La Samanna - St. Martin - March 2009

What could be better than a chance to practice French, get a tan and enjoy wonderful Caribbean hospitality?

After her first real winter in Connecticut, Madison requested sunshine and a chance to try out her newly acquired French. With our best friends Syd and Chloe, we headed to La Samanna in St. Martin for a week of just that.

La Samanna is set on a beautiful stretch of white sand beach and perfectly blue Caribbean waters. We were lucky enough to try out their brand new villas, set on the cliff overlooking the property. With four bedrooms, a grand living room, dining room, kitchen and swimming pool, it was the perfect place for a house party. We spent our days enjoying the beach and the water (including a snorkel trip) and our evenings exploring the lively island.

The warmth of the people and the sun were just the perfect way to start spring.

Paris & Provence – without the crowds

What better way to celebrate the holidays with family than a few days in Paris and a villa rental in Provence?

We rented a lovely apartment in the Marais and spent a few days in the city of lights visiting museums, skating at the Hotel de la Ville, and taking tours with our good friend and favorite guide – Antoinette.

On Christmas Eve we took the TGV to Avignon and drove to our home for the next week – a beautiful five-bedroom villa in the village of beaumes-de-Venise.

We spent our days exploring Provence – colorful and festive and free of any tourists. We toured the Luberon, Les Beaux, Vaisonla Romain, Avignon and St.Remy. We shopped local markets and cooked in the beautifully well-equipped kitchen, replete with La Cornue stove. We explored Christmas markets and local churches displaying their nativity scenes. We skated on outdoor rinks and sampled lots of hot chocolate.

Our favorite outing was to the truffle market in Templiers where we saw truffles being purchase by locals and restauranteurs, and indulged in all things made with

truffles. We were even invited to a school gym for a fund-raising truffle breakfast!

Our home came with a lovely host that served as our concierge, tour guide and connection to the local festivities.

If you’re looking for a charming escape from holiday madness and would like to experience Provence as an insider, I highly recommend Christmas in Provence!

Greek Odyssey - August 2008

Our Greek Odyssey started with a week on the Peloponnese Peninsula where we explored Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae, Nafplion and Athens with our wonderful guide Antony.

He brought the Greek Mythology and ancient history alive for us through his stories and tours and we thoroughly enjoyed the living history lesson.

Next we set sail for the Aegean aboard the three-masted sailboat Panorama. She holds 40-45
passengers and this trip, arranget along well. For a week we sailed the Greek Isles, stopping at Sifnos, Santorini, Kos, Patmos, Naxos, Syros. The Aegean is in control and several days we were blown off course and ended up at different islands than anticipated. Flexibility is key when sailing these isles, and having a small boat makes that easy because you can dock or anchor anywhere.

Mornings were generally spent exploring the islands and sampling local fare, and afternoons spent enjoying the wine dark Aegean – swimming, Kayaking or a crowd favorite, diving off the boat.

The kids dressed as Greek Gods and served us dinner, performed a Greek Tragedy, painted pottery and learned some folk dances. They embraced the culture and made enduring friendships.

As we sailed back into Pireus our well-travelled teens declared this to be the perfect combination of History, Culture, Sun and Fun!

Small Yacht Cruising in Alaska - July 2008

I experienced a wonderful adventure with American Safari Cruises, on board the 12 passenger Safari Escape. We traveled Alaska's inside passage from Prince Rupert to Juneau over 9 days. It's a little more challenging to get to/from than the usual Vancouver or Seattle jumping off points, but it means getting to the good stuff sooner and only sailing during the day.

The Escape is a small ship with one "master cabin," one "junior suite" and four very cozy but comfortable cabins (two doubles, two twins). It's close quarters, but very comfortable. Perfect for a family to charter.

We had an outstanding crew of six (yes, for 12 passengers) that work very hard and are very knowledgeable about the region. Our captain and first mate spent many years with Lindblad, and our trip leader was a wealth of knowledge.

The small ship allows for a lot of flexibility in the schedule, taking time to stop when you find wildlife, getting into the zodiac and kayaks on a moments notice, and deciding to spend the night in an interesting cove. We spent a lot of time kayaking, hiking and exploring by zodiac. The ship always anchors at night, and they are very accommodating of guests interests and requests.


Shore excursions were basically tours with interesting locals. For the most part, we avoided the big ships and their destinations, instead focusing on wildlife and small villages.

The food on board was incredible. Always a meat, fish and vegetarian option, three meals a day cooked to order. Freshly baked muffins every morning that you could small all over the boat, and cookies in the afternoon that they would deliver to you while kayaking!

The beauty of seeing Alaska on the Safari Escape is that we could explore places on a whim and stay longer if we were enthralled with a place. One evening we were kayaking in a cove and found a pod of whales had joined us. We over-nighted there, throwing out a crab pot, and enjoyed the cove the next day as well (while feasting on fresh crab) and did not have to hurry on to our next destination.

Turkey

In February I was the guest of a colleague who runs the best travel company in Turkey. For 10 days were escorted around the country by a wonderful guide named Atilla. He taught us so much about the history and culture of this mysterious country that straddles the European and Asian continent.

Our journey started in Istanbul, a rich and exotic city that deserves a long stay. We visited the immense Church of St. Sophia, the serene Blue Mosque, named for the colorful blue Iznik tiles that adorn the interior as well as some lesser-know and even more beautiful mosques. We explored the world of the Sultans at Topkapi Palace and learned some of the colorful stories of the infamous harem. We descended underground into the Basillica Cistern, a stunning underground reservoir constructe in 532 AD. Istanbul is full of little jems of churches, such as the Church of St. Savior in Chora, containing stunning mosaics and frescoes, and small museums like the Turkish and Islamic Art museum containing world-class collections. We also enjoyed experiencing the more residential “Asian Side” of the Bosphorus, where most of the residents of Istanbul live. We stayed at a variety of hotels, including the beautiful Ciragan Palace on the Bosphorus and the centrally located Four Seasons built in a former prison. These are the best two hotels in Istanbul, along with a new Four Seasons on the Bosphorus. There are also some unique little hotels in the heart of the city for those who prefer a more local feel.

We soaked up the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar, and with the aid of our friend and personal shopper, Colette, managed to haggle for some beautiful rugs, pottery, linens, jewelry and other treasures. The Turks enjoy bargaining, inviting you into their shops for tea and conversation.



Then we headed south to Izmir and visited one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – Ephesus. Famous for its Temple of Artemis, but with so much to see – The impressive Hadrian Temple, the newly excavated Terrace Houses, the Celsus Library and Great Theatre – Ephesus is one of the best preserved examples of Greek architecture. After visiting the museum containing many of the artifacts found at the site, we visited the House of Virgin Mary, where the Virgin is said to have lived the last years of her life.




From Bodrum we flew to Kayseri in central Turkey and explored the region of Cappadocia. We stayed at the Anatolian Houses, carved into the unique conical rock outcrops that cover the landscape – yes, you sleep in caves! The best way to view these “fairy chimneys” that look straight out of a Dr. Seuss book is by hot air balloon. We went on an early morning flight – when the air conditions are best – which was breathtaking. After breakfast we explored the Goreme Open Air Museum – where 365 churches and chapels are carved into the rocks. Early Christians escaping persecution constructed these churches and lived here in a monastic style. Some are still richly decorated with frescoes, especially those in the Dark Church.

From Goreme we drove through the spectacular Pasabag Valley to Kaymakli, where we descended into an underground city carved five levels below ground. These complexes were carved by Early Christians to avoid invaders.

Another unique experience was the opportunity to observe Whirling Dervishes perform the Sema Ritual at a restored caravanserai, an ancient inn built along the silk road. This was not a performance; there was no introduction, explanation or applause. We were merely observing this spiritual ritual which has always been a mystery to me.

The Anatolian region is famous for it’s ceramics, and we visited a local workshop in the town of Avenos where the red soil is perfect for making the clay and generations of painters create masterpieces. There is a great deal of Greek influence still in this region, and in the picturesque village of Mustafapasa, a perfectly preserved Greek village, we had lunch in a local home.



The food throughout the country was fantastic. Each meal was an event – a parade of soups, salads, meat and fish. Lots of small courses, each distinct and delicious, finishing with a strong Turkish coffee and hopefully some to read your future in the grounds. Some of my favorite discoveries were borek (flakey cheese filled pastry), manti (tiny lamb filled dumplings), Testi Kebab (lamb cooked in a clay pot which is broken open at the table) and the endless preparations of eggplant.

The Turks are delightful people, eager to share their culture and welcoming hosts. A trip to Turkey is a perfect combination of an exciting city, unique country side, rich culture and beautiful coastline for relaxation. And they have yet to adopt the Euro, so it’s much better value than Euro-based economies.

Fiji-March 2008

This past March our family traveled to Fiji for Spring Break. Sure, there are closer beaches, but this one was well worth the journey. Our children are 12 and 14 and seemed to be under as much stress as we are in their busy middle-school lives. Our daughter, Madison, had just completed a year-long process of applying to boarding schools, and we needed a true escape.

We flew non-stop from LAX to Nadi, then took a float plane to Nukubati Island. Nukubati is a small, private island, with an appropriate address of "somewhere in the South Pacific." Once you step off the float plane into the cool pacific water, greeted by smiling Fijian faces and melodious music, you can forget life as you know it. Leave your cell phones, BlackBerries and computers at home, you won't be needing them.



Nukubati is owned by a Fijian woman, Jenny Burke, and her Australian husband, Peter. She is on property most of the time, and her staff of local villagers is delightful, genuine and well-trained. With just 7 bures, it is like being a guest in their home. This is a very "local" experience where you get to know the people. It's not slick, there's no spa, no air conditioning, no TVs, no phones, just simple pleasures. Most of the food is grown on the island, caught hours before consuming and wonderfully prepared. The resort is eco-friendy, using solar power and collected rainwater. Our bures were simple but comfortable. We spent our days fishing, snorkeling, beach combing and playing tennis on their one court. We did not need to plan anything in advance as the staff and boats are ready to take you where you like on a moments notice. We enjoyed visiting a local pearl farm run by some village women, and meeting the children at the local school. One day, we were dropped off on a deserted sandbar with a picnic and spent the day swimming and beachcombing until they picked us up moments before the sandbar disappeared into the ocean.



This was truly a magical experience for our family and we cried when the Sea Plane took us away 8 days later.

http://www.nukubati.com/