December 14, 2025 Greetings! Happy Hanukkah to all celebrating tonight! I love this holiday and have such fond memories of staying at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem during the Festival of Lights about 10 years ago: Dmitry and I joined other guests for the beautiful ceremony of the lighting of the menorah each evening in the lobby. Did you receive this newsletter from a friend? Click here for your own free subscription. I’m having an out-of-body experience today: listening to Christmas...
14 days ago • 8 min read
December 6, 2025 Greetings! Hello from Santa Maria, Colombia! We have gathered up our lovely new guests in Miami, Vista’s crew have decked the halls with festive decorations, and everyone is excited about our transit of the Panama Canal on. Tuesday. I had a great lecture yesterday to a packed house of Vista passengers, eager to learn more about the Panama Canal’s fascinating history! I was grateful for their interest and their enthusiasm for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I will post...
21 days ago • 6 min read
November 30, 2025 Greetings! Hello from beautiful Oceania Vista! I write this stretched out on a very comfortable sofa in the Horizons Bar at the front of the ship, watching the endless white-flecked waves of the Atlantic, with the occasional flying fish to keep things interesting. This is the final day of our Atlantic crossing before we reach San Juan, and I’ve enjoyed a very restful 10 days of work, swimming, and the ultimate luxury: setting the clocks back an hour almost every day. Did you...
28 days ago • 10 min read
November 28, 2025 Greetings! One of Iceland's more charming holiday traditions is Jólabókaflóð, or the "Christmas Book Flood," which reflects the nation's passion for literature. Each year on Christmas Eve, Icelanders exchange books as gifts and spend the evening reading together, often while enjoying chocolate. This tradition dates back to World War II when paper was one of the few items not rationed, making books an affordable and meaningful gift. It’s a tradition I’ve incorporated into our...
30 days ago • 8 min read
November 23, 2025 Greetings! Ahoy from the Atlantic Ocean! We left beautiful Malaga, festooned with Christmas decorations and a distinct holiday mood, yesterday and made our way through the Pillars of Hercules and are now heading towards Funchal, Madeira, which will be our last stop before beginning our transatlantic crossing. Did you receive this newsletter from a friend? Click here for your own free subscription. Dmitry and I made a final pilgrimage to a Malaga must: El Pimpi, which has...
about 1 month ago • 9 min read
November 16, 2025 Greetings! We are having an unexpected sea day today on Seabourn Ovation, due to high winds off the coast of the South of France. This means all hands to the pump for Guest Conversationalists. I am giving my talk on “Flotsam and Jetsam: The Nautical Origins of Common English Expressions,” which is always light-hearted and fun. I have an article version of this, which you can enjoy here. Did you receive this newsletter from a friend? Click here for your own free subscription....
about 1 month ago • 10 min read
November 9, 2025 Greetings! Greetings from stunning Salerno, the gateway to Pompeii. Below you will find a picture of my view as I type this on the quiet veranda of Ovation’s Solis Restaurant, which I have now dubbed “the office.” Did you receive this newsletter from a friend? Click here for your own free subscription. I began this morning by taking part in the moving Remembrance Sunday service onboard. I read a lovely poem by Marie Cassee. There were several heartfelt remarks by veterans and...
about 2 months ago • 8 min read
November 2, 2025 Greetings! You find me today in beautiful Sête, France, where I am heading into the city to explore its picturesque canals and buildings, but more importantly, hit the food market! I'm growing concerned that Dmitry is reaching saturation point with the food markets of Southern Europe. Time will tell. Did you receive this newsletter from a friend? Click here for your own free subscription. I want to extend a warm welcome to everyone who joined this mailing list this week! It's...
about 2 months ago • 11 min read
October 26, 2025 Greetings! Welcome to the inaugural edition of Books for Travelers! If you’ve just joined the mailing list, welcome! Books for Travelers will come out on alternate weeks to the Destination Curation Newsletter, and feature three books from my Destination Resources reading lists. As a subscriber, you have full and free access to these lists, and I invite you to browse them at your leisure. Each book blurb will take you to a longer review on the Books for Travelers section of my...
2 months ago • 6 min read