I arrived in Tokyo, Japan in 1976 as a fresh-faced United States Navy Journalist. And literally, the first site you see from Japan's capital city is the iconic, Mount Fuji. Fuji-san is the tallest mountain on the island of Honshu and it stands prominently just 60 miles southwest of metropolitan Tokyo.

OerYw’rGwr (Nos Galan); translated into English as Soon The Hoar Old Year Will Leave Us for New Year’s Eve, is now a traditional Christmas carol, based on a Welsh melody, dating back to the sixteenth century. The repeated “fa la la” also goes back to the earlier Welsh and may originate from medieval ballads. The old Welsh air, was first found in a musical manuscript by Welsh harpist John Parry dating back to the 1700s. The tune soon spread widely, with Mozart allegedly using it in his 18th violin sonata (1778) and later arranged by Haydn with the original Welsh title, Nos Galan (1803).

What he lacked in historical preservation, St. Nicholas made up for with a charitable heart. Losing his parents to a plague that wiped out a large swath of the population, he acquired a great inheritance. He joined the church and used his fortune to serve the poor and sick, becoming the bishop for Myra. One famous legend is that he knew a man on hard times was so in debt he might have to sell his three daughters into prostitution. One night Nicholas threw a sock filled with gold coins through the older daughter’s window, allowing the man to pay his debt.

Just a pleasure visiting the wayback, remembering my daughter’s first far-flung travel. And a chance to reprise it for Christmas and New Years wishes from the original Santa Claus. Many lay claim to the origins of the Santa legend, but St. Nicholas, of the ancient city of Myra in Turkey, is the real deal. Trace them back, most other countries’ …

‘Tis the season for holiday songs, and below are among the first and finest. From Italy A local Italian choir filled the Naples Support Site Chapel with the sounds of a Christmas Cantata. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Richard Kiroy via Wikiimedia Commons Christmas carols originated in Italy, where history tells us that the earliest Christmas …

The River Auge in Quillan. On a gorgeous morning near the River Aude, British expats are taking French classes in a vegan tea shop that doubles as an art gallery in Quillan, France. As I drink a pot of tea, an organic rooibos blend of some sort, other expats saunter in for their language lessons. French locals arrive with food …

My husband and I are travel writers. Which means when we get to a destination, we explore every aspect, constantly seeking out stories. Until we got to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. That didn’t happen. And it was almost like – dare I say the word? – a vacation. But let’s back up a bit. We are a lot …

According to Wikipedia, “the Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenìssima, was a sovereign state and a maritime republic with its capital in Venice.” If you speak a wee bit of Italian, you’ll know that La Serenissima means the most serene, and if you know a wee bit about Venice, as …

Story and photos by Greg Aragon It’s always exciting to discover a new hotel destination, especially when it is full of pleasant surprises, and is an easy drive from Los Angeles. Such is the case with the Hyatt Regency Irvine, a newly-remodeled luxury hotel, with great location, modern rooms, a gourmet restaurant, an incredible pool area, and much, much more.  …

By Ed Boitano; Photographs by Deb Roskamp While driving deep into the desert of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, we sat three hours in a van, which was part of a convoy, apparently to assist other vans in case of mechanical failures or possible attacks from terrorists or unknown assailants. There were many checkpoints along the way, guarded by soldiers and policemen. …