Blog - Page 12 of 15 - Global Travel Authors

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”

August 20, 2015January 27, 2021

Holiday Magazine Publishes Irene Shaland’s Swiss Alps Article

Gimmelwald village located in Swiss Alps

It was great news when our Swiss Alps article appeared in Europe. The UK/French travel magazine Holiday Magazine published Irene Shaland’s latest travel article “The Non-Skier’s Guide to Enjoying the Swiss Alps.” This used to be a legendary travel US magazine that was reborn in its new home, Paris, recently.

The majestic Alps were often on my mind as an ultimate travel destination. However, unlike our many friends, my husband Alex and I never took up skiing or hiking. So, when considering an Alpine resort for our Spring 2015 trip to Switzerland, we first thought: Oh, my, all this money for just staying in an expensive hotel, drinking overpriced hot chocolate, and watching young people skiing…Then we thought: “Heck, why not? I am glad we did. The two days and two nights we spent in the Swiss Alps was a time of absolute enjoyment… Continue reading the article and enjoy the photos at http://www.holidaymag.co.uk/murren.html

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Irene Shaland is an internationally-published art and travel writer, educator, and lecturer. Irene has a life-long passion for travel with a higher purpose. Together with her husband-photographer Alex, Irene has visited over 70 countries. Her research trips result in numerous publications and series of educational lectures and slide-shows. Learn more about Irene Shaland

August 19, 2015December 9, 2020

Irene Shaland’s book “Tennessee Williams on the Soviet Stage” is on Kindle

cover of Irene Shaland book Tennessee Williams on the Soviet Stage

In addition to the hard-bound and paperback formats, Irene Shaland’s book “Tennessee Williams on the Soviet Stage” is now available on Kindle.

June 3, 2015January 9, 2021

James Bond Saves a Swiss Cable Car Company

Outside Piz Gloria Restaurant on Schilthorn

Back in 1969, James Bond, also known to millions as 007, was doing what he is always doing – saving the world. But this time, it was different. In addition to saving an imaginary world from imaginary villains, Bond managed to save a real-life Swiss company from all-too-real financial ruin.

May 16, 2015December 10, 2020

Showing off Cleveland in just one weekend

Guests in front of Cleveland Museum of Art

When your friends visit from oversees, what can you show them in Cleveland over a two-day weekend? “Mistake by the lake?” No way. When our friends from Germany arrived last Friday, we and our hometown were ready to impress.

April 28, 2015December 10, 2020

How to Avoid Credit Card Foreign Transaction Fees – Part Two

In one of our earlier blog posts, we recommended a few credit cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees when you use the card outside of the US. If you travel abroad and don’t have one of those credit cards, your “conventional” credit card might be charging in the area of 2% for foreign transaction fees every time you swipe your Visa or MasterCard at a restaurant, hotel, or car rental office.

March 22, 2015December 10, 2020

Judaica Research and Education Center in St. Petersburg, Russia

I recently attended an Educators meeting at the Jewish Federation building in Beachwood. The meeting centered on a fascinating exhibit of old photographs from shtetls or Jewish Villages before World War I. Titled “The Way We Looked,” the Beachwood exhibit marks the first time these photographs have been shown in North America. The collection was loaned to Cleveland by the Center for Judaica Studies from St. Petersburg, Russia. The co-curators of this exhibit, two scholars from the Center, Drs. Alexander Ivanov and Valery Dymshitz, presented an exciting lecture/slide show based on their in-depth research.