Monthly Archives: December 2017

Greetings From a Village in Nigeria

Raoul Pascual

I am writing from Tai Solarin University's guest motel room in Ijagun, Nigeria on a Wednesday morning. A ceiling fan helps with the muggy heat. Sometime around 10 pm they turn on the generator and we guests have air conditioner to give us a good sleep. This routine happens every day.

Reconciliation

grieving

As I come to the end of this year, I must take stock of what the year brought me and what it took away.  On March 17th I lost my 57 year old son Happy in a car horrific accident and then on Nov. 11th I lost my beloved 49 year old son-in-law Danne. Dying at such a young age just does …

The Most Incredible Tour I’ve Ever Taken – On JFK’s Air Force One in 1980

Air Force One

In November 1975, I was Manager of Publicity for Continental Airlines, in our corporate HQ at LAX. As a lifelong aviation aficionado, and an even more proud American citizen (I was born in London!) I’ve always been intensely interested in American politics, and so knew that our president (whoever it is) today always flies aboard an impressive, specially equipped B-747. …

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD Returns to Cinemas

scene from Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore

The 2017-18 season of The Met: Live in HD began (as did the season at the house) with a dazzling production of Bellini’s Norma starring Joyce DiDonato, Sondra Radvanovsky, and Joseph Calleja, a staging that was met with wide acclaim and enthusiasm.  If you had not snagged a ticket to opening night at the opera house, you still had the …

A Bicycle Built for Seven in Dresden

travel writers fascinated by a bicycle for 7, Dresden, Germany

Have you ever thought about the attention getting factors involved in riding a bicycle? Probably not, but while most people know about “Bicycles Built For Two,” what about one built for seven? Now there’s an attention getting device for a fun way to start a vacation or hey, even a business meeting. It’s not only one of the really nifty …

Holiday Season Humor, Facts & Stats, Trivia and More

12th Night of Christmas

Twelfth Night was a time of great celebration with people holding large parties. During these parties, often the roles in society were reversed with the servants being served by the rich people. This dated back to medieval and Tudor times when Twelfth Night marked the end of ‘winter’ which had started on 31st October with All Hallows Eve (Halloween).

Irish Christmas Getaways, Holiday Travel Myths and Freewheel Holidays’ Bike Vacations

Irish Christmas

Christmas and the days leading up to the holiday are a magical time to visit Ireland, according to Siobhan Byrne Learat, founder of Adams & Butler, a Dublin-based company selling trips to Ireland. “The Irish go all out for Christmas with décor and celebrations, and the mood is cheerful and generous,” she said. “And over the years, it has become more of a cultural holiday for us than a religious one.”

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