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Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures


British train: Try one if you are a world traveler: efficient, clean, punctual and fun.
WE HAVE long admired the world's railway system. We've logged thousands of pleasant train miles from Australia to the United Kingdom

Cookie & Keller
Nov 16, 20234 min read


Honolulu Museum of Art is Eye-popping -opens minds, eyes and imagination
Honolulu Museum of Art's extensive collection includes significant holdings in Asian art, American and European painting and decorative arts. The Asian collection is among the Pacific's finest. HONOLULU ART MUSEUM OFFERS 50,000 WORKS SPANNING 5,000 YEARS, A WISE COLLECTOR'S GIFT THAT GREW "Lobster," a work by Hawaiian artist Noah Harders, is among eye-catching pieces on view at the magnificent Honolulu Museum of Art in Hawaii. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLE

Christene Meyers
Oct 5, 20234 min read


Madeira: gardens, parks, artwork beckon visitors to Portuguese island
The drama of Madeira is partly because it rises from sea level to 6,000 feet. One can drive it in less than an hour, experiencing the...

Christene Meyers
Sep 7, 20234 min read


Worldwide, we celebrate PRIDE month with hope, understanding
The famous Sydney Opera House is aglow with "Pride" colors, a proud rainbow celebrating Australia's strong support of the progress toward inclusion, tolerance and embrace of all people. PRIDE month encourages professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER LGBT Pride Month is celebrated worldwide. It stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Sto

Christene Meyers
Jun 1, 20234 min read


Memorials worldwide you must see - honor victims, heroes, urging us to remember
Wherever in the world we go, we never miss an opportunity to visit a memorial. War, loss, suffering, heroism and sacrifice are universal themes.
4 of the best memorials worldwide you must see are discussed below:
So is the need to honor the fallen, those we loved, those who have suffered loss.
Nearly every village in Europe has a memorial to the victims of World War I. War memorials are found on every continent, in metropolitan areas and remote villages alike.

Cookie & Keller
May 25, 20235 min read


New Zealand's Te Papa is free and wondrous, a top world museum
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is an architectural, cultural and artistic wonder. Wellington's delightful complex...

Christene Meyers
May 18, 20235 min read


Spectacular Sydney: harbor, port, restaurants, bridge, Opera House
Sydney, Australia: sparkling in early evening, from a climb atop the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge. It's fun to look for your cruise ship...

Christene Meyers
Apr 20, 20236 min read


Busy Brisbane: bustling, booming, fun, and a nighttime wonderland
Brisbane's majestic skyline is an impressive, sky-high mix of contemporary architecture, artfully set off by well established trees, and...

Christene Meyers
Mar 23, 20237 min read


Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb delivers: steel, scenery, spectacle
The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb is world famous for its challenge and spectacle.
Below: Dwarfed by massive steel, climbers at far right make their way up the side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Directly in front of the first climber are the steep ladders one climbs to the top

Christene Meyers
Mar 2, 20235 min read


Valenca offers charms of Portuguese village near Spanish border
Valenca, in the far north of Portugal, offers a relaxing, artistic place to visit for a few days. Sturdy, stunning buildings date back to...

Christene Meyers
Feb 2, 20233 min read


Hollywood Bus Tours - Seeing L.A. a new way: fun small bus tour offers sights, delights
Cruise through the glitz of Hollywood on a hop-on hop-off bus tour, where iconic sights like the Walk of Fame and Beverly Hills unfold at your own pace. With open-top views, multiple routes, and 40+ stops, it’s an easy, flexible way to explore LA’s highlights in one unforgettable ride.

Cookie & Keller
Jan 26, 20234 min read


Vegas food tasting tours offer a royal flush of fun, history, yummy bites
A Taste Buzz Food Tour of the Arts District in Las Vegas offered a fun outing for Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers. Consider...

Christene Meyers
Jan 19, 20234 min read


Hop on, hop off bus tours show off a new city to fine advantage
The Barcelona hop-on hop-off (HOHO) bus tour is an efficient way to navigate the city's vast layout, especially for first-time visitors or families who want to skip the logistics of the metro. With two main routes covering everything from the mountains of Montjuïc to the shores of Barceloneta, it serves as both a primary transport method and a guided sightseeing experience

Christene Meyers
Jan 12, 20235 min read


Spiritus: splendid psychedelic immersion in famous Portuguese chapel
Clerigos Church and its magnificent cathedral host a light-filled wondrous show, "Spiritus." Gorgeous lights highlight windows and offer...

Christene Meyers
Dec 22, 20225 min read


Free walking tours offer value and a terrific way to know a city quickly
Luiz, our fine Brazilian born guide in Porto, Portugal, took us around the city to its hidden corners as well as exploring its famous...

Christene Meyers
Dec 15, 20226 min read


Gaudi's genius is on showy display in masterful Barcelona architecture
Architect's imagination and reverence for nature highlight his 'La Pedrera,' in Barcelona STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers enjoy a moment of reflection outside Gaudi's Casa Mila, or "La Pedrera." The curved "attic" of Casa Mila is a museum on its own, with drawings, exhibits and models showing the profound influence nature had on Gaudi's life's work. WHEN THE brilliant architect Antoni Gaudi was struck by a tram on a

Christene Meyers
Dec 8, 20225 min read


Amsterdam's canals offer relaxing time with beauty, relaxation, intriguing history
The Dam Square is still the city's heart. But today this former barrier between the River Amstel and the “Southern Sea” is one of the few places in the center of town that you cannot sail a boat to. The last part of the river leading to the dam fell victim to land-traffic in 1922. The street that replaced it is called "Damrak," meaning “Last section of the river, leading to the Dam.” Today, a subway line is being built in the old riverbed.

Cookie & Keller
Nov 10, 20225 min read


Porto Food Tour - Eating a scrumptious trail with history lesson on the side
Our lively "Taste Porto food tour" guide, Ines, walks us through a colorful market, pointing out a bounty of fruits grown near the city, and offering bits of history, architecture and favorite dishes. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Carpe Kiem Kids Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers explore the streets of Porto in a pleasant food and walking tour with top-ranked "Taste Porto." Porto Food Tour - GLORIOUS FOOD! TOUR INCLUDES TASTINGS, HISTORY, WALKING,

Cookie & Keller
Oct 20, 20224 min read


Porto's Casa Sao Roque offers art, architecture, an intriguing oasis
Entrepreneur Pedro Ribeiro, right, gives Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers a private tour of his unique art museum, a converted manor house and hunting lodge in Portugal. ART MUSEUM, PARK, LIBRARY, CAFE, WITH FILM, PHOTOS,PAINTINGS, SCULPTURE, COLLAGE, MEDIA ENTICEMENTS STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Plants enhance Casa Sao Roque Centro de Arte, inspired by French and Belgian architecture with a nod to Porto decorative arts. Porto's Casa Sao Roque

Christene Meyers
Oct 6, 20225 min read


A general's dream: When and If' sails smoothly into immortality
When and If is a beautiful sailing vessel combining the best characteristics of a racing boat with the comforts of a sturdy yacht built...

Christene Meyers
Sep 15, 20224 min read
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