Beyond Telluride

[caption id="attachment_24656" align="alignleft" width="300"] Torino and the Alps, Sunset[/caption] We returned. Most vagabonds never get there. And that's a miss. Turin (or Torino in Italian) is a very interesting town in the northern Piedmont region, Italy's first capital (in 1861) and home to Italy's royal family,...

[caption id="attachment_24502" align="alignleft" width="207"] "The Blute-fin Mill," courtesy of the Denver Art Museum[/caption] One word on “Becoming Van Gogh” at the Denver Art Museum: GO! To most of the world, Vincent van Gogh is a storied super-legend. We think of sunflowers and haystacks, swirling stars, straw hats...

There's something new in Megéve everyday. Today, it was a cow contest. Farmers came from all over, bringing their best cows, hoping to to win the bragging rights of having the most beautiful cow in the countryside. Like a dog show, the cows were tethered in...

Inspired by last week paragliding fest, this week, I, too, took to the sky. I flew with Allen. He was strapped in a seat behind me, and he controlled all the sail movements, take off, landing, and all the technicalities. I only had to run on...

[caption id="attachment_24238" align="alignleft" width="300"] Restaurant Akota, Sare[/caption] Where to stay? Check. Our post about La Deviniere in Saint-Jean-de-Luz covers that, though we failed to mention a woman named Beatrice, who runs the hotel for Bernard Carrere. Should you call for a reservation, be advised Beatrice speaks only...

Mountainfilm in Telluride began as a homespun gathering of outdoor enthusiasts 34+ years ago has evolved into a colorful tapestry of talks, exhibits, music and films. And along the way Mountainfim  grew legs, good news for Telluride because there could be no better ambassador for...

Editor's Note: John Steel's post is not current. Clint and I are long gone from Menerbes, where we stayed for about three days. (The house limit.) John wrote the post the day after our arrival, many many bottles of wine and banquets ago. Turns out...

In Basque country, art is mostly found on plates. Several years ago we toured the Spanish Basque region. We went for Bilbao. We stayed for the people  – and the food. Food is at the heart of Basque culture, where neighboring communities regularly share the best...

I put out a request for suggestions for a hotel and base of operations to explore the Basque region of France – bien sur, pleine de charme – and the drums responded loud and clear: La Deviniere in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. La Deviniere also happens to be the...

[caption id="attachment_23662" align="alignright" width="300"] On top of a bluff where everyone hangs out[/caption] Sunday, September 15,  Allen, Clement, Nicolas, Camille and I went to a big paragliding festival. There were at least 10,000 people there. Folks were paragliding for four days and hanging out at the...