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Hello
It's Tuesday and it's time for a travel newsletter... update As is often the case, my recent schedule has been a bit chaotic. After leaving Morocco, I had a two week stay in Lisbon. Then, last week, I flew to Florida (which involved delays and a bizarre set of events). However, my visit to Florida was only for 4 days (it was for some family stuff) before I turned around and flew to Casablanca, where I am right now. In two weeks, I'll head to India in order to lead my first Wandering Earl Tour in that country since the pandemic. After India, I'm off to Japan, but more about that soon! --- Given my recent dedication to spending more time in nature, it was no surprise that my final 5 days in Portugal were spent on a road trip to the center of the country. This trip involved national parks, mountains, lakes, forests, valleys and plenty of hiking. It was awesome. Here are all the details: During a beautiful hike to the mountain village of Piodao! good food
Palacio Grilo (Lisbon, Portugal) - one-of-a-kind restaurant inside of a uniquely decorated abandoned palace with strange performances taking place all around you Antiochia (Istanbul, Turkey) - by far my favorite restaurant in this city, I consider it a must visit place for any visitor Beacher's Bar and Grill (Roatan, Honduras) - there's a reason we went here 5 times in 2 weeks and that reason is their fresh seafood platter (the margaritas weren't bad either) Adam's Secrets (Baghdad, Iraq) - I think the food was excellent but it might have been influenced by the views over Baghdad, the quirky atmosphere, the very good shisha and the simple fact that I was actually in Baghdad. Definitely recommended (and yes, we will go here on my Wandering Earl Iraq Tour next year!). perfect gear
I recently decided to switch from a messenger bag to a backpack for my carry-on/day pack. And so far, my experience with the Medium Expandable Knack Pack has been extremely positive. While the bag might have an excessive amount of pockets, I was genuinely surprised by what I could fit into this backpack without it looking stuffed or being uncomfortable. It's loaded with my laptop, iPad, Sony headphones, all my cords/cables/chargers, glasses case, rolled up jacket, toothbrush and toothpaste, Airpods and three bags containing random items. This all easily fits without me even opening the expandable section that offers even more space. It's sturdy, fits nicely on my back thanks to a thick internal cushion and it looks good too. All in all, this backpack is a winner. airbnb fees
There's been a lot of complaining from travelers about Airbnb's crazy high fees these days. I've personally stopped using Airbnb in most situations due to these fees. Well, CEO Brian Chesky has now stated that tackling the fee issue is a top priority. Hopefully the days of having Airbnb prices almost double once fees are added are almost over. around the globe
Sailing Solo - Susie Goodall entered the Golden Globe Race, a sailing competition where solo sailors race around the globe without stopping. Her bid ended after two violent storms left her stranded at sea but her story is remarkable nonetheless. Yearly Reconstruction of a Mosque - In the desert of Mali sits the largest mud brick building in the world. It's a mosque. And every April the walls must be rebuilt. The rebuilding takes place with an elaborate festival known as the Crépissage which involves the entire community in the most unique of ways.
This week I want to congratulate Chona, Kim, Steve, Earl (another one!), Erin and Morgan for correctly guessing the location of the photo above!
The image is of Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA, taken during my 2-day trip there last month. I hadn't been to Provincetown since I was a small kid and it was really cool to go back there. It's as quaint as ever, with perfectly manicured gardens and yards, picturesque homes and cottages, beautiful beaches and excellent food. We stayed at Gabriel's Provincetown Hotel which had excellent rooms set in a wonderful garden right in the heart of the historic district. It's such a good weekend trip from Boston. And now... This week's photo Where in the world is it? The Rules
1. Try to figure out where the above photo was taken. 2. Reply to this email with your guess.
3. The more specific the guess, the better!
4. The location will be revealed in next week's newsletter.
Good luck :) |
Thank you so much for reading!
Derek
(my middle name is Earl) *If you received this email from someone else and want to sign up to A Life of Travel, simply click the button below: |
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