The clarity of the air was intoxicating as I stood on the deck of the AmaLyra in La Havre, France. With small boats in the harbor, I realized it was the same location where Claude Monet created his monumental landmark painting, Impression, Sunrise, which gave birth to the art movement known as Impressionism. Devoid of pictorial realism, it was from his own personal perspective – not from yours or mine – achieved by a series of short impasto brushstrokes and the use of subdued blue-grayish colors, which contrasted with the warmth of the orange sun.

With its jagged mountain peaks that jolt vertically from the sea, stunning waterways, cascading waterfalls, tiny fishing villages and mountain farmhouses, the fjords of Norway would be my pick for the most visually striking place on the planet. I'm not exactly going out on a limb when I say this. Two of Norway's most famous fjords, the Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, have already joined the Great Wall of China, the pyramids of Egypt, and the Grand Canyon as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And National Geographic Traveler Magazine also rated Norway's fjords as the top travel destination in the world in their first "Index of Destination Stewardship" –  an elite list of the least spoiled, great places on earth.

With the U.S. seemingly winning the battle against the Covid pandemic, there’s a sense of euphoria that envelops our nation. But our hearts go out to T-Boy’s Canadian and Italian writers who are still in the thick of things, struggling with the pandemic. So, the fight continues and we look for better days of a united world that is Covid free. And, we must always remind ourselves to Donate to Direct Relief in support of our courageous frontline workers.