Text & photos © Catherine Nichols THE NEIGHBOR LADIES and I met up for “Wino Wednesday” at our local watering hole right before the end of the school year. It’s a cozy, classy place in downtown Encinitas, California, with tables set among racks and racks of really good wine. The proprietors have made it especially difficult not to add a bottle or two to your own stash before heading home. As...

Why Reykjavík?

July 13th, 2018 | FEATURED ARTICLES, STAFF, ISLANDS | Read More

Quirky architecture of Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia

Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul IN A PREVIOUS travel article I talked about discovering Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia’s Ottoman influences, the biggest of influences still left standing. Today, I want to tell you why I deemed Skopje as having the quirkiest architecture I have...

June 29th, 2018 | FEATURED ARTICLES, STAFF, EUROPE, QUIRKY PLACES | Read More

Sunbathing at Hungarospa Thermal Baths, Hajdúszoboszló, Hungary

Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul IN ROMANIA, we recently had two bank holidays fall during the same work-week: May 28th celebrated the Orthodox Pentecost Monday and June 1st was Children’s Day. For the Children’s Day holiday we planned for a bathing-suit kind of day, so we headed...

June 15th, 2018 | FEATURED ARTICLES, STAFF, EUROPE, Beaches, Water | Read More

Legends and curiosities of Hole in the Rock, Utah

Story by Crystal Gabrielle. Photos Copyright © Crystal Gabrielle. After finishing another house-sitting job, I was heading from Grand Junction, Colorado to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I decided to swing out through Utah to see the sights. On Hwy 191, approx. 12 miles south of Moab, Utah, a big white arrow...

June 1st, 2018 | FEATURED ARTICLES, USA MAINLAND, QUIRKY PLACES | Read More

Funky Signs: The Four Dangers at Beaumaris Castle

Text & photos © Catherine Nichols Over the pond in Wales, U.K., a sign at the Beaumaris Castle reminds us to keep track of our children, the floors are slippery, steps are dangerous, and that seagulls attack! I laughed out loud at this sign because I slipped on a slippery step trying to get away...

May 18th, 2018 | FEATURED ARTICLES, FUNKY SIGNS, THE UK | Read More

Sunny Day at Belgrade Fortress, Serbia

Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul IF YOU ONLY HAVE one day to visit the capital of Serbia, Belgrade (also called the White City)—and if it’s a sunny one—make sure to go for a walk downtown, but also explore the fortress. Hotel Moskva We visited Belgrade on our drive back home from...

May 4th, 2018 | FEATURED ARTICLES, EUROPE, GARDENS & PARKS, Historic/Museums, WALKING/HIKING | Read More

The lesser delights of Scupi, the Skopje Aqueduct and Macedonian Village

Text & photos Copyright © Estrella Azul In my last travel article about the capital of FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), entitled 6 Essential and 7 Practical Travel Tips for Visiting Skopje, FYROM, I mentioned that while it’s a very good place to take long walks, one may need...

April 20th, 2018 | FEATURED ARTICLES, EUROPE, TRAVEL BUMMERS | Read More