona. No Agenda”

Incredible India!

India IS incredible. Home of numerous civilizations, hugely diverse – culturally, ethnically, and naturally, it should have been a tourism Mecca. Yet, travel to India is not for faint-hearted. You need to see beyond its raw and sometimes unpolished front to discover real gems. For us, it was one of the most intense and breathtaking journeys. It took me a while to write a trip report, but it is here now. Continue reading “Incredible India!”

Red, White, Blue, and Yellow – a Journey to America’s National Parks

The natural beauty of the North American continent is easy to see. No long and expensive overseas travel, no language barrier, no foreign currency confusion. Just a few hours on a plane – and a breathtaking word is at your footstep. President Theodore Roosevelt established the National Parks authority more than 100 years ago. Its purpose was to protect the country’s most magnificent natural resources from reckless over-development. Nowadays, there are 61 national-level environmental sanctuaries in the USA. This summer, we took a journey across five Western states and visited its five major national parks. It was an experience we will never forget. Continue reading “Red, White, Blue, and Yellow – a Journey to America’s National Parks”

Four Days in Colombia

 

I wanted to visit Colombia since I read my fist Gabriel Marquez novel. This summer I was able to add a blitz tour there to the back of Marina’s and mine beach vacation in Turks and Caicos. We flew to Miami first and then connected to two hours long American Airlines direct flight to Cartagena. The flight was full.  Since the security situation significantly improved, the country became a popular destination for foreign tourists. Continue reading “Four Days in Colombia”

Viva Mexico (City)!

Bustling and tranquil, mystique and transparent, thrilling and dramatic, chaotic, and rough on edges but never dull – this exciting place is very close to home and often called the best-kept travel secret in North America. We visited Mexico City for the particular time of the New Year celebration that made the trip even more fun Continue reading “Viva Mexico (City)!”

East of Riviera – Croatian Adriatic from Split to Dubrovnik

The Croatian side of the Adriatic Sea offers a perfect azure sea, tons of magnificent beaches, historic gem towns, beautiful nature, and tasty local cuisine.  But visiting in the tourist season also means a horde of tourists, high prices and mediocre service. Long gone Yugoslavia days when the coast was a cheap and thrilling vacation paradise.   Croatia is a part of the European Union and all business now.  I recommend visiting it but plan carefully to avoid disappointment. Here is the trip report. Continue reading “East of Riviera – Croatian Adriatic from Split to Dubrovnik”

Middle East – Cairo, Jordan, and Israel

The Middle East fascinates, invites and/but may intimidate if you pay too much attention to international news headlines. This is the cradle of civilizations, the conjunction point of cultures and religions, the Holy Land for the devotees, the lucrative hub for merchants and traders, and a crazy exciting place for history buffs. This is a land that you hesitated to visit beforehand but could not get enough of once you were there. Our 12 days trip to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel was intense, breathtaking, and eye-opening. I hope your experience was/is/will be as unforgettable as ours. Continue reading “Middle East – Cairo, Jordan, and Israel”

A Tale of Two Cities – a journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow

A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma – that’s how one great politician characterized Russia. Is it really so? Last Summer I had a chance to visit Russia’s two capitals; the trip was short but intense and quite exciting. Continue reading “A Tale of Two Cities – a journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow”