The Return of the Snowy Owl
I leave you this week with the latest photo from the talented Paul Cyr. I met Cyr while on assignment from The Boston Globe in Presque Isle, Maine, in search of the elusive Northern Lights. Cyr’s colorfully charged photos of the Northern Lights have gone viral. His shots of Maine wildlife, including moose, bear, and this snowy owl are quite spectacular as well. Next week, I’ll be back with my list of the Top 5 Destinations You Should Visit in 2015. In the meantime, enjoy the weekend, keep active, and find yourself a snowy owl.
(Photo by Paul Cyr)
May marks the first anniversary of ActiveTravels.com, the travel consulting business that my wife and I created. Thanks to all of you, it’s been a great success! Over the course of the first year, we’ve compiled top-notch contacts around the world. So if you want to go on a weeklong safari in Tanzania, a guided 4-day trek from Mumbai to Agra to Jaipur, a half-day walking tour of the Gaudi architecture in Barcelona, or jaguar viewing in the Brazilian Pantanal, we know who to call. The beauty of this business is that as soon as our clients give us the thumb’s up on a certain outfitter, resort, or day guide, upon return from their trip, we pass this precious information along to everyone.
Ciclismo Classico, the Italian biking specialist, has just announced that James Beard Award-winning chef, 
Off the beaten track, 
While some Greek isles like Rhodes, Mykonos, and Santorini can be overrun with tourists in the summer months, there are those isles like Folegandros and Tilos that seem to be a coveted secret among knowing Scandinavian travelers. Moments after you arrive at the main square in Folegandros, you realize that this is the authentic Greece. People dine on wooden tables under a string of electric light bulbs. Men with mustaches out of a 1880s barbershop photo grill souvlaki on an open grill. Older men drink coffee at a small café. All is framed by whitewashed buildings and churches. Tilos is an island where the locals, still unaccustomed to tourists, greet you as if you lived there your whole life. A place where one picks fresh figs off the tree and finds deserted medieval castles that request no admission fee.