Sheron Long's Blog, page 10
April 8, 2019
Memorable Moments: Haven’t You Heard?
Listen up.
© iStock
Sure, it’s the great writing pared with great visuals that keeps you coming back to share OIC Moments with us, but we don’t want to overlook the impact sounds can have on bringing ideas and experiences to life. So while our bloggers work on what they’ve got to say next, we wanted to give you a look (and a listen) back at some popular posts with audible contributions.
Travel Inspiration from the Sounds of the Sea
Travel inspiration comes in many forms, but the sea organ in Zadar, Croatia is the ultimate— music through the power of nature. Go to the post.
Cultural Heritage: Listening to Ireland
Listen to the sounds of Galway, Ireland to appreciate the richness of Irish cultural heritage. Go to the post.
A Tale of Two Jungles
Experiencing life in Quintana Roo and Mexico City through senses, one finds two jungles, one...
April 1, 2019
Flights of Fancy
![Men with an early flying machine evoke aviation innovations and flights of fancy. [Image public domain]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1554203000i/27303236._SX540_.jpg)
In the early days of aviation, airlines had to transport passengers one at a time by hand.
Travel Innovations Soar Every April
Every year on this day, the travel industry announces innovations that push the boundaries of creative problem solving and take air travel to new heights. Here are airline upgrades that made aviation news in Aprils past.
![A figure with suitcase at an airport evokes the need for aviation innovations and creative problem solving. [Image public domain]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1554203000i/27303237._SX540_.jpg)
Today more people than ever are able to experience being stuck at airports.
Travel Technology Takes Flight
In April 2017, Emirates Airline delivered a game changer: plans for the world’s largest commercial aircraft. The April 1 ad campaign went viral as Emirates debuted the Triple Decker APR001, the first jet in history to feature an onboard swimming pool, park, and gym. See video!
Not to be outdone, Virgin Airlines rolls out news-generating inventions with such consistency that by March 31 at 11:59pm aviation buffs are poised...
March 25, 2019
On the Road Again: The Art of Travel
In search of America
© DMT
Discovering America: Roadside Signs and Attractions
What keeps you going isn’t some fine destination but just the road you’re on, and the fact that you know how to drive.
—Barbara Kingsolver
There are hundreds of quotes about the art of travel (and the art of living), especially words that suggest that the journey matters as much as the destination . . . often more.
This philosophy is right on target when exploring one of the cornerstones of American life—the road trip.
Four million miles of highways can tell a good story—the roadside signs and attractions offer a realistic glimpse into the fabric of America.
Welcome to South Dakota.
© DMT
From the Burma Shave ads of the 50s and 60s that stretched their storyline into six sequential signs to the roadside signs and attractions of today, we are given a window to the character...
March 18, 2019
A Monumental Race: The Eiffel Tower Vertical
A hint of the moon on the night of the Eiffel Tower Vertical race
© Meredith Mullins
One of the Most Amazing Places in the World Rises to the Challenge
Remember those days as a child when you couldn’t help but run up stairs, two or three at a time.
You often didn’t know (or care) what you would find at the top. You were just excited to get there in a burst of energy, wrapped in the sheer joy of running.
That same exhilaration still exists. In Paris last week, running up stairs (two or three at a time) took center stage—during the 5th annual Eiffel Tower Vertical race.
La Verticale de la Tour Eiffel—one of the most challenging tower races in the world—made one of the most amazing places in the world even more thrilling.
Moments of joy at La Verticale de la Tour Eiffel 2019
© Meredith Mullins
The Vertical Challenge
The race is legendary. Tower runners from...
March 11, 2019
The Daring of the Green
From Glendalough (above) to Galway, cooks have cast Irish cuisine in a whole new light.
Irish Cuisine Turns the Tables on Culinary Stereotypes
St. Patrick’s Day is coming and you know what that means. It’s time for the Annual Feast of Culinary Stereotypes!
Once a year, sales of green food-dye soar in the U.S., evidenced by neon green bagels, chartreuse cupcakes, and acid-lime donuts. Meanwhile, Corned Beef and Cabbage (which originated in the U.S., not Ireland) will be dutifully served at Irish-themed parties.
Don’t get me started about green beer and “shamrock” milkshakes. No wonder many people believe “Irish cuisine” is a contradiction in terms.
Forty Shades of Cuisine
But feast on this: To dine at one Michelin-starred or Bib Gourmand restaurant per day in Ireland, you’d need a 40-day vacation. You’d travel from...
March 4, 2019
The Art of Cloud Watching
Keep looking up
© Meredith Mullins
Looking Up . . . While Traveling the World
It all started with a mackerel sky—a real-life Magritte painting that rose up in splendor near the foothills of the California Sierra.
I had never seen anything like it before. A sky filled with cotton balls. Dancing sheep. Wayward popcorn.
My first mackerel sky
© Meredith Mullins
I posted the photo on Facebook, feeling like a humble human proud to share the poetic beauty of nature with the world.
It was then I realized I must be cloud deprived. It seemed that most of my friends had seen plenty of mackerel skies before (and even had “altocumulus” at the tip of their tongue). I was clearly behind on the cloud curve.
The lenticular UFO shaped cloud, often found near mountains
© DMT
They had also, in the tradition of Facebook bragging, been privy to some magically...
February 25, 2019
Amazing Places in the World: The Kumbh Mela
The 2019 Ardh Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj (Allahabad), India
© Meredith Mullins
Some travel opportunities are so rare and so provocative that their seductive siren’s song goes straight to the soul.
A total eclipse of the sun in Patagonia. A full moon at the Taj Mahal. Summiting Mount Everest (well, maybe, Base Camp). Running with the bulls in Pamplona. Finding the spiritual rhythm of the Camino de Santiago. The unending magnetism of amazing places in the world.
The only way to silence this call of adventure is to “just do it.”
Such was the song of the Ardh Kumbh Mela for me in India this month—the largest peaceful religious gathering of humans on Earth.
Sadhus from diverse places and cultures
© Meredith Mullins
Who wouldn’t want to mingle with tens of millions of saints, sadhus, and pilgrims from all cultures and all walks of life, with one goal—eternal...
February 18, 2019
First-Class Economy Travel
Fly home via Dublin Airport (above) to clear U.S. Customs before you board.
Your jet lagged brain will thank you!
© Carolyn McGreevy
Travel Tips to Upgrade the Experience
Overseas travel is enriching, and you don’t have to be rich to travel well. When people say it’s all about managing resources, they usually mean money. But another resource is our mindset.
If we’re fixated on how things “should be,” it won’t take much to discourage us from our travel goals, and any little thing could “ruin the trip.” If we’re adaptable, we’ll “find a way” and savor both the journey we anticipate and the journey as it actually unfolds.
Oh, I see: The attitudes we invest in can enrich our travel even more than the money we spend. Here are travel tips for “First-Class Economy” to help with both resources.
This is an airport? You don’t need to be a...
February 12, 2019
A Taste of Italian Wordplay
What’s as cool as gelato minus the calorie count? Italian wordplay!
© Joyce McGreevy
Spice Up Your Speech with Italian Idioms
One of the pleasures of travel in Italy is immersing yourself in the language. As you treat your palate to its cuisines, treat your tongue to Italian wordplay.
Oh, I see: Sampling Italian idioms is a rich, non-fattening way to savor Italian culture.
Many Italian idioms were inspired by food—but are rarely about food.
© Joyce McGreevy
COMPLIMENTI ALLO CHEF!
In English we favor plain statements when seeking the simple truth: “Tell it like it is.” “Give it to me straight.”
Now chew on the Italian equivalent: Diciamo pane al pane e vino al vino. “Let’s say that bread is bread and wine is wine.”
In English, we call kind people “as good as gold.” Ah, but walk into a panificio just as the ciabatta emerges...
February 4, 2019
Memorable Moments: Things to Chew On
While our bloggers catch their breath and maybe even enjoy a home-cooked meal before heading out on their next batch of adventures, we thought we’d dish out some of our favorite food-related posts from the past.
Daily Cultural Encounters at Conflict Kitchen
Through food and dialog, Pittsburgh’s Conflict Kitchen aims to promote cultural encounters and break down stereotypes about countries considered US enemies. This post also features a free download of recipes. Go to the post.
Challenging the Cultural Traditions of Food
A fasting adventure at the Buchinger-Wilhelmi clinic in Überlingen, Germany, challenges preconceived notions of food with some surprising results. Go to the post.
Food for Thought: Can Anyone Love Field Rations?
American MREs and French RCIRs battle it out in a comparison of military field rations and life-changing experiences in...
