Archive for October, 2009
Riel World photo – Krakow, Poland
Krakow, Poland Cobblestoned lane and outdoor cafe just off Market Square in the center of Krakow’s Old Town.
On the American road with Paul Theroux
Are you a fan of the American travel writer Paul Theroux? Do you like road trips? Then you may appreciate this article from Smithsonian Magazine, written by Theroux and titled “Taking the Great American Road Trip.” Theroux writes about taking a cross-country road trip recently for the first time in his life, which is somewhat surprising for [...]
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Travelers
Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll have been on the road for quite a while now. It’s been well over two years since they left their jobs to travel the world, take photographs and write about their experiences, which they do very well on their blog Uncornered Market. It stands to reason that they would have [...]
The spread of Gross National Happiness
You’ve likely heard of the book “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World,” by Eric Weiner. And you may have heard about the Himalayan country of Bhutan and its goal of measuring and improving something called Gross National Happiness. What do these things have in common? Well, apart from [...]
Tango dancing honored by UNESCO
We’re all familiar with the concept of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which are natural and man-made destinations that represent the history and heritage of the world. Somewhat less familiar to most people are the newer UNESCO designations of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which honor such traditions as native music, dance, ritual or craftsmanship. This is meant to complement the list of [...]
Fall foliage trip through quintessential New England
It’s prime season for leaf-peeping and, while there are wonderful foliage drives in nearly every region of North America, the destination that is almost always associated with the spectacle of autumn is New England. A fall foliage drive can mean a lot more than just beautiful fall views, however. If you plan it correctly, you [...]
Best North American cities for music lovers
Recently, I showed you a road trip that delved into the roots of American music, with destinations connected to the birth of jazz, blues, soul, bluegrass, country and rock ‘n roll. But what about contemporary music? What are the best cities in North America today for music lovers? The Society of American Travel Writers recently [...]
Health treatments and philosophies in 10 countries
Perhaps it’s the interest sparked by the ongoing debate in Washington, but I’ve been stumbling across a number of health care-related articles these days and several of them delve into the intersection of policy and national culture. There was a recent story in the NY Times about T.R. Reid’s new book, The Healing of America, in which [...]
How Columbus Day is celebrated in the Americas
Happy Columbus Day! That is, if you celebrate it. Columbus Day has been a federal holiday in the United States for several decades now, and the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas is observed in various ways. New York City has a big parade and celebration of Italian-American heritage. Other cities, such as San [...]
From doctors to shamans
It’s no secret that culture plays a role in health care, from our systems of medicine to our personal decisions. When a person receives health care in his or her home country, there are unlikely to be many clashes over culture because it’s a medical system that he or she knows and understand well. The United States is not a [...]
Roman ruins in North Africa
Sure, everyone knows that you can trip over Roman ruins nearly everywhere you go in Rome. And that there are similar ruins scattered across a wide swath of Europe and the near Middle East. But what about North Africa? Have you ever considered trekking to Libya, Algeria or Tunisia to see Roman ruins? Probably not. [...]
A road trip into the roots of American music
A lot of great music has been made in the United States, and much of it has roots in the South. In fact, if you journey through just a few southern states, you can have a fascinating time exploring the roots of jazz, blues, soul, bluegrass, country, and rock and roll. You can experience even more of the [...]
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Bob Riel is a writer and a traveler. Go here to read more about Bob, his work and the Travels in the Riel World blog.
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