Welcome to the Instinct by KITI where we move the world though first-hand, new generation travel and lifestyle storytelling.
All by Victor Block
An almost countless number of art galleries line many streets of Taos, New Mexico. Reminders of its past as a Spanish Colonial outpost and frontier settlement are everywhere. Trendy shops attract the attention, and dollars, of discriminating buyers. The brooding remnants of pueblos offer evidence of the strong lasting influence of Native American culture.
The fact is, though, that on the way to Durnstein we sailed past lovely town after lovely town.
Here’s a place where kitsch becomes catchy, the offbeat seems normal, and visitors may find themselves abandoning what is real for, at times, the surreal.
Welcome to Greece? If you were blindfolded and transported to Tarpon Springs, Florida you might well think you were in the land of Aristotle, Homer and Plato. That town of about 25,000 inhabitants claims a higher percentage of residents of Greek heritage than any other place in the United States.
With cruise season here, many folks who love that mode of travel will be taking to the season mega-ships that resemble floating ‘round-the-clock buffets and offer shore excursions too brief to provide a real sense of the destination. Others will opt for vessels and itineraries which provide very different experiences. They include Civil War buffs Tom and Elaine Preston, who take to shore to wander through reconstructed forts and trenches where one of the most important battles of that conflict was fought. Betsy and Andy Cross follow a machete-wielding guide as he clears a path through a dense rainforest that covers an area the size of India. Fun, rather than tropical foliage, attracts Lauren Davis and Jim Goodman to a Go-Kart race track, a ropes course and an exhilarating water slide.
Elizabeth and Andy Beyer’s drive along California’s Sonoma Valley Wine Trail was a lifelong dream. They satisfied their love for the beverage during tastings at favorite vineyards. It was food that tempted Mary and Roger Nicholson to visit Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou. They sampled traditional dishes like fresh-from-the-sea food and lip-smacking desserts.
My first surprise came during a visit to a vast pagoda complex in Myanmar. A Buddhist monk spoke to my wife Fyllis and me in English which, while not perfect, was good enough to be easily understood. Imagine, then, how astonished I was when he pulled a smartphone from the folds of his saffron-coloured robe and showed us pictures he had taken during his recent trip to Japan. More about the friendly monk later. This was but one of many fascinating encounters we have enjoyed during several trips planned by Myths and Mountains. That tour company promises journeys that “explore and experience,” and our time in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) lived up to that expectation-- and more.
Strolling along the twisted streets lined by aged buildings in a jumble of architectural styles, my first thought was that the setting would be a city planner’s nightmare. Then my mind wandered to the rich history that has unfolded in the often-overlooked neighborhood in one of the most-visited cities in the world. Throughout the Marais district of Paris, crumbling mansions that cling to memories of past glory days are neighbors to trendy shops and galleries. Bustling restaurants abut small, offbeat museums.
“You can steal my money but not my food.” “If lunch or dinner doesn’t have at least five courses, it’s just a snack.” “If you want things to go exactly as planned, don’t come here.” These words, spoken by my Overseas Adventure Travel tour guide in Sicily who actually loves his homeland, tell a lot about Sicily. Yes food is important, plentiful and held in a place of near reverence. Plans don’t always work out as they’re intended, and the locals have learned to go with the flow. And residents of the triangular-shaped island just off the toe of Italy’s boot exhibit a warmth, friendliness and self-deprecating humor that make them a reason to visit there.
Seated in a beer garden sipping a brew that was made onsite, Sam and Nancy Goodman tap their feet to the beat of music emanating from a band on the stage. Art is the focus of attention for Paul and Elizabeth Cantor, as they stroll past a collection that could be on display at a major museum – but isn’t.
Ari and Brad Nicholson settle for the night in the most luxurious setting they’ve enjoyed anywhere. Their penthouse is lit by chandeliers and includes opulent touches like a martini bar and hot tub. The ambience is very different where Lee and Laura Hockman are bedding down. As dog lovers, the opportunity to stay in “the world’s biggest beagle” gave them no paws (pun intended). These aren’t the only unusual accommodations available to travelers. Opportunities abound for those seeking a unique experience when it's time to check in and turn in.
The trail traverses one of the most dense and lush rain forests through which I’ve hiked anywhere in the world. Only a trickle of sun manages to penetrate the thick tree canopy above, from which a virtual aviary of birds entertains with a symphony of song. Not far away, towering, snow-capped mountains stretch to the horizon, overlooking valleys so packed with sheep they almost hide the carpet of grass on which they graze.
Quick quiz: Think swinging jazz and soulful blues played in music clubs and by street musicians outside. Picture sidewalks crowded with people sipping beverages from plastic cups as they stroll along.
If you guess that describes New Orleans, you’re right – but there’s more.
Now see yourself visiting museums whose focus ranges from food and festivals to history and mystery. Where? New Orleans again.
In the fifth century AD, Attila the Hun and other invaders descended upon the northeastern area of what today is Italy. A number of people who were living in the region fled to a group of nearby islands for safety and, over time, established small villages. The towns they founded eventually joined together and that was the birth of Venice.
From that humble beginning grew one of the wealthiest, most refined cities in the then-known world. Those who travel to Venice today see it much as it has looked over centuries.
When I began planning a trip to Alaska, two words came to mind. One was “big,” which many things there are. The other was “mystique,” a sense which pervades the image that people often have of that state. It’s the size of the “Great Land,” as the Aleutian people named the region, which makes the most immediate, and dramatic, impression. Alaska is twice as large as Texas and if cut in half, would be the first and second biggest states in the country. Mount McKinley is the tallest peak in North America, and Denali National Park over which it looms is larger than Massachusetts.
Question: What do staplers, candles and ear rings have in common? Answer: They’re among the items on display at a wacky and wonderful museum in California which claims that it has the largest collection in the world devoted to a single fruit. The International Banana Museum is one of many places around the globe where people may check out exhibits that range from the unusual to the unique, and from serious to hilarious. For starters, the Banana Museum touts itself with a pun, proclaiming that it’s “The most aPEELing destination on the planet.”
In 1607, a small band of settlers founded the first permanent English outpost in the Americas, Jamestown in the Colony of Virginia. At that time, another town already had existed since 1565 in a different part of the New World. Last year, St. Augustine, Florida, which traces its roots to that 16th-century settlement, celebrated its 450th anniversary. That supports its claim to be the oldest continuously occupied European community in the country. Given its history, St. Augustine offers visitors a setting which captures not just the stories but also an authentic atmosphere of its colorful past. That comes to life primarily in the city’s 144 square block historic district.
The island is only about the size of Washington, DC and from the air it resembles a somewhat chubby baseball bat. It shares a common history and government with its even smaller sister island located a scant two miles away, as a federation within the British Commonwealth.
Like tiny Nevis, St. Kitts offers the attractions that lure people to the Caribbean seeking sun, sand and relaxation. Unlike its more laid-back neighbor, St. Christopher as it’s formally named offers a wider choice of opportunities for sightseeing, an inviting variety of active pursuits and its own distinct personality.
The story of people who 4,000 years ago lived in a wilderness area of rolling hills and placid waterways in present-day Nova Scotia, Canada is told in drumming demonstrations, birch bark canoe building and other activities from the past.
The scene is very different in a nearby village. Some of its French-speaking residents are descendants of the man who founded the community in 1653, and in a number of ways the setting would be at home in Paris.
