Happy 4th of July From Saratoga

by Erik Olsen on

I was thinking about the very best place I could be this Fourth of July to celebrate our country’s birthday. Boston? Sure, but too crowded. Philadelphia? Yeah, but so obvious. Also, I didn’t want to travel very far. I thought Brooklyn was a good idea, especially since David McCullough’s book 1776 talks so much about it. The Battle of Brooklyn was one of those pivotal events in the history of the nation that’s gone largely unheralded.

But what else? How about the place where it all really started? No, not Plymouth Rock. I’m talking about the place where the fight for independence really started. OK, give up? Well, I am in Saratoga Springs this weekend, and I just got back moments ago from the Saratoga Battlefield, the location of one of the most pivotal battles in all of American history.

 I’ll spare you the history lesson and merely point you to the Wikipedia site to get your fix, but suffice it to say that it was because we proved our mettle here on these very fields that the French thought us worthy of their support. We took on the superior British forces of General John Burgoyne and forced him to surrender to a ragtag group of pissed off colonists. And it was that battle that made the French decide to throw a little succor our way, enough help to propel us on our way to nationhood. In fact, many historians say that without that support, we might never have won the war.

So here I am on the very ground where this whole independence thing really took off. Pretty damn cool. And  hey, if you haven’t already noticed by the photos here…it’s kinda pretty.

Beautiful Buenos Aires

by Erik Olsen on

I don’t know about you, but I’m always dreaming about the place I’d go when/if I got rich and where I could settle down for the golden years, do a little work here and there, but otherwise just travel, travel, travel. There are places in the states that have this appeal. I could see hanging out in Montana or Wyoming. And then there are places like Thailand, where I can imagine living in a little village, eating Thai food all the time and penning some great (and likely ever unpublished) novel. But it seems that many folks who have had this idea, many of them in the prime of their youth, are heading South. Far South to .

According to this piece in New York Magazine, since ‘s 2001 financial collapse huge numbers of Americans have headed to BA to live large. The exact numbers are unknown, but the number of Americans registered with the embassy to visit…many for long stays…jumped nearly 13 percent between 2004 and 2005. A second apartment, like the guy in the article bought for himself, cost just $68,000.

I can understand this. I spent two weeks in Buenos Aires years ago and loved the city. The broad avenues, the rich culture, the food (that is, the meat….oh, the meat, don’t get me started on the meat), and the women. Even though I could hardly get a Portena to give me the time of day (they are, I contest, quite snooty) they are mighty fine to look at. So it makes sense that various bond traders who cashed in with their f*ck you numbers have sought BA out as an earthly paradise.

Yosemite, With Children

by Erik Olsen on

Well, we’re tying up the Fourth of July weekend here with a nice flourish. Families all around the country are just now getting their things together: picnic baskets, bottles of vino, cameras, and heading out to catch fireworks.

But another soul, Roger Sinasohn who is writing over at bloggingbaby, took the kiddies to Yosemite this weekend and is writing about it. He suggets that a place you once knew by going solo can be transformed when visiting with kids. True? Well, I haven’t been to Yosemite yet with kids, but I’ll take his word for it. As for me, I’m heading out to catch some fireworks.

Red Corner: Czech UNESCO

by Neil Woodburn on

We posted yesterday about the phenomenal UNESCO World Heritage Sites peppered throughout the world and directed you to a webpage which listed all the countries in which they are located.

Today we’d like to point you towards one country in particular which is disproportionately blessed with a wealth of World Heritage Sites. Tiny little Czech Republic, population 10.2 million, has an amazing 12 sites that have been honored by UNESCO.

Sadly, most people who travel to the Czech Republic do so for only one site, Prague, and fail to see any of the other 11. This is a great tragedy as the country has so much more to offer.

A great little article in the Prague Post recently reviewed the list and briefly summarizes the honorees. Take, for example, lovely little Kutná Hora. Stepping into this walled, medieval town awash in Gothic architecture is indeed like stepping back in time. Other UNESCO towns and buildings in the Czech Republic showcase phenomenal Baroque and Renaissance architecture and even something called South Bohemian Folk Baroque.

So, next time you’re in Prague, take a day trip away from the tourists and visit a few of the other World Heritage Sites that bless this fine country. You’ll be happy you did.

UNESCO Site

by Neil Woodburn on

The United Nations certainly has its share of missteps and mistakes, but there are many wonderful things the organization does as well.  My personal favorite is their UNESCO program.  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is most notably known for their World Heritage sites.  UNESCO has identified and helps protect 812 “properties” around the world that “forms part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value.”  This includes “628 cultural, 160 natural and 24 mixed properties.”

In short, UNESCO World Heritage Sites are those which simply cannot be missed while traveling.  Thankfully, a handy UNESCO website categorizes such gems by the countries in which they are located.  Clicking on each listing takes you to a wealth of information about the site and why it deserves such an honor.
 
So, next time you travel, pop on over to the webpage to see which World Heritage Sites you can add to your itinerary.  I’ve seen dozens and not a single one has ever been disappointing.