We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. – Walt Disney When we hit two years as roving retirees, Robie thought it would be fun to take a look back at where we’ve been. Instead of replaying the greatest hits, we … More Lessons from two years on the road
August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. – Syliva Plath After spending much of last August sitting indoors trying to stay cool amid heatwaves and wildfires, this year we enjoyed the dog days of summer in the Scottish Highlands. It was a month of long, sunlit evenings, … More What we were up to August 2026
Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. – Ibn Battuta, history’s most well-traveled man Jobs in the travel industry look glamorous. They offer selfies without crowds at the Eiffel Tower, reduced rates for stays at five-star resorts and educational trips to Iceland and Costa Rica. Yet a successful career takes … More The truth about travel blogs
It’s an efficient delivery vehicle for ground meat, cheese and onions. – Anthony Bourdain on Turkish pide In the bustling historic center of Istanbul, there’s no shortage of places to eat. Anchored by the Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace, Sultanahmet’s streets aren’t just filled with tourists. They’re lined with cafés, fish … More 14 Sultanahmet restaurants worth visiting (plus more elsewhere in Istanbul)
If I had my way, I’d remove January from the calendar altogether and have an extra July instead. – Roald Dahl With 2026 officially half over, here’s what we did last month. Travels After spending the first week of July in Istanbul, we packed up and migrated north for the summer. Soon after getting settled, … More What we did this month – July 2026
If the earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital. – Napoleon Bonaparte Many visitors schedule a few days to bag the Big Four in Istanbul. A tour of Topkapi Palace, visits to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia followed by a quick shopping spree at the Grand Bazaar is all they really … More What to see in Istanbul after the Big Four
I bought a rug from you two days ago. What makes you think I need more rugs? – Roll playing tactic in the Turkish Rug Funnel Rounding a corner, I felt the tall buildings of Istanbul fade and the busy traffic melt into the background as I peered down Byzantium’s historic heart. At the tip … More The Turkish Rug Funnel
Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June. – Al Bernstein The weather is heating up, and the crowds are everywhere. Welcome to summertime in Europe. Travel and sightseeing In June we took a trip to Cappadocia and spent 4 nights living like troglodytes. Each morning we rose before the sun to watch … More What we’ve been up to lately – the June 2026 edition
The problem many people have with Italian food is they over complicate it. Italian food is extremely simple. – Gino D’Acampo After six weeks in Syracuse, Robie and I moved across the island to continue our Sicilian food tour in Palermo. Once again, our hunt for the city’s best dishes started with cannoli. Cannoli After … More Savoring Sicilian Flavors: A Culinary Journey of Palermo
Caravaggio’s art is made from darkness and light. His pictures present spotlit moments of extreme and often agonized human experience. – Andrew Graham-Dixon, Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane The most important artist of the 17th century, Caravaggio was a revolutionary who forever changed art. Abandoning the highly idealized figures and heavenly settings dominant at … More Following in the footsteps of Caravaggio (Part 1)
