Sheron Long's Blog, page 15
April 2, 2018
Absolutely Albuquerque!
Floor detail from Maisel’s Indian Trading Post, in downtown Albuquerque since 1939.
© Joyce McGreevy
An Underrated American Gem
in an Awe-Inspiring Setting
To many who’ve yet to travel here, Albuquerque must be a colorless locale on flat, treeless land. Such is the power of stereotypes about desert cities.
So let’s cut to the OIC Moment: Visiting New Mexico’s largest city is one of the best trips you’ll ever take. Original, affordable, this is a Southwestern urban gem surrounded by awe-inspiring nature.
Albuquerque is home to the longest urban stretch of Route 66 in the country.
© Joyce McGreevy
Follow the Rio Grande—or the vintage neon glow of Route 66—to a colorful city whose diverse neighborhoods reflect four centuries of architectural variety. When I arrive, it’s a cool spring day. A canopy of brilliant blue stretches overhead.
As...
March 26, 2018
Memorable Moments: Key Ingredients
Just some of the foods we flip for.
© iStock
One of the many delights of exploring new places and experiencing different cultures is exploring and experiencing new and different foods, or even well know foods in new and different ways! Whatever your reaction, there is no denying that the very act of tasting something for the first time is an “Oh, I see!” moment maker. So while we let our bloggers catch their breath and enjoy a home-cooked meal before they head out on their next batch of adventures, we thought it would be deliciously fun to stir up some of our favorite food posts from the past.
Today’s menu of posts explores some exotic, nutritious, and versatile eats that have hit the spot over the years. Whether this is your first taste, or you’re coming back for seconds as we are, get ready to feed your mind, and more. Bon appétit!
...
March 12, 2018
Resting in Peace at the Paris Pet Cemetery
Lamenting an irreplaceable love
© Meredith Mullins
Cultural Traditions that Honor our Best Friends . . . in Surprising Ways
From a distance, this peaceful resting place by the Seine near Paris looks like any other cemetery—a sea of tombstones, some polished and new and some devoured by time.
A resting place to honor our friends
© Meredith Mullins
There are flowers of remembrance (plastic, ceramic, and real), pictures of loved ones, and heartfelt tributes.
Many ways to say I love you
© Meredith Mullins
It is only when you move closer that the hints of another world appear.
Dora, Panache, Elvis, Milou, Fleur, Sweety, DouDou, Bijou, Oscar, Spikey, Mitsy, Kiki (lots of Kiki’s), Nanette, Tootsie, Whisky, Faust, Drac, and Poupette.
Elvis . . . “Your mother will never forget you.”
© Meredith Mullins
They are all gathered here . . . in one of...
March 6, 2018
Street “Seen”!
Street art is big in Glasgow, Scotland.
© Joyce McGreevy
Seeing the World One Step at a Time
When was the last time you took a walk just to see what you could see? What discoveries did you make? Sometimes seeing the world comes down to a stroll around the corner.
French photographer Robert Doisneau wrote, “The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street.”
So, put on your favorite walking shoes. Let’s meander from street to street.
Footfall and Snowfall
Here we are in Malta on a sunny Mediterranean spring day. As we wander the narrow, baroque streets of Valletta, we turn a corner onto St. Paul’s Street and . . . What’s this? A snowstorm?
Why, the entire street is covered in—oh I see: confetti! Everyone has come out to play.
Confetti—and time—fly in St. Paul Street, Valletta, Malta.
...
February 26, 2018
Travel Inspiration from Lemons . . . Lots of Lemons
An Indian Elephant Temple made of lemons and oranges
© Meredith Mullins
Welcome to the Menton Lemon Festival
What happens when a small French coastal town has one of the most famous lemons in the world thriving on its sunny hillsides?
The townspeople know a surprising number of lemon jokes?
Q: Why did the lemon go to the doctor?
A: Because it wasn’t peeling well.
Q: Why did the lemon get depressed?
A: Because it lost its zest for life.
Perhaps . . . but they’re too cultured to say these eye-rollers out loud.
Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur
© Meredith Mullins
The townspeople make a plethora of lemon-based concoctions?
Yes. True. Lemon products abound. Limoncello, jams and jellies (confitures), lemonade, lemon tarts, lemon vinegars, lemon lollipops, perfume, syrups, soap, and olive oil and honey with lemon infusion.
Why not make the...
February 19, 2018
There’s Something About Santa Fe
Santa Fe strips away its own layers to reveal greater surprises. (Big Adventure Comics, Montezuma Ave.)
© Joyce McGreevy
When Wanderlust Leads Southwest
There’s something about New Mexico. Its magnetism can activate wanderlust from thousands of miles away. Like the time a friend and I stood speechless in London’s Tate Modern, gaping at a painting by Georgia O’Keeffe.
“Black Cross with Stars and Blue” is one of O’Keeffe’s earliest depictions of the land that became her obsession.
Feeling Transported
The image transported me to a place where stars are more defined, shadows blacker, and blues more astonishing than anywhere else on earth.
Oh, I see: I had to return to New Mexico.
In Santa Fe, an unpaved road may lead to rare art collections.
© Joyce McGreevy
There’s something about wanderlust for the Southwest. New Mexico’s history is one of...
February 12, 2018
Cultural Traditions for Valentine’s Day
Hearts abound on Valentine’s Day
© Alenaohneva/iStock
Hedgehog or Cockroach—Which Would Your Valentine Prefer?
Valentine’s Day arrives this week, so there’s no time to lose in selecting the perfect gift for your special someone. In most countries, the gifts of choice are the usual items—flowers or chocolates, all wrapped in Valentine’s red.
But it might be time to challenge the marketing hype and create your own cultural traditions. Oh I See. How about a cockroach or a hedgehog?
Valentine’s Day can be full of surprises.
© George Rudy/iStock
Love . . . Sealed with a Hiss
This year, one of the Valentine’s Day thoughts getting top buzz (or hiss) is the “Name a Cockroach” program from the Bronx Zoo Wildlife Conservation Society.
You purchase the privilege of naming one of the zoo’s Madagascar hissing cockroaches (certificate...
February 5, 2018
Don’t Say Goodbye to Saying Hello
Saying hello is saying yes to life.
© Joyce McGreevy
Meeting & Greeting Across Cultures
In a New Yorker cartoon entitled “How to Clear a Space at a Crowded Beach,” a man says hello to all and sundry. His cheeriness so horrifies New Yorkers that hundreds collectively retreat.
Oh, I see: Some people like saying hello. Some people give hello the heave-ho.
In Galway, Ireland, (pop. 258,000) passersby often say hello to one another. Nothing fancy, mind you. A quick tap of the second syllable and you’re on your way. In Istanbul, Turkey (pop. 15 million) a local who said hello to passersby would prompt a puzzled reaction.
Yet people in both cities are notably friendly.
Does higher population density = fewer hellos? In New York City, saying hello to your neighbors in just one square mile would take you 2 weeks, 4 days, and 16 hours.
How Do You Hello?
...
January 29, 2018
Memorable Moments: Favorite Paris Pop-Ins
When is it not a good time to drop in on Paris?
© iStock
One of the things that truly marks an “Oh, I see!” moment is that it stays with you, long after the moment itself has passed. So while we give our bloggers a chance to repack their suitcases and chart the courses for their next set of experiences and adventures, we thought it would be fun to look back at some posts from the past that have really stuck with us.
In this set, we take a look back at a few of our favorite Paris haunts. Whether you’re experiencing them for the first time, or revisiting them as we are, the discoveries and insights abound. Enjoy!
Paris auction “by the candle”
© Meredith Mullins
A Paris Cultural Experience: Auctions by Candle
The “vente à la bougie” (sale by the candle) dates from the 15th century, where waiting for the candle to burn out...
January 3, 2018
6 Bright Ideas for Traveling Light
A moon-like circle of light illuminates a mosque in Istanbul.
© Joyce McGreevy
Travel Inspiration for 2018
With last night’s super moon, Earth’s annual journey around the sun has started on a light note. This January we get two full moons for the price of one. As the second moon of the month, January 31 is a blue moon. As moon glow lights up the skies, let’s reflect on lighthearted travel inspiration for 2018:
When it’s sunset in Malta, will you really care which pair of shoes you packed?
© Joyce McGreevy
1: PACK LIGHTER THAN EVER.
This doesn’t mean alternating between two monochrome outfits crammed into a backpack. Just make sure you can easily carry your own bag. You’ll feel the benefit as you navigate subway staircases, hill towns, or that charming suite—on the top floor of the B&B without an elevator.
A Chicago staircase shows why...
