Sydney Opera House in clouds and rain

Sydney in the Rain – Making the Best of the City on My Birthday in Sydney

Rain in Sydney – Making the Best of the City on My Birthday in Sydney, Australia The rain used to follow me on vacation, it became a running joke with friends and family that a gloomy cloud resided over my head and went with me on vacation.  At some point, […]

Sunset Elephant Zambezi

World Elephant Day – The African Elephant

Two years ago, on August 12th, 2012, World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the plight of the African elephants and Asian elephants.  While much is publicized about the poaching of these amazing animals, there are other dark sides – treatment in captivity (as we’ve seen many videos […]

Matox art in Paris

The Joy of Discovering Street Art in Cities Around the World for FriFotos

  Growing up in Philadelphia, I was exposed to graffiti and thought that it was destructive and ugly.  I didn’t know the nuances of the tags – the street names, the gangs, etc.   I just knew that it was, for the most part, black spray paint as either puffy […]

Hotel Fabric Paris

Review: Hotel Fabric Paris Luxury Boutique Hotel in Oberkampf

Staying in Paris for five days with my niece, I could have easily stayed at one hotel the entire time, however, I was torn between two equally interesting boutique hotels.  So I decided to stay at both as it gave us an excuse to explore two very different arrondissements.  We […]

FriFotos – If you can’t stand the heat….go get a tasty treat!

The famous quote “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen” immediately came to mind with this week’s FriFotos theme of “Heat”.  I’m taking a bit of liberty with the quote’s meaning to have some fun sharing my love of desserts around the world. With three trips […]

Louvre in Paris

Paris for Kids at Louvre Treasure Hunt with THATLou Family Fun in Paris

As a solo traveler, time allowed to wander in a museum is priceless.  I can stare at a painting, read the information cards, listen to the audio guide or just sit in a room and take it all in.  The Louvre is one such museum where despite multiple visits, I can’t say […]

Queenstown New Zealand

Travel Bravery for Adrenaline Adventures in New Zealand (FriFotos)

It’s FriFotos and the word is “Adrenaline”. Playing word association, say “adrenaline” and I’ll reply “adventure”.  Say “adventure” and I’ll reply “New Zealand” with a smile on my face. Planning a trip to New Zealand generally ticks off many bucket list items that folks have.  For me, it was chock […]

Arc de Triomphe

Paris: Visit the Arc de Triomphe it’s just 100 steps or so

After my niece ran out of her shopping money in Paris, her enthusiasm for touring the city was beginning to wane.  It was a bright sunny June day in the city and I was loving walking around taking it all in.  While I can walk for hours and hours, my […]