DISQUS

Thanks, you wrote a great one, and included so many good links! We already have one Baltimore submission but I'll try to get this one posted too.

Wishing you happy times with your beautiful and intelligent looking cat!

Magnificent, Mark! Thank you so much for posting this.

Wow Mark, you've got some multi-talented family members!

Well now I don't feel bad that I ignore my Facebook page and enjoy Twitter. That's pretty amazing how many more referrals you get.
Have you seen these?
"I'm Getting Bored of Facebook" anthem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZzP_69ZTFk
Facebook in Reality spoof: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrlSkU0TFLs

that's it in a nutshell-- thanks!

Sour pickle juice: that will cure anything!

Certainly conveys a sense of place. Thanks for posting.

FindingDulcinea is WAY more interesting and useful than About.com. Prettier too.

Forgive others as you wish to be forgiven.

Great pics. Fyi, the name Canary comes from the Latin Insula Canaria meaning Island of the Dogs, referring to a breed of large fierce dog common on Grand Canary Island, and on their coat of arms too. I had to learn this when I was fact-checking a story about the Canary Islands for National Geographic Traveler two years ago. What I'm curious about is: Did you hear anyone whistling while you were there? They have that whistling language, you know, to compensate for the difficulty in communicating across the wildly mountainous countryside. Here's a photo from the story I worked on that shows why such a language would be helpful:
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photo...

Marilyn Terrells last blog post..A Villa for One Euro?

Your photos had me longing for Hvar.

Best one is Maris Freighters: http://www.freighter-cruises.com/
You can take them around the world, around the Mediterranean or around the Great Lakes, even to Antarctica. Lots of cruises to choose from. They were the only freighter line to make it into National Geographic Traveler's 2007 "Tours of a Lifetime" list.

I love the photo, Christine. You're right about the entire city being the attraction, and the high cost of soda. Andrew Evans has some ideas for enjoying Paris without spending lots of money:
http://intelligenttravel.typepad.com/it/2008/05...

Marilyn Terrells last blog post..Cinematic Road Trip: West Virginia

You guys do a great job and totally deserve it.

Excellent advice! I started traveling at 19, not for months on end but in between jobs and school, and it's certainly true that as you get older it's harder to squeeze travel into your increasingly complicated life. Plus, your tolerance for lumpy mattresses in noisy hostels tends to decrease. My husband and I have encouraged our kids to travel, and one daughter took a year off after high school and worked until she had enough money to explore Italy by train and hostel for two months. Best decision she ever made. Our younger son is looking into Volunteers for Peace, which is a huge clearinghouse for voluntourism and gives you a place to stay and usually food in countries all around the world in exchange for some labor: http://www.vfp.org/
They specialize in 2-3 week placements, but offer some long-term projects as well. And you don't have to be a teenager to sign up.

Marilyn Terrells last blog post..Indy Adventure Contest Winner: #3

I work at National Geographic, and even I was amazed at this issue. I also loved the Amy Tan story about the mountain village in Guizhou:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/05/china...

The print issue contains a great map of China, with an exploded diagram of the Forbidden City on the back. On the Geographic website are several exclusive online features, including two fascinating articles from the archives. "My Life in Forbidden Lhasa," a story first published in NatGeo in 1955, was written by Heinrich Harrer, who escaped a POW camp in World War ll and ended up in Tibet and became the tutor to the young Dalai Lama:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/05/tibet...

Another archival story is "Return to Changing China," which was first published in 1971. It was written by Canadian Audrey Topping who returned to China after having lived there pre-Mao, and her insights on the transformed country are pretty illuminating:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/05/china...

Awesome photo! I don't what's more thrilling-- looking at Taipei 101 from a distance to take in its mind-boggling scale, or to see the entire city from the top.

Mmmm, that chai looks delicious! Intelligent Travel sends you link love, Poverty Jet Set!
http://intelligenttravel.typepad.com/it/2008/04...

So cute! Love the tub. Congratulations. Blogging solves all world's problems.

Very funny! Made me want to rewatch Monty Python's Upperclass Twit of the Year competition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSqkdcT25ss

I'd never been to a demo derby before last summer at the Delaware County Fair in the Catskills, and I have to agree with your awesomeness rating. Once you get over the incomprehensibility of it, it's really fun, and our kids loved it. The drivers were mostly high schoolers, and everyone cheered for their friends. Some of the cars had great names and wonderful paint jobs. I loved the way they just kept smashing into each other slower and slower in the mud until they couldn't move anymore, with the local volunteer firefighters on the sidelines waiting for the first fire. They didn't have to wait long.