Popular – Travels With Tricia

Sculpting Tomorrow’s Artisans: The Stonemason School in Pučišća, Croatia

Aspiring stonemasons on the Croatian island of Brač learn the ropes of an Old World art.

A Guide to Exploring Valletta: Malta’s Tiny, But Mighty, Capital City

A multi-colored wooden fishing boats sits in the water, with the skyline of Valletta, Malta in the background.

What to see and do in the captivating Mediterranean city of Valletta, Malta.

Malta’s Cliff-Diving Dog Captures Hearts Around the World

A man, dressed in swimming gear, holds a Jack Russell Terrier dog in his arms. The dog has a water bottle in her mouth, and there is blue water in the background. The man and the dog are famous in Malta for doing synchronized dives.

Mingling with Malta’s famous diving dog — a Jack Russell Terrier named Titti.

Harvesting for a Cause: Picking Olives in Mediterranean Malta

Strolling some Mediterranean sidewalks during the late-autumn months, it’s not unusual to see shriveling olives wasting away on the ground. There are, of course, locals who spirit away buckets of a forgotten tree’s olives, or the odd pigeon that might take a peck at the bitter fruit, but it’s been my observation that a considerable amount of urban olives go to waste.Continue reading “Harvesting for a Cause: Picking Olives in Mediterranean Malta”

Moments to Remember: A Long Weekend in Saint-Émilion, France

Taking to Saint-Émilion’s cobbled lanes not long after sunrise, I felt as though I’d gone back in time a few decades, perhaps even a few hundred years. In the early-morning light, the town’s graceful wrought-iron signs appeared in silhouetted form. Though the establishments’ names were in shadows, the contours of a sign’s grape leaf, baguette,Continue reading “Moments to Remember: A Long Weekend in Saint-Émilion, France”

Kalofer, Bulgaria: A Story of Life, Lavender, & Lace

Female folk dancers - wearing traditional costume - hold hands in a Bulgarian village.

Arriving in what was to be our home away from home in rural Bulgaria, we knew not a soul. But by the time we left Kalofer, a tiny town tucked away in Central Bulgaria, where the livestock population quite possibly outnumbers the number of humans living there, an impromptu farewell committee was wishing us adieu.Continue reading “Kalofer, Bulgaria: A Story of Life, Lavender, & Lace”

Laos: Legacies of War Amid a Promising Future

Riding through the countryside of Laos’ remote Xieng Khouang province, we spied verdant rolling hills, villagers of all ages escorting livestock on the dusty roadside, and giant craters disfiguring the landscape. For an instant, these cavities in the red earth evoked images of sand traps on golf courses. However, with Laos’ unfortunate distinction of being the world’s most bombed country per capita, notContinue reading “Laos: Legacies of War Amid a Promising Future”

Gentle Giant: The Touching Tale of a Dog’s Eternal Devotion

If you were to stroll the atmospheric Chippiannock Cemetery in Rock Island, Illinois, you’d likely happen upon the weathered headstones of siblings Eddie and Josie Dimick, which are guarded by a life-sized statue of a dog. The children died on the same day in 1878, and their family’s descendants left Rock Island long ago. Still, strangersContinue reading “Gentle Giant: The Touching Tale of a Dog’s Eternal Devotion”