Author Archives: Ursula Mongolia seems vast. That’s probably because it is. Once you are outside the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, the plains and the skies go on forever. The “World Factbook”, published by the CIA, puts it in terms Americans can understand: Mongolia is “more than twice the size of Texas”. Landlocked between its bigger neighbours China and Russia, Mongolia […]  Some days feel dark. Very dark. It is a truism that the best way to combat darkness is to shine a lamp or light a candle. Loi Krathong (ลอยกระทง) is Thailand’s own festival of lights. On the evening of the twelfth full-moon of the traditional Thai lunar calendar, Thais – and lucky visitors – congregate around a body […]  Sitting on the benches overlooking the King Nehale Waterhole in Namibia’s Etosha National Park is a bit like being in a zoo in reverse: the people are fenced in, while the animals wander in and out freely. It is a great place for animal-watching. I was thrilled to finally be there; I’d been in Namibia a week and a half, and pretty much […]  Is there anything better than woods and water on a sunny summer day? Summer on Canada’s West Coast is elusive and short. This year, my husband and I spent some time on the waters of Georgia Strait – the waters between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia (BC) – in a sail boat, chasing summer. I love sailing. But, I love new harbours […]  Late summer last year, my husband and I were in central Italy enjoying the sun – and the sun-drenched olives and tomatoes and grapes – that Italy is known for. We were holidaying Italian style: we rented a wonderful villa in the tiny town of Gioiella, Umbria (Villa Gioiella), practically on the border of Tuscany, and packed the rooms with three generations of friends and family. […] |
|
