The latest T-Boy Society of Film & Music poll is devoted to our members’ favorite international destination. That is, the first international destination we’d visit when the roadways, skyways and waterways are deemed safe to travel. You’ll find members’ selections to be illuminating, telling us much about their own personal preferences.  – EB

Susan Breslow – T-Boy Writer

Madrid, Spain – Despite the king and queen of Spain issuing an order in 1492 for all Jews to be expelled from the country, this Semitic jet-setter is determined to return. I first visited Madrid in 2019. A big fan of walkable cities, I made my way from bustling Gran Via to Puerta del Sol (the center of the country) and then into wide, airy Plaza Mayor. Entranced by the sights, the sounds (what was a mariachi band doing playing in Puerta del Sol?), and the shops, I ventured beyond. I visited the Prado Museum, slipped into Casa Alberto at la hora de vermut (1 pm, the vermouth hour) for a glass of the sweet fortified wine and Spanish olives, wandered the Literary Quarter, attended live flamenco performances at night. It was only a taste, which left me hungry for more of this city and country.

Richard Carroll – T-Boy Writer

The first international destination I will travel when it’s deemed safe to visit is Buenos Aires. The sensuous flow of tango envelops Buenos Aires like a big hug from a long lost lover. Intricate and lush, the essence of exquisite grace, tango has long captured the heart and passion of this grand city. The Portenos are eager to explain that tango is their very own priceless art form based on tradition and cultural roots. The passion and fervor of life can be seen in the royalty of the dance, but not unlike a naughty and mischievous little child who slowly but indisputably develops into a captivating icon, and now is celebrated worldwide. Throughout Buenos Aires tango has always gracefully touched me with a joyous welcome. The tango neighborhoods of La Boca or San Telmo is where the captivating rhythms of tango rule, and where the music and dance unifies the city in an artistic way that no other destination on the planet can match. I found that not all Portenos in Buenos Aires can tango; it often depends whether their mother or father taught them, but with a few lessons tango is captivating.

Writers have tabbed Buenos Aires, The Paris of South America, maybe not, but the large boulevards, historic architecture, fine dining, and a collection of distinctive neighborhoods, captured my travel soul. Browsing through the city with drifting riffs of guitar music touching my heart is a splendid way to cover a destination. The museum-like Cafe Tortoni on Avenida de Mayo dating to 1858, the oldest in the country, hosting everyone from Hilary and the King of Spain, to the late great Spanish poet, Federico Garcia Lorca, offers a top-rated tango show that has been enjoyed by thousands of visitors and Portenos alike. It was easy to see that Tango aficionados are never at a loss for a dance or live tango music, realizing that tango was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The cultural heritage easily spread throughout the region. From the shores of Buenos Aires across the broad Rio de la Plata, the world’s widest river, is Uruguay with long-lasting tango roots in Montevideo with countless Tangueros or tango dancers, and a thriving tango culture.

Sitting in the crowded Bar Sur club in San Telmo, an earthy, popular, neighborhood in the heart of Buenos Aires, I was tucked around one of nine tables, where it feels as if you are smack dab in the midst of an old black and white foreign movie, and Bogart is going to wander in with a tango dancer draped on his arm, cigarette dangling. The intimate tango room with its classic black and white tile floor, twirling ceiling fans, and gorgeous servers, filling a space the size of a few postage stamps, continues non-stop. The dazzling female Tangueros have certainly left a trail of broken hearts behind them, and with a style and grace close to ballet, they are mesmerizing. I’m counting the days when I can again revisit Buenos Aires. A tango lyric is engraved in my thoughts, “Please take a slender slice of time and set it aside and listen to my fascinating music of life, passion, and lost love.”

Tom Weber – T-Boy Writer

Salò: Lake Garda’s elegant and historic town – Situated on the southwestern corner of Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, Salò is the most elegant town of all the lake’s locales. Sadly, during World War II, this gem on the lake also served as the capital of Mussolini’s failed attempt to relaunch fascism as the Republic of Salò.

Fyllis Hockman – T-Boy Writer

Provence, France – Only because we’re scheduled to leave November 21st, after having been cancelled twice before. So unless France closes down between now and then, we’re there!

James Boitano – T-Boy Writer

United Kingdom: Manchester and Wales – I have some longtime friends who live in Manchester. I visited them regularly every 5 years: in 2010 and again in 2015. I had planned to visit them in 2020 and even had my flight ticket to Manchester. We planned a fun trip to explore Wales and the Channel Islands. Of course, Covid got in the way for the past two years. So, the United Kingdom will be my next international destination.

Ringo Boitano – T-Boy Writer

Monterosso, Cinque Terre, Cinque Terre, Italy – The Conque Terre is a string of steep, hillside towns on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline, each with its own majestic setting of colorful houses and vineyards clinging to the terraces. The Sentiero Azzurro cliffside hiking trail links the five towns and offers sweeping, almost unimaginable vistas of the sea – and you must try to experience each of the towns! Monterosso, the first and largest of the five towns, is the only one with an expansive sandy beach, and is the best place to choose as your home base, with a recommended stay of a minimum of five days. After a day’s hike a refreshing swim is in order, followed by a Sciacchetrà, a liquored white wine from the vineyards’ slopes, a plate of fried anchovies (acciuga) caught that very day, and a bowl of Pesto alla Genovese at one of the many trattorias on Monterosso’s pulsating promenade.

Jim Gordon – T-Boy Writer

For me, it would be Italy, Italy, Italy! 2nd choice: England!

Weave Cleveland – T-Boy Writer

Lake Como in Northern Italy – It’s an early summer daydream where (my perception of) a beautiful mature lady drives me all around the region for at least 10 days, being my guide and chaperone. It also looks like I would surely agree to share the driving. Last week I watched the film The Burnt Orange Heresy and just knew that was it. I had never given it thought before but the region in Lombardy, Italy seemed like a special slice of Heaven, and the first place I would like to go is to Lake Como.

Roy Endersby – Philosopher

Brownes Beach, Barbados – The coast of the island nation of Barbados ranges from beaches with powdery sand and protected Caribbean waters to the powerful swells on the eastern Atlantic coast, good for surfing, but dangerous for swimming. Brownes Beach is conveniently set near the capitol city of Bridgetown, and serves as the perfect venue for a serious dose of Bajan flavor with nearby tropical bars and grills, local music and dancing, crowds of people swimming and snorkeling; and yet you can still find your own place in the sun. And all this from a former English colony; today a fascinating cultural fusion of the descendants of plantation owners and slaves, who serve elegant high tea and play cricket.

Phil Marley – Poet

Magens Bay, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands – Perhaps because it was my first tropical beach or maybe it was due to its heart shape, turquoise waters and one-mile stretch of white soft sand, I was a goner the second I saw Magens Bay. Located on the Atlantic side of St. Thomas – one of the three US Virgin Islands of the Caribbean – Magens Bay is a short, picturesque drive from the port town of Charlotte Amelia. There are no waves and currents, and there is a good mix of sun and shade under the palm trees. On the ends of the beach are rock formations that provide good snorkeling. Despite its distinction of being called one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world by National Geographic Magazine, there are also very few people. Now that I think of it, it is for these very reasons that Magens Bay is my favorite beach in the world.

Skip Kaltenheuser – T-Boy Writer

Carnival Anywhere – Right now, any change of scene looks good. But if and when festivals crank up again without becoming super-spreader events, my primary addiction has always been Carnival across different cultures. But alternatively, solitude also attracts, such as returning to museums in Berlin or pursuits of wildlife in Africa or elsewhere. Of course, there’s also abundant solitude wandering amid crowds in foreign countries, whatever they’re up to. Intergenerational travel, sharing perspectives and sights with younger eyes, is always an informative pleasure I seek.

Ed Boitano – T-Boy Editor

English Bay, Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC – A mandatory pilgrimage for me is to stroll down Robson Street in downtown Vancouver to Stanley Park, my favorite urban park in the world. In the days of my honeymoon, we knew it as Robsonstrasse, due to the number of its German and European delis and bakeries. Today, I would continue further west towards the bay, and soon I am at Stanley Park’s English Bay. With the exception of a kayak trek, I’ve never once set foot into its waters; for the cool of the evening is my desired time to visit. Locals after work congregate on the beach or at nearby bars and grilles. Hikers and bicyclists traverse the lanes along the shore, and I simply take a place on a piece of driftwood and bask in the beauty of what is Vancouver today.

Annie Brouwer – T-Boy Writer

Hello…Italy. We just watched “Luca” the Pixar/Disney film, but I think that town isn’t real (Potorroso). I’d want to go there though.

Roger Fallihee – T-Boy Writer

I would love to visit Morocco. I’ve read that a large part of country is mountainous, which includes the Atlas and Rif Mountains. Apparently both ranges are mainly inhabited by the Berbers. I need to have a better understanding of these fascinating people. I mean, who the heck are they?

Tony Chisholm: T-Boy Writer

The Oregon Coast – I’d love to repeat a trip I enjoyed a few years ago in June, when I joined a contingent of hardy (we thought) cyclists from Toronto. We flew into Vancouver with our bikes for a 10 day cycling trip down the coast of Oregon. Our group included 2 guides and we’d be camping out for this spectacular 400 mile scenic adventure. From Vancouver we drove through Washington State to the Oregon border in our mini-bus picking up the rest of the cyclists along the way.

Finally on our bikes, we head out of the town of Astoria with “the wind on our backs” as promised. We were filled with the confidence that only ignorance can produce. We rode 44 miles the first day and then camped out that night on a beautiful beach that looked to be 10 miles long and very secluded. We found out why it was so secluded. When we went into the water which at 50 degrees was totally leg numbing.

The next day we ride 60 miles. The weather is cool and my friend Chris bonks (an athlete’s expression for running out of fuel). We started a “Yellow Jersey” contest for all the cyclists. Chris wins it for showing grace during a severe bonk and in desperate need of food. In fact, that day when we finally stopped for lunch Chris just kept ordering food until something arrived on the table. It ended up being literally half the menu!
Then comes the trial.

Monday dawns with lots of rain, rain and more rain! It poured all night. Everything we owned seemed wet. So we had the lovely task of dressing in wet, cold clothes to head out on our 65 mile ride. What an experience. This was our trial by rain. As we headed out, the rain intensified. The cold water poured out of our jackets down our legs and into our shoes. It was so cold that on the downhills with the wind and the wet my hands started cramping on the brake hoods.

Finally when it seemed almost intolerable we stumbled across “Cinnamon Town” a restaurant in a tiny town that served huge, unbelievable cinnamon buns – an Oregon diet staple. There we sat, miserable in our wet cycling shorts, dripping all over the table. We tried to stay warm by soaking our feet in warm water in the sink in the men’s room. That’s how desperate we were. Then as if in a dream, the guides showed up with dry clothes. “Thank you.”

Warmer, those of us that went on, faced the rain again to start a 3 mile climb fueled by “cinnamon power”.

Oregon is well set up for cyclists. There is a bike lane all along route 101 that follows the sea. They offer excellent state campgrounds every few miles with special areas for hiker/bikers. Even at the tunnels they have special traffic signals the rider turns on before entering to warn drivers of a cyclist up ahead. The beautiful coast was broken up with side trips to lighthouses and amazing vistas on cliffs above the sea and over long unbroken beaches. I became known as “Mister Vista” when I’d continually complain that we weren’t stopping enough to enjoy the views.

By the 5th day we had a full day off riding in the old restored town of Florence to dry clothes and lick our tired muscles. The sun came out and our trial by rain was over.

As the rest of the week went on the sun got stronger and so did my legs. Must have been true for everyone because our speeds seemed to increase. We did notice a strange phenomenon. After stopping for lunch it seemed we always started out with a big hill. On those occasions it was all we could do to hold our food down. Salt water taffy was a local delicacy that we ate in vast quantities. It seemed our food consumption went way up as our bodies demanded more and more calories.

The last two days were among the nicest but also the longest thanks to a string of flats caused by the sharp gravel along the edge of the road. One day, 3 of us got 5 flats and I ended up walking most of the way back to camp having run out of tire tubes. We took all of this in our stride and everyone seemed to have a positive attitude that really helped make the trip so much fun. Besides, the rain was over and the sun just made these last beautiful days more precious.

On the last Saturday we proudly had our photos taken under the “Welcome to California” border sign. What a wonderful experience. Over 400 miles of riding past some of North America’s most spectacular country.

READERS, feel free to offer your won selections of the first international destination you’d visit in the post pandemic world. Please send to **@Tr**********.com , and we will post in our Readers’ poll.

READERS POLL (as of today):

As a lover of 20th century history, it must be Berlin, Germany. — Kyle – Seattle, WA

Though I’ve never been, island hopping in Tahiti should be the thing which I’d love to do. — Terry – Portland, OR

The post The First International Destination You’d Visit in the Post Pandemic World appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Brits call them Narrowboats, as it IS one word, and depending on their size and length, they can hold from 2 to 10 people.  Research indicates there are over 38,000 Narrowboats in the UK, and they’re a wonderful leisurely way to see the 3,000 (yes, THREE THOUSAND!) miles of handsomely historic waterways that, Britain being Britain, envelops you in over 200 years of (mostly!) fascinating local and national history. To slightly alter a well-known cliché, the sights are a joy for fresh eyes!

Although a large percentage of Narrowboats are permanent homes for many people, there are still lots of places they can be rented, hired, or enjoyed as a special trip. Prices and itineraries online: Type in “Narrowboats in England.” Maximum length is 72 feet (2.13m) and to see WHY they’re called NARROWboats, go online and check out the multitude of nifty photos.

My first sighting of these gaily colored boats was on a trip to Great Britain. I was having  “A Ploughman’s Lunch” (usually bread, cheese, and fresh, absolutely deeeeeelicious (!) ham, green salad, hard boiled eggs and an apple …. Plus a superb only in the UK pickled onion… aaaah, I can taste and sense the mouthwatering aroma right now), and it was in one of those classic riverside pubs.

Off to my left there was a long, narrow (!) bridge that spanned a gorgeous, lushly green valley below. What totally stunned me, and made me wonder if what I saw was REAL or a dream, was that the bridge was not (as I expected) for a roadway or railway, but a water canal! Adding to my joy and “visual senses,” was that coming towards us on the bridge waterway, was a slim, trim highly imaginative, full of character, multicolored Narrowboat.

I’ve always loved “chatting up the locals” wherever I go, and near my lunch table was a middle aged couple who looked as if they’d stepped out of a British Tourist office poster advertising Britain and her people. The woman smiled at me, noticing the obvious surprise of seeing what was now very near to us. “Yes,” she said in a marvelous – but a somewhat hard to understand local brogue, “they ARE lovely aren’t they… you can rent them, and some offer you the chance to step off the Narrowboat and stay overnight in one of the many waterside cottages.”

To get an even better “feel” for  Narrowboats, check out the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. At 3 miles in length, it is the deepest canal in Britain, and took 16 years to build and, as you’ll see, has some absolutely exquisite local scenery along the canal route.

Talking with some Narrowboat owners, I was intrigued to hear that another joy of Narrowboating, is the number of Locks you’ll go up or down through. The UK has 1,569 locks and 53 tunnels that some canals go through, plus 3,112 canal carrying bridges, and even 370 water canal aqueducts.

For photo buffs, I urge you to check out – and for sure photograph – the BINGLEY FIVE RISE LOCKS on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Bingley. If shot with a wide angle lens, it looks as if the five lock gates are part of some Steeple Chase canal adventure. It’s too confusing to describe how they function, as you’ll get a much better idea of WHY they’re so intriguing, by a personal visit. I’d heartily recommend you go in the summer months.

Don’t be narrow minded: experience a trip in a Narrowboat in the UK. Contact JOHN:

jd******@gm***.com

The post A “Narrowboat” Adventure in the United Kingdom, IS a Super Getaway appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Have you ever visited a village that was a worldwide TV star? If not, I urge you to stay at the unique Port Meirion Village in North Wales. It became famous as the result of a decidedly offbeat British TV show and, as you will see if you go there, there’s a marvelous collection of eccentric houses, homes and other buildings that were not only shaped in unconventional sizes, but that were also painted in a multitude of garish colors. Never, in my travels around the world, have I seen a place that is more spellbinding, really riveting and spectacularly fascinating as Port Meirion. Never heard of it you say? Well that could well be, but for some folks of a certain age, if I mention the cult British TV series of 1967 called The Prisoner starring Patrick McGoohan, the name and place WILL ring a bell.

Located on the coast of Snowdonia in North Wales, and perched just above the River Dwyryd, Port Meirion and the Village is at once mysterious, compelling and strange, and a photographer’s delight. Which might explain why the TV show used the village in the TV series. In fact, the majority of filming was done there, and the quirky and indeed innovative location, made it the ideal place in which to put “The Prisoner.”  When YOU see it, you might also recall it from the TV show. Go here for reservations and more information about Port Meirion.

Designed and built by the decidedly offbeat British architect Sir Clough Williams Ellis, many in England in the early 1900s thought he was an oddity, but his unconventional designs, dazzling colors of odd shaped buildings, and the crazy quilt of its overall design (some of which are shown here) have made the village of Port Meirion one of Europe’s biggest tourist attractions. Gift shops abound with everything you could ever wish to know about the TV show and, of course, The Village itself. Down by the estuary you’ll find a wonderful hotel and superb restaurant that adds to the charm of the entire location. Note how “empty” the estuary is at low tide. If North Wales is on your itinerary, Port Meirion epitomizes the word unique.

To give you an idea of that exceptional difference, Wales was – for countless decades – THE place for gray looking slate quarries. When you see what Port Meirion is, and contrast the grayness of slate to the colorful village, it’s like looking at an orange in a huge heap of black coal.

So, if you’re looking to do something extra special on your next vacation, be sure to make a reservation, as I did, in one of the comfortable, one-of-a-kind rooms in Port Meirion. One of the “things” that’s “incredibly British,” and that I saw in my Village room as soon as I entered, was the always the ubiquitous set of cups and saucers, various tea bags, sometimes biscuits (cookies) and a teapot so you can brew your own “cuppa’ tea.” It is a wonderful British touch I’ve always loved.

Be sure to take lots of videos and “Selfies” with you in and around the numerous places, buildings and wonderfully weird statues. Add in photos of you in one of the vast array T-shirts emblazoned with the key words used in the TV show that I’m sure you’ll want to buy, and you’ve got a marvelous memory of Port Meirion to share with everyone – in fact, send it to your friends back home in the US the second you take it.

If you’ve visited other special places like this that you’ve enjoyed, tell me about it at

jd******@gm***.com

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As I entered Buckingham Palace – and no, I had not been requested to attend a royal celebration of Harry and Meghan’s wedding – but I had been invited to see the splendor of this sumptuous, world famous edifice known throughout the world, by the nearby (and almost as legendary) Ritz Hotel. I was there as part of a travel media group of US journalists in London to experience the unique luxury of the prestigious Ritz Hotel. As a bonus, they’d arranged for us to take the once a year Buckingham Palace tour. Every summer it opens its doors to the public and in 2018 the dates are from 21 July until 30 September, and you MUST make a reservation to take the tour.

As a child growing up in the 1940s-50s in London’s Royal Borough of Kensington I recall, as if it were yesterday there was a reverence for the Royal Family. They seemed to be inaccessible, remote and even though they were in London, they felt distant. Buckingham Palace was reserved for royals, and to actually see how and where they lived, was the stuff of dreams. Taking a tour? Well that was absolutely out of the question. So you can imagine my complete shock and surprise to actually be inside this legendary building and, even more extraordinary, enjoying a tour a few years ago. Lest you think that you get to see EVERYTHING in this palatial palace, let me disabuse you of that notion. You do NOT get to see the front part of this iconic building that overlooks the Mall and the famous balcony where – from time to time on what the PR folks at the palace call “suitable, very important events” – the Royals appear to greet and endlessly wave, to the humungous crowds in front. However, what you do see, IS most impressive.

The Ritz is only a short walk across Green Park from the Palace, and as our group walked over to the Palace I was in total disbelief trying to comprehend the fact of going inside this mythical building of my youth. We entered at the left, in the back, where you also enter to view the Queen’s Gallery of famous artworks. Then we moved into the main rooms of Buckingham Palace. We went through a series of extraordinary security procedures, and were searched and double searched, and admonished that absolutely NO cameras or photos were allowed. As I wanted proof via my camera that I’d been there, I was devastated. But I abided by the rules.

First up are the State Rooms, a suite of what I can only say with typical British understatement, are lavishly decorated public rooms where the monarch receives, rewards and entertains her subjects and, of course, those dignitaries lucky enough get one of those highly prized Royal invitations. Maybe it’s my British upbringing, but I’m not one to be easily spellbound or mesmerized, but the vast array of sparkling candelabra, dazzling wallpapers, fine furniture all nestled amid breathtaking works of art, lovingly created by some of the world’s most famous artists, is THE quintessence of mesmerizing.

When I saw the grand staircase I instantly thought of the movie TITANIC, and the grand staircase depicted in that blockbuster motion picture. But the one in Buck Palace is – at least in my view – the staircase of all times, and in my mind’s eye I visualized royal legends gracefully, royally and elegantly slowly descending on its luxurious steps. Building took place from 1825 to 1830 when the palace was remodeled for King George IV. Indeed, I walked around the inside Buckingham Palace with, I’m sure, my mouth hanging open in stunned disbelief. I could not accept the fact that here I was inside the building itself where Kings and Queens had walked, and I was now walking where THEY had walked.

Many of the Queen’s social functions are often held in the huge back garden – and the location of the Royal Gift Shop – where you can buy all sorts of what I can only call Royal Paraphernalia.  Called The Queen’s Gallery Shop, it offers a wide range of exclusive gift items inspired by the royal palaces and the works of art in the Royal Collection. You’ll find home ware, china, clothing, jewelry, children’s toys, books and postcards. And yes, most of the merchandise has the Buckingham Palace insignia. If you want to spoil your kids, or hey even yourself (!) why not purchase a life-size gold throne.

The most frustrating moment came when the guide who’d given us the tour, stunned our group of AMERICAN journalists with the news that she was an American, for heaven’s sakes, and had worked at the Palace for nearly 20 years. She told us we’d have to take a different way out from the entrance we came in by. We went outside and across the courtyard area that you see on royal weddings where all the coaches and cars stop to disgorge their passengers. We then went through an arch and came out only inches away from one of the sentry boxes with a tall, red coated guardsman standing duty. I wanted, desperately, passionately to take a photo of this magical moment, but as I slipped my camera out, our guide turned and, stridently, said “No, No, absolutely not.” My photo op of a lifetime, walking across the open yard in front of Buckingham Palace, was gone forever.

The post Here’s What It’s Like to be Invited to Tour Buckingham Palace as I Was. And I’m Not Even Royalty! appeared first on Traveling Archive.