Blog - Page 10 of 14 - Global Travel Authors

September 28, 2016December 9, 2020

The “Jewish Question” in Vienna (excerpt from The Dao of Being Jewish and Other Stories)

Don’t look for the Steinedererinnerung in your guidebook: the murdered Jews of Austria have neither a Rick Steves nor a Frommer. And Vienna, basking in its Baroque and Art Nouveau splendor, would rather have you waltzing from Schonbrunn palace to Sachertorte’s shops instead of searching out the synagogues and homes of long-gone Jews. An Austrian sarcastic proverb, as noted by Magrit Reiter in her conference presentation “Antisemitism in Austria after the Shoa,” declares that Germans were the “better Nazis,” while Austrians were definitely the “better anti-Semites.”

May 15, 2016December 9, 2020

Celebrating a Milestone Anniversary inside the Enchanted Fig Tree of Australia

Irene and Alex Shaland at Fig Tree Restaurant, Kangaroo Island, Australia

Alex and I have traveled to nearly 70 countries. We celebrated our birthdays and anniversaries in places like a street corner café on Easter Island, tiny seafood restaurant in Cochi, Kerala, a second century BC villa –turned Renaissance palace-turned art studio in Rome; opera singers’ favorite tavern in Palermo near the famed Teatro Massimo, just to name a few. But we had the most unique experience this year on March 5^th, when our new friend Steve Lane, Kangaroo Island’s Sea Dragon Lodge owner and our exceptional guide, took us to the remote Snellings Beach on the north coast. As a present on our milestone wedding anniversary, Steve invited us for a luncheon inside a… tree.

April 20, 2016December 9, 2020

Where to Stay on Kangaroo Island, Australia: the Sea Dragon Lodge is an Excellent Choice

Since childhood, I always wanted to live among the animals of Australia – even if for a few days only. And this was how the Kangaroo Island, a small dot in the Indian Ocean, materialized first in my imagination, and then – in our itinerary for the Spring 2016 trip. Overlooked by most popular guidebooks, this third largest Australian island (after Tasmania and Melville) remains the largest secret of that country for many globe trotters. There are precious few corners left in our 21st century urbanized world where Australian animals could be observed in the wild, and Kangaroo Island is exactly that place.

February 16, 2016December 9, 2020

Going to Iceland? We recommend this book

barren landscape with snow covered mountain in the background

Are you going to Iceland on vacation or business? Take a look at this Insight Guides Iceland. This book is a great trip companion. Invaluable for trip planning and once you arrived, for exploring. Lots of historical and current information and photos. Articles are well written and maps are some of the best.

February 7, 2016December 9, 2020

Hotel Borg of Reykjavik Exemplifies the Very Best of Iceland

We went to Iceland in November seeking the land of fire and ice, volcanoes and glaciers. We imagined endless days of complete darkness and the magic of dancing lights in the Arctic sky. We expected the sub-zero temperatures and winter storms.

January 18, 2016December 9, 2020

The Dao of Being Jewish and Other Stories Released

cover of Irene Shaland book the Dao of Being Jewish and Other Stories

New book of stories from Irene Shaland is now available in paperback. In The Dao of Being Jewish and Other Stories Irene Shaland presents a collective Jewish narrative from various parts of the globe. She takes the reader on a fascinating journey, both familiar and unknown, from Europe to Asia and Africa, from Vienna to Delhi and Nairobi. The fate of the brilliant Jewish community of Vienna annihilated during the Holocaust shines a disturbing light on the stories of the current rise of Antisemitism in Scandinavia and throughout Europe.

January 3, 2016December 26, 2020

Chasing the Elusive Northern Lights in Iceland

All visitors to Iceland fall into two distinctive categories: those who saw the northern lights and those who did not. When Irene set her trip target on Iceland, she was determined to place herself, our daughter, and I squarely in the first category. The problem was that unlike the predictable crowds at JFK on the way to Iceland, the famous northern lights of Iceland are highly unpredictable. However, the best time to see them is from November through December. So mid-November looked pretty good. Oh, and it also happens to be one of the coldest months of the year.

November 26, 2015December 9, 2020

Saarinen House – a Hidden Gem in the Midwest

Cranbrook Art Academy in Detroit Michigan

“Architecture embraces the whole form-world of man’s physical accommodations, from the intimacy of his room to the comprehensive labyrinth of the large metropolis.” Eliel Saarinen.

We found out about the Cranbrook Art Academy and the Saarinen House by pure chance: our architecture-buff friend mentioned it when we talked about my upcoming presentation at the Detroit Public Library. We immediately decided to schedule a private tour of the House. And what a great discovery it was!

October 29, 2015December 9, 2020

Our Annual Theater Trip: Stratford August 27 – August 30

This year once again, we went on our annual “pilgrimage” to Stratford, Ontario. We firmly believe that Stratford offers the best English-language theater outside London, U.K. Over our four-night stay we saw seven outstanding shows:

September 29, 2015January 28, 2021

A Personal Story about the Holocaust

Please continue reading to find the link to this story about the Holocaust.

Continue reading “A Personal Story about the Holocaust”