Thailand travel 1. Solo and on a whim
Travel writer, boomer and solo traveler Wanda Hennig recently spent a month journeying with a backpack and camera through Thailand and Laos. She blogs about it here.
Rapping about Portuguese blues
There are loads of fado spots for tourists in Lisbon, not surprisingly given that it is called “the purest expression of Lisbon’s soul” and that it is “inseparable from the culture and tradition of the Portuguese capital” — and that fado, born in Portugal’s Mouraria neighborhood, was classified as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” by Unesco in November 2011. But I didn’t, you may understand, want tourist fado. I wanted a small taverna crammed with local fado lovers listening to the haunting musical angst of voice and guitar, a good bottle of Portuguese wine and food made by some mama in the kitchen.
Wolf Totem and French kisses with wolves: an interview
French director Jean-Jacques Annaud talks about making Wolf Totem, the relevance of the film to China, Mongol culture, French kissing a wolf and wolf whisperer Andrew Simpson, ice sculpture horses, his relationship with religion and more in an interview with Wanda Hennig in Durban.
Jean-Jacques Annaud and Wolf Totem: full audio interview
In a Q&A in Durban pending the preview of Wolf Totem at the 2015 Durban International Film Festival, Jean-Jacques Annaud shares some of his 3-D “secrets” with journalist Wanda Hennig. He also talks, broadly, about making Wolf Totem, the relevance of the film to China, Mongol culture, French kissing with wolves, wolf whisperer Andrew Simpson, ice sculpture horses, his relationship with religion and a lot more. Enjoy!
Travel to Poland: 7 Krakow culinary highlights
Poland is enjoying a culinary renaissance. Krakow is Poland’s favorite destination with tourists. Travel writer Wanda Hennig meets top Polish chef Adam Chrząstowski, is introduced to Poland’s fledgling wine industry and lists 7 Krakow culinary highlights including the legendary Pod Baranem restaurant, the Benedictine Abbey in Tyniec, lovely Lanckorona, Carp Valley and lunch in the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
Travel to Poland: Toruń for gingerbread, Copernicus and memories
Wanda Hennig, blogging about her month-long ‘roots’ and culinary travel trip to Poland, visits Toruń, which becomes the city of gingerbread, Copernicus, sublime food and devastating World War ll reminiscences.
Travel to Poland: Chełmno and on to Toruń
On day five of her “roots” trip to Poland, Wanda Hennig explores “town for lovers” Chełmno and savors the historic city’s culinary delights.
Travel to Poland: Grudziądz to ‘town for lovers’ Chełmno
Wanda Hennig blogs about her ‘roots’ trip through Poland. On day five the journey takes them via Grudziądz to Chełmno.
My backpack, my daughter and me: Part 1
We set off on our European summer backpacking vacation one warm and sunny winter afternoon late in May. My daughter was 13. I was 30-something. We flew from Durban to London via Nairobi and found from the very beginning that learning while on the move is easier than ABC. Things are there all the time, waiting to be noticed, grasped and stored away in the memory with minimum effort.
My backpack, my daughter and me: Part 2
Our first night in Athens after arriving late in the evening and desperate for a place to drop our bodies and our backpacks, we found ourselves in the sleaziest hotel I have ever seen. But on the whole, Greece was great. So great, we spent almost a month there instead of the planned two weeks. This story recently won ‘Gold’ in the Bay Area Travel Writers internet travel article award category.