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The Argentine Side of Iguazu Falls

On the Upper Circuit at Iguazu Falls, Argentina

We woke to sunshine the morning of our visit to the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls. Talk about good luck with timing! Despite a deluge our first night in Puerto Iguazú, a cloudy morning had turned to blue skies for our previous day on the Brazilian side of the falls and now the cloudless skies and warm weather were about as good as we could hope for this day’s adventure.

With the national park entrance only 20-25 minutes from our jungle hotel, we arrived not long after opening and bought tickets on the spot. Moderate crowds were already gathering, but we picked up free timed tickets from a kiosk en route to the Estación Central for the open-air park train and were aboard a short time later. We bypassed the intermediate stop to head straight for the terminus of the train track, wanting to get to the top of the Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat) before things got too crowded. read more

Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, and Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil: Iguazu Falls here we come!

I’d been excited about visiting Iguazu Falls, the enormous collection of spectacular waterfalls that straddle the Argentine/Brazilian border, from the minute I planned this trip. I knew I wanted to see both sides of the falls but wasn’t sure which side of the border to stay on. A little research confirmed that it made the most sense for us to fly from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, rather than neighboring Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. There were good flight options on Aerolíneas Argentinas from the close-to-downtown AEP airport in Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazú. So, I chose a nice-looking lodge in the jungle just outside the town of Puerto Iguazú and arranged for a driver to take us to the falls on each side of the border. read more

Historic Colonia, Uruguay – An easy daytrip by ferry from Buenos Aires

Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs) in Colornia

Founded by the Portuguese in 1680, Colonia, Uruguay, with its UNESCO World Heritage historic quarter is an easy ferry ride from Buenos Aires and a picture-perfect way to spend a day away from the bustle of the city. Doing a little research, I chose the Buquebus ferry service over ferries operated by Colonia Express. Buquebus operates out of a large modern terminal in Puerto Madero.

I bought Buquebus tickets online, opting for Business Class as it was only about $10 more per person and allowed first on and first off privileges. I’d read there could be a line at immigration at times and, since I only wanted to do a daytrip and didn’t have time to waste, that was a deciding factor. read more

Starting Three Weeks in South America in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar and the weekend craft market

We kicked off three weeks in South America (mostly Argentina and Chile) in Buenos Aires. With my Spanish minor and years working with Spanish-speaking clients near the Mexican border decades in the past, my Spanish was beyond rusty. Years of living in France and focusing on French doesn’t help, so David and I spent the weeks before this trip watching Argentinian and Chilean movies and shows to try to revive our Spanish. (He’d studied Spanish some years ago, too.) I love the language and listening and reading was a big help, but wow are those accents different from the Mexican Spanish I learned! Still, it had been awhile since I was in a Spanish-speaking country and I was looking forward to the challenge. And I was really excited about Iguazu Falls and the farthest-flung reaches of this trip, Rapa Nui/ Easter Island(!!). read more

Cozumel in Early June: Worth it at the start of hurricane and rainy season?

Despite a few brief showers and dramatic clouds,
the weather in early June in Cozumel was mostly fantastic.

It’d been some years since I’d been to Cozumel, but we were in need of a quick, easy getaway from our current caregiver stint in Texas. With non-stop flights from Dallas well under three hours, Cozumel filled the bill. It’s also a world-class dive and snorkel site just “next door” to Texas. Sometimes it’s easy to take for granted what’s right in front of you.

June marks the start of hurricane season as well as being the beginning of rainy season in Cozumel. It’s also a slow time for the Mexican island, well after the winter crush and spring break partiers. Some people shy away from the Caribbean heat in the summer, but I’m used to the heat and prefer to be in the islands when the water is its warmest. So, when I found a cancellable opening for the first week in June at a dream 3-bedroom condo on the beach, I booked it a couple months out and crossed my fingers that the weather would cooperate. I wasn’t too worried about hurricanes that early, but I did wonder about the rain. read more

Seaside Puglia: Bari, Italy, via Monopoli and Polignano a Mare

With our time in our charming trullo in Alberobello at an end, it was time to drive to Bari for a final night before catching a flight back to Paris. We planned to make the most of the day, setting out in the morning to make some highlight stops along the coast en route. I was especially looking forward to Polignano a Mare whose picturesque beach at Lama Monachile features in many enticing photos of Puglia. I’d also read great things about Monopoli, just south of Polignano a Mare, so decided to stop there first. read more

Matera: from Puglia to Basilicata, Italy [Daytrip #2 from Alberobello]

Our second daytrip from Alberobello in the Puglia region of Italy took us to the town of Matera in the adjoining Basilicata region. While Puglia lies in the heel of Italy’s “boot,” Basilicata lies more inland with its much shorter waterfront in the arch or instep of the boot. Matera exceeded expectations and I found myself excited to be there from my first expansive view of the city. I love travel, am eternally curious, and truly enjoy 90+ percent of my travels wholeheartedly. (There’s always some measure of aggravation and things going wrong in any activity.) But, it’s just a fact that after so much travel over so many years, it does get a little harder to impress. It’s not that I’m jaded, at least I hope not, but I do sometimes envy those experiencing the magical firsts of seeing somewhere new and entirely unfamiliar. I felt the touch of that thrill in Matera. read more

First daytrip in the Puglia “heel” of Italy: Martina Franca, Cisternino and Ostuni

So many pretty streets in Martina Franca!

It’s fun daytripping around the Puglia region of Italy from our trullo in Alberobello. There are so many interesting options in easy driving distance. Scanning the map and reading up on some favorites suggested by our host, we decided to make Ostuni the ultimate destination for our first such explore, with stops at Martina Franca and Cisternino along the way.

In just under thirty minutes, we parked in a public lot in Martina Franca then walked a short distance uphill to Piazza Roma, a triangular plaza in front of the 17th Palazzo Ducale. We enjoyed browsing the elaborately-painted public rooms of this former palace of local dukes along with a temporary art exhibit that was in the process of being installed. read more

Staying in a traditional trullo home in Alberobello, Italy

Trulli (singular trullo) are the iconic conical-roofed homes and shelters of the Puglia region located in the southern “heel” of Italy. I’d wanted to stay in a trullo for a while and explore the area, and finally that was happening! I’ve already outlined how this trip came together and how I chose Alberobello in an earlier post, so I’ll just mention again that beautiful Alberobello is home to the largest concentration of trulli in Puglia.

Well, maybe before I get to Alberobello, I should say we arrived in Bari via a Frecciarossa high-speed train from Bologna (booked directly with Trenitalia). The trip takes 5h45m and our first class seats were comfortable and the trip smooth with only a minor delay. The delay may have had something to do with the pouring rain that pelted the train starting only a short distance out of Bologna. It was six days later before we learned we’d left Bologna the day before massive flooding hit the city. Ignorance is bliss! Happily the rain had mostly subsided by the time we arrived at Bari Centrale and collected our fire engine red Locauto rental car. In a little over an hour, we were in the town of Alberobello. read more

B-O-L-O-G-N-A: Bologna, Italy

I couldn’t resist the title of this post since every time I type the name of this venerable Italian city, the Oscar Meyer jingle runs through my head and sticks there long after I put away my laptop. Any American of a certain age should sympathize.

After visiting the tiny republic of San Marino, we spent three nights in Belle Arti Gallery House, an apartment in the university quarter of Bologna. Although I’ve traveled extensively in Italy, I’d never made it to Bologna, the reputed culinary capital of the country. Given the worldwide popularity of Italian cuisine, that’s saying a lot and my food-loving husband was particularly keen to check out the city. read more