After traveling on the limited ‘vacation’ many of us have, I took a 3 month sabatical to experience life in an Italian city. Now I travel solo to explore locations world wide. My independent trips are not vacations but opportunities to experience what each town or city I visit.
Author Archives: Lee Laurino
Searching for Cherry Blossoms in Hiraizumi, Japan
The end of the cherry blossom ‘season’ depends on the weather and the part of Japan you visit. On Japan-Guide.com: Hanami literally means “watching blossoms,” and a major event throughout Japan. There is a web site that follows the progress of the blooms from the south to the northern regions. This is aContinue reading “Searching for Cherry Blossoms in Hiraizumi, Japan”
Japan: fish market has, tentacles and more ‘interesting’ options……..
GIANT crabs Not sure what this machine did. Put in coins and perhaps pick you lunch? “hey guys, lets escape” These may have been worms
Japan: Groups go on school trips or outings in a ‘pack’
school children often wear the same uniform and hats A school trip starting at the train station Sunday event in Yokahamma The massive crowd moved like lemans towards the red brick warehouse
Kyoto Japan Market: bean cakes the oldfashion way
Broad beans are covered with a pancake type batter and then heated on metal plates, a very old system of making these crispy sncks
Japan: temples and shrines at every turn
Tokyo: shirnes and temples at every turn
Not a morning coffe in Italy but Tokyo
A small coffee stand in a busy market A great deal of care was taken to make a drip coffee
Visiting the Biltmore House at Christmas
Solo travel on Christmas and Thanksgiving in the USA can leave you hungry. Unlike summer or fall national holidays which are peak vacation times, Christmas and Thanksgiving often find travelers close to home. Stores and restaurants close early and the familiar casual restaurants that are prevalent in the USA are not available. My tripContinue reading “Visiting the Biltmore House at Christmas”
A Thankful Village in the Cotswolds, UK
While on a HF Holiday walk in the UK, our walk guide mentioned the village of Upper Slaughter was one of the Thankful Villages. I always search for something new, anything I have never read about or been told and this was totally new. My guide for this walk mentioned ‘thankful villages‘ which prompted aContinue reading “A Thankful Village in the Cotswolds, UK”
How to Beat Loneliness When Traveling Alone by Mapping Megan
Solo Travel is not always lonely travel Another great post by Mapping Megan that I am happy to share with you: Solo travel is an incredible, life changing experience, and I look back on my experiences as a solo traveler with extreme fondness. But like anything in life, travel has itsContinue reading “How to Beat Loneliness When Traveling Alone by Mapping Megan”
Solo on a HF Walking Tour in the Cotswolds, UK: mud, rain and great photo opportunity
Outside the wonderful city of London there are amazing treasures to explore. Last Spring I spent a few days on the Isle of Wight at a country home with HF Holidays. This fall, when there was an opportunity to spend a HF Holiday weekend in the Cotswolds at Burton on the Water, I signed upContinue reading “Solo on a HF Walking Tour in the Cotswolds, UK: mud, rain and great photo opportunity”
Charleston, SC: Ansonborough Inn
A former warehouse, now a wonderful Boutique Inn: Ansonborough Inn Located in the historic area of Charleston, SC 21 Hasell Street, Charleston, SC 29401 When possible and affordable, I search for unusual places to stay: Continue reading “Charleston, SC: Ansonborough Inn”
Walk into a base camp in Viet Nam……………..
I hear a helicopter landing and an announcement from the watch tower Visitors to Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum outside of Charleston, South Carolina, come to explore the battleships, aircraft on site and interactive displays that can keep you busy for hours. The USS Yorktown is a massive aircraft carrier that draws large crowds but myContinue reading “Walk into a base camp in Viet Nam……………..”
HF Holidays walking tour to visit the Isle of Wight, for a solo traveler
Freshwater Bay house, photo from HF Holidays web site View from the Freshwater Bay country house with HF Holidays Isle of Wight, UK On my third attempt to visit this island, only a 40 minute ferry ride from Lymington or a faster hydrofoil from Southampton, I was determined to spend a few days here with theContinue reading “HF Holidays walking tour to visit the Isle of Wight, for a solo traveler”
Some places in London shared by a Local
Christine’s Corner While on the Isle of Wight for a HF Holiday country house walk, I met a lovely woman at the breakfast table one morning. Most of the guests were British (I was the only American) and I chatted with Christine about suggestions for places to visit in London that are not featured in most travel books. Below areContinue reading “Some places in London shared by a Local”
Tea House Japanese Style
On the grounds of a large park south of Kyoto (a short trip on the train) there is a traditional tea house. On earlier business trips to Japan I had attended a ‘tea ceremony’ for tourists. But this was a building in a garden without signage. this would be a new experience and I wasContinue reading “Tea House Japanese Style”
Japanese cemetaries
Every leaf in place ………….
Amazing gardens around the Palace in Kyoto
Japan on a rainy day
Even the storm drains have artistic covers
Kyoto Japan, a simple tea bowl
Kyoto, Japan 2016 Japan is well known for hand made items that are simple yet beautiful. Walking the streets of each town vs taking a tour bus allows me to stop and see both local stores and small treasure troves of local life. I stopped at the doorway of a small, dark storeContinue reading “Kyoto Japan, a simple tea bowl”
NY Cheese cake beware there is competiton
The Uncle Testu location in Sydney, Australia Who is Uncle Tetsu? I thought Italian cheese cake was the historic best Walking in Sydney, Australian I found a crowd outside of a restaurant or was it a store? The line was similar to a group waiting to enter a club or a major saleContinue reading “NY Cheese cake beware there is competiton”
Boon Hall outside of Charelston, SC
Boon Hall PlantationOff season you won’t have crowds but most of the venues will NOT be open. Everyone visits this plantation to see the driveway with 100 yrs old oaks and the moss Looking forward to the renovation thatContinue reading “Boon Hall outside of Charelston, SC”
Take a ship if it costs less than the plane
Returning to NYC…………….have done this several times and it is always amazing even if you must wake up at 4:30
Australian cities have arcades
Street Art in Melbourne, Australia
Stories on the people I met and the places I found at each stop will follow but the photos may show you what words do not………… Melbourne, Australia A large city with many different areas within the city. Three days were not enough to see more than a small portion of the city. AContinue reading “Street Art in Melbourne, Australia”
Where can you travel that has a 1/2 hour time zone difference?
Arriving today in Adelaide I looked at the terminal clock twice. Then at my watch. The one hour flight left at noon and arrived at 1:30. Did I take the correct flight? Was the flight 1/2 hour delayed? No. Adelaide, Australia is 1/2 ahead of Melbourne, Australia. This is weird
People you meet on the road: Sydney Australia
Music with noodles A shop window, a street corner performer, a monument are often ‘stop and see’ moments on a trip. On a cross street in central Sydney I stopped to look around when I heard violin music! The only doorway was for a noodle restaurant. Inside an older man dressed as an employee (heContinue reading “People you meet on the road: Sydney Australia”
Never Leave Home without…….
Everyone packs what they ‘think’ the will need or can’t live without for a month or longer. Over the years there are a few items that are always in my bag. 1. Zip Ties or you may call them plastic ties They come in all sizes and lengths. You can find them at hardware stores,Continue reading “Never Leave Home without…….”
London: Following Charles Dickens
I wanted to walk into a Charles Dickens novel and Context Travel generously offered to show me this part of London on their Charles Dickens walking tour The Old Bell bar I met my Context tour guide at The Old Bell bar on Fleet Street. Dating back 300 years, the pub was rebuilt after the Great fire of London and isContinue reading “London: Following Charles Dickens”
Mature Solo Travel 