By Colleen Bessel ITWPA Member Just a short ferry ride and you’re there, surrounded by rocky shoreline, towering Douglas firs, and majestic twisted Arbutus trees. You won’t find a single high-rise tower or trendy condo complex. The only traffic you will encounter is the lineup of cars departing the ferry with kayaks and Thule racks on top. You can smell and taste the salty … [Read more...] about The Island Next Door — Escape with a Galiano Island Getaway
Enchanting Cinque Terre: Picture Perfect
By Colleen Bessel ITWPA Member A three-week ultimate sister getaway, just the two of us, lucky to be at that wonderful time of our lives when kids are grown and independent and we can tackle that very long list of “somedays.” Like so many, at the top of that list was Italy, three glorious weeks to explore all those magical places you see in movies, travel magazines, and … [Read more...] about Enchanting Cinque Terre: Picture Perfect
Beethoven and Bach in the Hinterland of France
By Richard Alexander ITWPA Member The ancient Abbey of Saint Robert sits 3,500 feet above sea level in La Chaise Dieu, a tiny village in southwestern France. Deep in the vast Livradois forest, it’s a colossal stone structure in one of France’s wildest, least-populated regions -- a surprising setting for the major international festival of classical music staged there every … [Read more...] about Beethoven and Bach in the Hinterland of France
Sailing the Turquoise Coast
By Stephanie Wolden ITWPA Member Waking up slowly with the sunrise on the deck of a small gulet anchored in a quiet, ancient bay of the Aegean Sea. “Günaydın,” says a smiling sun-scorched sailor as he hands me a glass of Turkish tea. Its precisely brewed golden-auburn hue shimmers in the early morning light. A few others begin to stir as someone at the stern jumps into the … [Read more...] about Sailing the Turquoise Coast
Step Back in Time: Afternoon Tea at The San Diego Westgate Hotel
By Noreen L. Kompanik ITWPA Member Pinkies up and here we go. The stage is set for one memorable afternoon upon entering the refined, classical European lobby of The Westgate Hotel, located near the heart of San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter. We are warmly greeted by the hotel concierge, elegantly dressed in a colorful sari. She briefly describes the history of the … [Read more...] about Step Back in Time: Afternoon Tea at The San Diego Westgate Hotel