04/08/07 - One morning, shrieking whistles yanked me out of a deep sleep. They sounded like a thousand cops dealing with an apocalyptic traffic jam. The constant racket drove out all rational thought.

04/01/07 - Snug in a waterfront cabin, you fall asleep to the lilting sound of the loons' lullaby

03/25/07 - Today I had a revelation: I am home. Today, my 187th day in Italy. Six months, give or take. In 187 days I have carved a new niche in the world for myself.

03/18/07 - On that famous restaurant byway, Rue Merciere, servers were putting chairs on tabletops and sweeping up crumbs.

03/11/07 - PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Horror writer H.P Lovecraft so identified with this New England city that the headstone on his grave reads: "I AM PROVIDENCE," a phrase taken directly from one of his letters.

02/25/07 - As I was walking home from school this afternoon, a some 25 minute journey, I was the intended recipient of four honks of various car horns, three whistles from male passersby, two sounds that can be classified only in the realm of lewd hisses, and one proposal of marriage.

02/18/07 - Three years after it exploded onto the cruise scene, the Queen Mary 2 still reigns as one of the most talked-about ships ever built.

02/11/07 - So this guy is walking toward the parking lot with his wife, big guy with a small camera around his neck, and he's obviously not happy.

02/4/07 - Mike Thiel founded Hideaways International of Portsmouth in 1979 and has been the president ever since, expanding the bossiness and offering new services for the discerning and passionate traveler. What better time than now to think about getting away?

01/21/07 - Morocco sits at the northwest tip of the African continent, stretching within just 9 miles of Europe.

01/14/07 - LAKE LOUISE, Alberta, Canada -- The Icefields Parkway linking Jasper and Banff national parks in western Canada is a star.

01/07/07 - Buone Feste! I am happy to report that my Italian Thanksgiving was a resounding success, made all the more festive because of its quirks and "¦ shall we say "nontraditional" elements.