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Houston’s a Great Place to See By Bike

A bike path protected from cars in Houston, Texas.

There is really no better way to explore a new city than by bicycle.  I joined Phil Butcher, owner of Bayou City Bike Tours this morning for a trip around part of downtown Houston, and I was impressed. Before I took off on our ride, some of the people at […]

Steve Szkotak Has Lived a Great Life, and Shared Much of It With Me

Steve Szkotak walks his daughter Molly down the aisle at her wedding in May 2016.

Steve Szkotak has had a great run.  I write this with great sadness, after hearing from Mandy his wife of nearly 40 years, that he is in hospice care.  Like all of us, he’s facing the end, the only difference is that he’s painfully closer, very critical and near death. […]

Snack Toys Replace the Time-Consuming Habits of Kids

A new trend in toys is tiny inexpensive items, that can provide a faster experience than a boring long game or construction project.

Who has time? Even youngsters are all on a schedule these days, it’s time for Johnny’s playdate, oh, we gotta leave now to get to Susie’s soccer practice!  Who has time to play games that take as long as 30 minutes?   I read a story yesterday by Anne Marie […]

Sheryl Sandberg’s Suggestion Is Good Advice at Bedtime

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Sheryl Sandberg is famous for her line that is the title of her book: Lean In. But besides being the CEO of Facebook and a major empowerer of women, she’s someone who has suffered a great loss, and despite vast wealth and power, remains humbled by it.  In today’s WSJ, […]

Poker on a Sunday Afternoon: Nothing I’d Rather Do!

Time for a poker game in Sunderland!

I can’t think of anything I’d rather do right now than join my five pals and play some poker.  To people who don’t play, it’s hard to convey, but to those of us in my poker group, it’s a golden time for all. To a man, we all love the […]

Honoring Arts Luminaries and the Best Damn Movie Theater in the Valley

Non-fiction writer Tracy Kidder was one of the honorees at last night

Last night I joined a crowd of about 700 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke where four luminaries and a few institutions were recognized in the 2016 NEPR Arts and Humanities Awards. The sun came out on the terrace as the many guests mingled, and as usual, I found plenty […]

WFCR Honors Arts Luminaries This Week

Nick Spitzer, host of American Routes, on WFCR and many other stations, will be honored at the Log Cabin on Tuesday night.

Every May, WFCR has held a gala event that honors members of the community in the Pioneer Valley who stand out for how they’ve helped foster the arts. The list of the 2016 recipients is impressive–Tracy Kidder, Maria Luisa Arroyo, Community Access to the Arts, and my all-time favorite movie theater, […]

Time Bends While I Travel

Losinj Croatia

It’s always a bit hard adjusting to the regular life after a week away.  One thing that’s always consistent about frequent travel is that it feels like I’ve been gone longer than I really have. In just one week, what really is new at home? Not that much. I always […]

Apoxyomenos Stands in a New Museum in Mali Losinj

Apoxyomenos is the star of a new museum in Mali Losinj, Croatia.

Apoxyomenos is waiting for you at the top of a new four-story museum in Mali Losinj Croatia.  The former Kvarner Palace, once home to one of the town’s rich sea captains, is now a beautiful new museum showcasing one of the greatest treasures ever recovered from the sea. The town […]

On the Island of Ilovik, a Seafood Feast Worthy of Poseidon

Ilovik has 400 houses but most of them are only used during the summer. A fantastic destination for boaters in Croatia.

Croatia is famous for sailing. With more than 2000 islands off its coast, this is a place that is full of yachts and sailboats with a thousand years of nautical heritage. Today we climbed aboard a 42′ sailboat owned by the Jadranka Corp, owners of the Hotel Bellevue, and explored […]

Croatia, Where Have You Been All My Life?

The bike and walking path along Cikat Bay, Mali Losinj, Croatia.

Croatia where you been all my life? For a moment there, I almost didn’t take this weeklong trip to Croatia to visit these six hotels who invited me so generously. Yes I have work to do. Yes both money and time away can be tight. But when it really comes […]

Boutique Hotel Alhambra and Villa Hortensia on Losinj

The Villa Hortensia was once home to Austro-Hungarian monarchy, and today, it

Today we took a close-up look at two more five-star hotels that are part of the six hotels owned by Jadranka, a Croatian company, here in Mali Losinj. They are both located on either side of the big Bellevue Hotel, and were both built around the same time, 1912. The […]

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