Columns

by Julie Skurdenis (part 3 of 3 on Balkans)

My husband, Paul, and I had visited Lake Ohrid on a trip to Albania in 2008. We loved what we saw then. Since Lake Ohrid is shared by both Albania and Macedonia, we decided we wanted to see the Macedonian side of the lake as well on our tour of Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro arranged by Bestway Tours & Safaris.

Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes on Earth, together with Baikal in Russia and Titicaca in Bolivia and Peru. It is also beautiful, with villas and little villages dotting its shores.

We had just...

by Julie Skurdenis

Over the many years I’ve been traveling, I’ve visited hundreds of archaeological sites around the world, but it was only when I visited the Faroe Islands in August ’08 that the archaeological site — a thousand-year-old Viking farm — was close enough to be my neighbor.

My husband, Paul, and I had rented a house in the village of Kvivik on the island of Streymoy. Looking out the kitchen window, I could see the site. From the living room, there it was. From the bedroom, the hallway, the porch, “my” Viking site dominated the view.

During the two weeks...

by Lew Toulmin (First of two parts)

Tell your friends and relations that your next vacation is cruising a French canal on an upscale hotel barge and you are sure to get some envious glances, but does the reality match the myth?

That was the question my wife, Susan, and I had before cruising down the Burgundy Canal aboard the Horizon II, Aug. 2-8, 2009, as guests of French Country Waterways (Box 2195, Duxbury, MA 02331; 800/222-1236, www.fcwl.com).

Our cruise was from Tanlay to Venarey-les-Laumes, northwest of Dijon, France, and it covered about 45 miles on the canal...