Prague: City of a Hundred Spires Featured in Montgomery Magazine

 

Seventeen years after our first visit, Nataliya and I returned to Prague—this time with our teenage son, Alex. The result is a new story in the print edition of Montgomery Magazine, capturing our rediscovery of one of Europe’s most enchanting cities.

From the Charles Bridge and Astronomical Clock to Prague Castle and quiet monastery libraries, Prague continues to blend timeless beauty with quiet surprises. We strolled cobbled lanes, cruised the Vltava, explored hidden museums, and tasted goulash and fried cheese in the shadow of Gothic spires.

This city of a hundred spires still feels like an old friend—and we’re already looking forward to our next visit.

Read the full story in the print edition of Montgomery Magazine , pages 13–14!

To Battle! Gettysburg story published in the print edition of Baltimore Style magazine

To Battle! My Gettysburg story was published in the print edition of Baltimore Style Magazine (on pages 12, 13, 14).

Our family recently had the opportunity to visit Gettysburg, a small town in Pennsylvania known for its pivotal role in the American Civil War. With the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in 2023, we were among the millions of visitors drawn to this historic site.

Our visit included a tour of the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, a walk through the Gettysburg Battlefield, and a moment of respect at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. We also visited the David Wills House, where President Abraham Lincoln finalized his famous Gettysburg Address, and the Eisenhower National Historic Site, the former home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Read more about our visit in Baltimore Style Magazine: http://digital.baltimorestyle.com/issues/June-2023/index.html 

 

When Travel and Fiction Collide

 

There’s a conversation going on at the Your First 10,000 Readers Blog about my article, “When Travel and Fiction Collide: Combine Your Passions to Create Something New.”

 

The article is about putting together two seemingly unrelated things, in my case travel writing and fiction.

 

Read the article and join the conversation in the comments section.

 

https://www.blog.yourfirst10kreaders.com/travel-writing-in-fiction-eric-goodman/

Silk, Gardens, Canals, and Bridges in Suzhou

Known as the "Venice of the East," Suzhou is an ancient city where you can glide through a canal by boat, walk on a thousand-year-old market street, and linger in a peaceful garden. And if you want to visit a museum or go shopping, you can do both at the same time by exploring Suzhou's greatest export: silk.

Join me on an exploration of Suzhou in this travel story published by HackWriters.

https://www.hackwriters.com/SuzhouEDG.htm

Book Trailer: The Color of Jadeite

 

Take a minute to experience the new book trailer for The Color of Jadeite.

The Color of Jadeite is a literary thriller that takes private detective Clive Allan on an adventure to China in search of an ancient jadeite tablet from the Ming Dynasty. Navigating fistfights and rickshaw chases, gunfights and betrayals, Clive finds much more than a monetary treasure on this quest.

Find out more by watching the book trailer, which was released today! 

https://youtu.be/WdlimGHgBKQ

Book Trailer Premiere: The Color of Jadeite

If you have a minute or two on Wednesday, September 9 at noon, join me on Youtube for the premiere of the new book trailer for The Color of Jadeite.

The Color of Jadeite is a literary thriller that takes private detective Clive Allan on an adventure to China in search of an ancient jadeite tablet from the Ming Dynasty. Navigating fistfights and rickshaw chases, gunfights and betrayals, Clive finds much more than a monetary treasure on this quest.

Find out more by watching the book trailer at noon this coming Wednesday, September 9 at the link below.

https://youtu.be/WdlimGHgBKQ

Go Nomad Goes to Xi'an

Another travel story I wrote shortly after returning from my tour of China was published by Go Nomad. "Xi'an: The Cradle of Unified China" explores the ancient city of Xi'an and its most notable citizens: the terracotta warriors. This army of life-sized soldiers, the most important archaeological discover of the 20th century, is a marvel. We get into the pit, and meet one of the farmers who found them.

Also in Xi'an, we visit another great wall, the bell and drum towers, and experience some close calls in a rickshaw. 

Join the adventure at Go Nomad.

https://www.gonomad.com/69389-xian-cradle-unified-china

Come With Me to Beijing with Baltimore Style

Before writing an adventure thriller set in China, I wrote travel stories about China. 

Learn about some of the exotic settings you'll encounter in The Color of Jadeite by visiting them in my published travel stories.

This one, on Imperial Beijing, was published in Baltimore Style Magazine.

https://baltimorestyle.com/crickets-and-dragons/

Armchair Travel Staycation

Are you planning your summer staycation?

Why not consider joining me and visiting some of these armchair travel destinations?

From China to the Baltics, from Dubai to Spain, you'll find photos and travel adventures at my travel site.

 www.EricDGoodman.com/travel.html

The Bearable Lightness of Being in Czech Republic

Here’s a travel story published a couple years ago I don’t think I ever got around to sharing.

"The Bearable Lightness of Being in Czech Republic" is a  travel story published by inTravel Magazine in three parts during 2017 and 2018.

If you’re sitting at home worrying about the Corona virus, enjoy some armchair travel at the link below!

https://intravelmag.com/intravel/in-depth/prague-the-bearable-lightness-of-being-in-czech-republic

Celebrate Lunar New Year in Beijing

We just celebrated the lunar new year. What better time than now to explore China?

Baltimore Style Magazine published my travel story about Beijing, China. “Crickets and Dragons” is available in the print and online versions of the magazine.

In the article, my daughter, Nicole, and I venture through modern and historic Beijing, rickshawing through the Hutong, touring Tiananmen Square, strolling through the Forbidden City, and joining locals in the gardens of the Summer Palace.

Music wafted down a hillside path; we climbed it and arrived at the Garden of Virtue and Harmony. A full band sounded, as dozens of seniors sang from songbooks and others danced in circles. We were pulled in and danced, hand-in-hand, in their cozy circle. Their smiles brightened our morning in a way that the smog-veiled sun did not.

Tourists and locals, in perfect harmony.

Join me in China; read “Crickets and Dragons” in Baltimore Style. 

http://baltimorestyle.com/crickets-and-dragons/

Connecting in Zakopane's Tatra Mountains

Some of the best experiences traveling are simple conversations with locals and fellow travelers in unusual places. One such experience took place in Zakopane, Poland's winter capitol, when my son Alex and I met up and found we had a lot in common. 

That experience is highlighted in Go World Travel with my story, "A Visit to the Tatra Mountians."

Enjoy the pictures and story now in Go World Travel!

https://www.goworldtravel.com/travel-zakopane-poland/

Poland’s Architecture, Mermaids and LEGOs in Baltimore Style

This time last year, I was with my son, Alex, adventuring through Poland. 

At one point during my father-son trip with Alex last summer, I remember wondering whether I’d made the right choice of vacation. While other kids were on the beach or at Disney Land, we were trudging through the dingy streets of Eastern Europe. But we were also rewarded with some of the most amazing and authentic sights—and seeing how much Alex enjoyed the adventure laid to rest any second guessing.

Baltimore Style Magazine published my travel story about our adventures both in print and online. 

Join me and Alex as we travel through Warsaw and Krakow.

Pick up a copy in print, or check it out online at http://baltimorestyle.com/architecture-mermaids-legos/.

Itching for Italy

It’s that time of year—I’ve got an itch that needs scratching. The travel bug has bitten, and we’re off. This time, we’re itching for Italy.

As much as we like to travel and as often as we go to Europe, we’ve yet to step foot in Italy. From what we’ve read and seen, it’s going to be a full and rich experience.

In Venice, we’ll get around the Grand Canal by gondola and visit St. Mark’s Basilica and Square. We’ll visit the Gallerie dell’Accademia and cross both under and over the Bridge of Sighs.

In Florence, we’ll peer into the eyes of Michalangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia, stroll through the Piazza della Signoria, and visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

In Rome … where to begin? The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Roman Forum.  

And Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, maybe even a meeting with the Pope.

As a bonus, we’ll be spending a day in Casablanca, Morocco on the way there, where we’ll fortify ourselves with mint tea and strong coffee before visiting the Mohammad II Mosque and heading for Italy.

Stay tuned over the next few weeks for pictures and posts along the way at www.Facebook.com/EricDGoodman!

Ciao!

Eric in Arabia

Last year, Nataliya and I spent a week in United Arab Emirates. This year, my travel feature about our experience was published in Baltimore Style Magazine’s February issue. You can pick up the glossy version at newsstands or bookstores now, or check out the digital version online.

All of those scenes in movies, on television, in photographs depicting the middle-eastern sun beneath a sandy haze, glowing orange, is not simply the vision of the artist. This is really what the sun looks like here—you can look directly into it—and it’s beautiful.

Join me and Nataliya as we meet up with our old university friend, Sadiq, and our new friends Najeeb and Khalid. From Dubai to Abu Dhabi and a desert excursion in between.

Check it out at www.BaltimoreStyle.com/category/travel/.

Silver, Beer, and Bones at Go World Travel

Last year, Go World Travel Magazine published my story covering a visit to Kutna Hora, not far from Prague, Czech Republic.

Go World Travel has been covering destinations around the globe since 2003. Focusing on unique destinations, culture, and people, Go World Travel Magazine subscribes to the belief that travel (even armchair travel) broadens horizons and increases understanding.

In this story, we descend into the silver mines of old, summit the hill crowned by Santa Barbara Cathedral, and explore the ossuary of 40,000 to 70,000 human skeletons before washing the day down with some local ale at a beer garden.

Share the adventure in picture and words. Read “Silver, Beer, and Bones in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic” in Go World Travel Magazine.

-->

www.goworldtravel.com/travel-kunta-hora-czech-republic/2/

Preparing for Poland

Our trip to United Arab Emirates in April was a lot of fun—and became the subject of a series of travel stories that will be ready for prime time soon. But the hunger to travel and explore the world has not been subdued. 

We’re currently making preparations for the next travel adventure: Poland.

We’ve been to Germany to the west, Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, and Scandinavia and the Baltics to the north—but this will be our first trip to Poland at the center of it all. We’re looking forward to it.

Our flat in Warsaw is right on Old Town Market Square, dating back to the 13th century. The squares, castles, palaces, museums, and historic sights look amazing.

Krakow has its share of museums, palaces and squares, although we’ll also be exploring the history, like Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

We’ll also be visiting the western city of Wroclaw and the coastal city of Gdansk on the Baltic Sea.

There’s so much to do and see in Poland, its hart to decide!

Here are some of our options as we plan:

www.poland.travel/en-us/historic-sites

Ramadan Mubarak!

For all my friends who observe the holy month of fasting and sacrifice, I’d like to say Ramadan Mubarak. And what better time than during Ramadan to share my experience from this past spring at one of the most impressive mosques of the world: the Sheikh Zayad Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The largest mosque in the country and one of the largest mosques in the world, it features seven amazing crystal chandeliers, one of which is the largest in any mosque and one of the largest in the world. It also features the world’s largest hand-woven Persian rug. With marble and granite, inlayed semi-precious stone, and beautiful domes and minarets, it was one of the highlights of our trip to the UAE. 

Take a look at these photos and videos and you’ll see why!

Mosque's interior.

Mosque's courtyard. 

Headed for Dubai and Abu Dhabi

We're on our way to the United Arab Emirates! 

We plan to spend most of our time in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Sure, there's the shopping malls and the world's largest indoor ski slope, but we're there to explore the culture and the architecture, both old and new.

We plan to scale the Burj Khalifa, dine in the Burj Al Arab, and marvel at the man-made islands, Palm Jumeirah and The World. But we really look forward to touring the Grand Mosque, Dubai Museum, riding the Abras across Dubai Creek, and enjoying a desert safari or two.

In Abu Dhabi, arguably the world's richest city, we look forward to exploring the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Emirates Palace, and Qasral Hosn. 

As a bonus, one of our good friends back when I was living in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia, lives in Abu Dhabi. We haven't seen him in more than 20 years, and it will be great to visit with him again.

United Arab Emirates, here we come!

http://government.ae/en/seven-emirates

Tea Time at Go World Travel

Let's start the new year off with a hot cup of the world's finest tea.

Go World Travel Magazine has been covering destinations around the globe since 2003. Focusing on unique destinations, culture, and people, Go World Travel Magazine subscribes to the belief that travel (even armchair travel) broadens horizons and increases understanding.

My travel story on Hangzhou, China—and specifically on their famous Longjing Dragon Well tea—was published in Go World Travel.

China is renowned for its production (and consumption) of high-quality green tea. My daughter, Nicole, and I were eager to learn about its production and sample some of the best this country known for tea had to offer.

Longjing tea used to be harvested and produced solely for the Emperor himself. During Imperial China, nobody enjoyed the exclusive Longjing tea except the Emperor and his elite guests. During our visit, Nicole and I were the guests.

Read “Hangzhou’s Dragon Well Tea: Longjing is Fit for an Emperor” in Go World Travel Magazine. You might consider doing it over a nice cup of tea.

www.goworldtravel.com/hangzhou-dragon-well-tea-china/2/