Chamonix is a resort area about an hour’s drive east of Geneva, Switzerland. It is in a deep valley surrounded by some of the European alps highest peaks, including Mont Blanc (15,777 feet high). In winter, it is a major ski destination. It is also the gateway to the Haute Route, a reknowned circuit around…

Prague is a city with a long history and many dramatic buildings. Prague Castle, up on the hill [vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/179448455″] I’m pretty sure that is live music, as they closed the windows when it finished. Perhaps a daily opening ceremony? That’s old Prague. On the Charles Bridge, this is the new world: All strings rock…

Munich is in the southeastern corner of Germany. This area is called Bavaria, or ‘Bayern’ in German. It has exceptionally rich farmland areas, and is the home of ‘Octoberfest’. I stayed a week near Munich in the small town of Karlsfeld, at the home of a friend. This post is of this area, including Munich,…

Ah, Berlin. I first visited Berlin in 1970 while a student at Stanford-in-Germany (Beutelsbach), on our spring field trip. There were then two Berlins, West and East, and on May 1st, the big communist holiday, I visited both. You could get a day pass to the east side, but woe unto you if you failed…

Madeira Island, Portugal is a very rugged volcanic island rising out of the depths of the Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles south and 500 miles west of Portugal, at about the same latitude as Marrakesh. It first emerged from the ocean about 5 million years ago. These mid-Atlantic rift islands were created as a result…