Tuscany Wine Tour

Getting lost in Tuscany.......but having fun doing so hahahhaha

As i make my way into the true birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and the home of Michelangelo, da Vinci, Vespucci and others....its no wonder i got lost many times as the beauty of Toscana is intoxicating, but finally found my to Siena  ( World Heritage Site in 1995) and my goal to have some of its famous Chianti Superiore wine served from a fiasco (squat bottle in a straw basket). So i find a local producer who also gave me a tour of their facility and of course some samples, then i set up my version of a one man picnic lol and pulled out a loaf of crusty bread

Yes trying some samples lol

 olive oil plus some local Pecorino Toscano cheese. As i watch the sun go down over one of those "must see" places of our amazing planet, i say out loud  "La Vita e Bella'.....life indeed is beautiful!

Many small wineries to be tasted

Bermuda

The famous pink sand of Bermuda 

The most famous grotto is the Crystal Cave discovered in 1907 by two 12 year old boys looking for their lost cricket ball

The houses all have white roofs with sloped surfaces and gutter ridges to funnel the water to an underground tank. The white cement wash compound  ( paint and powder mixture ) sanitizes the rainwater as it goes to the basement

Having a few at the Swizzle Inn

Fort Catherine

When visting my favorite vacation island of Bermuda ( rumored to be named after Spanish Sea Captain Juan de Bermudez) i wanted to pass on some KeyTips for all to enjoy what is now the oldest remaining overseas British Territory. First because there is no car rentals, i would suggest a bus/ferry pass which is really convenient and cheap (3 days for $28 unlimited use) and much safer then renting a scooter for a few reasons...your driving on the right side of the road (remember British rules) narrow streets and roundabouts (rotaries) plus tourists are given a 15min lesson and the way they go, so you do not worry about the locals but your fellow guests. Once this is out of the way sit back and enjoy the stunning views of the pink sand and turquoise water, also visit some of the forts (Martello Tower, Fort Hamilton or St Catherine etc) that are dotted around the island as Bermuda was once a strategic naval center

(once called the Gibraltar of the West) for the British due to its proximity to the USA. The most popular is
Royal Navy Yard which i took the bus there and then a ferry to the other end of the island of St Georges to

visit/explore some Grotto's (small caves near water and they often flood during high tides, so be careful) and the amazing stalactites. Finally hotels can be very expensive here, so i go on-line to search for Guest Homes and you can get self contained apartments for approx $100.00 per night or opt for a Cruise Ship that pulls up on Front Street in the capital of Hamilton or again at the Royal Navy Dockyard , either way you will enjoy this tiny stripe of paradise (20+ miles long) off the coast of North Carolina!

A 2 hour flight from my City of Halifax

Hamilton Parish  is the location of Bermuda's subterranean caverns and a must see

Right hand drive and narrow streets.......need i say anymore lol

Because of the expensive hotel prices ......a great option is to take a cruise ship and stay 'off shore'  for many days 

The famous White Horse Tavern in Bermuda

Moroccan Snickers Bar Tour

This being my third trip into northwest Africa and Morocco i knew not to have anything that was washed in the local water ( fruit/salads) also to be careful of ice cubes in drinks or any other beverage that aqua would be added too as our stomachs haven't built up a resistance to it as the locals would. 

Well all my fellow travelers were warned on the bus by me and then they asked what i was going to eat?  I pointed to my backpack and said  i had a four day supply of protein & carbs; called Snickers Bars 😄. 

Well as we rolled into Marrakesh (3rd largest city in Morocco with over 1 million citizens & located near the Atlas Mountains) our guide took us to the old part of the city (called the Medina) and to the Berber Market (souk) where you will find everything for sale but very dirty, cramped, plus vendors grabbing at you all the time to buy things.

 So it wouldn't be a place for everyone and our guide knew that so took our group into a private room where we were given a showing of Persian Rugs and other local wares.

 Then a meal was brought out that was right out of an Indian Jones movie; a bowl of black soup that you could see your reflection in and at this point i dug out a Snickers ,then later said no mas to the rug (it would be shipped to your address after you paid for it) but did manage to pick up a brass/copper vase and left happy.

 Well found out later most of my travel mates didn't heed my advice and were sick for the next few days from the soup and other things from the market.

 Feeling bad and wanting to do something to pick up their spirits during the Christmas Season ( not recognized in a Islamic Country like Morocco) i made up a bush tree with ribbons from rags, beer plastic streamers & of course presents with the names of each of my bus companions with their OWN Snickers Bar 😁

Another day gone in Western Africa

Tour Chicago by River

Chicago is the third largest city in the United States sitting on the shores of Lake Michigan 

As i visit one of my top five US cities Chicago, the first [KeyTip] is to take the Blue Line (the "L" and save big dollars) from O'Hare airport to Michigan

Avenue where [KeyTip#2] the Magnificent Mile is located and stay at one of the 50+ hotels located here. Also on the Mag Mile there is 275 restaurants, 460 stores, museums, historic structures such as the Wrigley Building, John Hancock Centre, Tribune Tower and so on...hey, 22 million annual visitors cant be wrong lol   Also to view some of this great city in a unique way, i would suggest the river boat tour ( usually 1 hour) which will cut through the heart of Chicago and you will see 40+ buildings like the Sears Tower, Civic Opera Building, Wacker Historical District, NBC Tower, Boeing World Headquarters etc plus view some of the designs of world class architects like Mies van der Roke, Helmut Jahn and Skidmore Owings & Merrill. Once you get a taste of the Windy City, you will then maybe understand when the locals say..... it is what New York wanted to be!