In my experience, the most important decisions tested my courage far more than my intelligence. – Ben Horowitz Recently Robie and I were forced to reevaluate our plans. The test came from an unlikely source. When we met Alec and Angela at The Black Marlin in Sarandё, we had no inkling of the trouble they’d … More A test of our roving retirement
The next great European war will probably come out of some damned fool thing in the Balkans. – Otto von Bismarck If you’ve followed my travel book reviews so far, you may have noticed something disturbing. One reader did. After posting the last review of Peter Mayle’s Toujours Provence, I received a note asking why … More Albania: A Narrative of Recent Travels
Life is a combination of magic and pasta. – Federico Fellini When Robie and I set out from Albania to enjoy a week-long getaway in Italy, we were looking forward to exploring the baroque architecture of Lecce in the southern region of Puglia. But when March showers left us taking grey, overcast pictures of the … More When it rains in Lecce, eat pasta … and cheese
A touron is one-part eager tourist and one-part well-meaning moron. – Kelsey Timmerman Robie and I are aware of our position. It’s hard not to be. We don’t speak the language, don’t dress like locals, walk too fast, have difficulty figuring out change in the native currency and linger at waterfront cafés during work hours. … More Part of the problem
See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream. – Ray Bradbury Known for the date they were first sighted by European explorers, this chain of 74 mostly uninhabited islands was named for a holiday celebrating the start of summer and the traditional wearing of white. But christened more than a century before the international … More Where are you now?
It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you. – Anonymous I didn’t know much about the Camino de Santiago before attending school at the University of Salamanca. To prepare for the semester in Spain, I read Michener’s tome Iberia, a book that details … More A chance encounter on the Camino
Take life with a grain of salt – and a slice of lime. – Anonymous In Texas Cinco de Mayo is another excuse to enjoy margaritas but few people know this obscure holiday isn’t Mexican Independence Day. So before heading to your favorite hangout to enjoy an icy, salt-rimmed beverage, here are the 10 things … More 10 Things to know about Cinco de Mayo
Every sip of sangria is a taste of summer, no matter the season. – Anonymous Some of the best food finds are discovered in the least likely places. When traveling Robie and I eat mostly local fare. But sometimes trying food we know and love halfway around the globe gives new life to the … More Sangria, a healthy little fruit salad
Albania, Albania, you border on the Adriatic. – Coach in Cheers When we told my parents we were headed to Albania, my mom had to use an atlas to figure out where it was. So for anyone else who only knows the country from the Cheers song played to the tune of “When the saints … More Where’s Albania?
You have good days, you have bad days. But you never have a boring day. – John Kennedy “Is it always so cold here?” I asked the Albanian taxi driver as he took us to our new apartment. “This? No, this is only for today. And tomorrow. Maybe the day after. But next week will … More The one with the miserable day
Reid & Robie 