Road Diary Archives - Page 8 of 18

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 29

Mike Shubic August 23rd, 2015 1 Comment

As we’ve traveled around the world, the people in every destination have been so kind and helpful, that organizers thought it would be nice if we gave back a little by doing some volunteer work. Bright and early on our first day in New York we met up with a...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 28

Mike Shubic August 22nd, 2015 2 Comments

Today we toured the State Capital (aka State House), located here in Boston, which happens to be one of the most significant and historic buildings in the U.S. Built in 1798 by none other than Paul Revere, the State House is located across from Boston Common at the top of...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 27

Mike Shubic August 21st, 2015 Comments Off

It was a beautiful day in Boston. First up on our agenda was a tour of the Harvard University campus, which was led by a highly informed student. We learned some fascinating facts about Harvard during the tour…for starters, the university dates all the way back to 1636, well before...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 26

Mike Shubic August 20th, 2015 1 Comment

This morning we had a bit of free time to ourselves, but most of mine was spent packing for the last major leg of this Global Tour. Today we’ll board an Air France flight to Boston, which happens to be a sister city to Hangzhou. After one last walk around...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 25

Mike Shubic August 19th, 2015 Comments Off

This morning we went to a local Parisian farmers market to pick up a few things to prepare a picnic. As a foodie photography enthusiast, I was thrilled to capture some close-up shots of the vibrant produce and other edible goodness on display. Unfortunately, I learned many of the vendors...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 24

Mike Shubic August 18th, 2015 1 Comment

We started our day touring the Latin quarter of Paris, which is the oldest part of town…dating back some 2000 years. There are even some remnants of Roman occupation which visitors can see. Something I found interesting is that Paris is designed in what is described as a snail shell. Each...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 23

Mike Shubic August 17th, 2015 Comments Off

Since we arrived so late to the hotel here in Paris due to our canceled flight from Geneva and long train ride, we didn’t get out of the hotel to sightsee until 11am. We arranged a local tour guide to show us around the Notre Dame area, which reminded me...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 22

Mike Shubic August 16th, 2015 1 Comment

After breakfast in a rooftop atrium of our hotel overlooking Geneva, with a glimpse of Lake Geneva in the background, we boarded a bus to take us to the UN headquarters for a tour. I found the grounds and tour of the UN quite fascinating, more than I thought I...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 21

Mike Shubic August 15th, 2015 2 Comments

Today was a travel day and started out with a bit of a challenge. Three water taxis had been scheduled to take our crew and large quantity of luggage to the train station where we were to travel to Geneva. Unfortunately, our taxis were late and our film crew did...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 20

Mike Shubic August 14th, 2015 2 Comments

Burano is bellissimo. It was an early morning water taxi that took us from Venice proper, to the colorful island of Burano. When I saw Burano on the itinerary, I thought it was a typo…that we were actually going to the island famous for glass called, Murano (with an “M”)....

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 19

Mike Shubic August 13th, 2015 1 Comment

Today we had an opportunity to build tourism relations with the Vice Mayor of Venice, Luciana Colle, and her staff. The city government headquarters are near the Grand Canal, close to the Rialto Bridge. The facility itself was so wonderful, with many old pieces of art and murals adorning the...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 18

Mike Shubic August 13th, 2015 3 Comments

Since before the time of Christ, Italy has been leading the world with its innovative designs. From architecture, glass, clothing, art, to modern day cars…Italy makes the best-of-the-best. This exceptional and sophisticated Italian design style is clearly evident here in Venice. The patina that casts its ageless shadow over Venice...

What to do with only a Day in Dubrovnik

Mike Shubic August 12th, 2015 5 Comments

Spending just a day in Dubrovnik, Croatia is not nearly enough time to explore this wondrous port city. However, a day is all I had. If you have more than a day to discover Dubrovnik and the coast, you could perhaps charter a yacht in Croatia to see Dalmatia from...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 16

Mike Shubic August 11th, 2015 2 Comments

At sea on Costa Deliziosa...first time on a cruise The past two weeks has been a whirlwind of non-stop travels and activities, so it was incredibly nice to be aboard the Costa Deliziosa with some free time to rest, relax and enjoy all the amenities aboard the ship. This has...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 15

Mike Shubic August 9th, 2015 2 Comments

I found the Greek Island of Santorini to be so inviting and quite different from Mykonos. Santorini is more laid back, even rural, while Mykonos is more about the party scene while basking on its sun-drenched beaches. When we first arrived on Santorini via our cruise ship tender, I was...