by Janet Bein, Young at Heart Diva Looking for jewelry that is exotic and artistic? Consider Yemenite filigree. Its origins go back over 3000 years. Perhaps King Solomon’s romance with the Queen of Sheba was the reason that the Jews left Judea and arrived in Yemen by way of Africa. Once they arrived, they remained…
Having worked in the field of education, the founders also wanted to combine travel with stimulating educational opportunities. With these principles in mind, they established Elderhostel (Elderhostel.org) as a nonprofit organization way back in 1975. In the early years, Elderhostel programs were offered only within the USA and Canada, and usually took place on college…
by Janet Bein, Young at Heart Diva The concept of backpacking appealed to my quest for adventure. When my youngest daughter would stop by my house, grungy and exhausted after a week in the wilderness, I noticed the satisfied twinkle in her eyes. She might be sunburnt, scratched, and even suffering from the painful itch…
by Janet Bein, Young at Heart Diva I didn’t think twice about inviting my daughter Orli to join me for a cruise of the Galapagos Islands. This opportunity to explore the equatorial waters off the coast of Ecuador was sufficiently tempting that she was willing to plead with her boss for some extra vacation days….
by Janet Bein A native-born Israeli, Eli is a tall, broad-shouldered man, with a short, graying beard. He lives in the rural village of Benjamina (between Haifa and Tel Aviv), likes to wear jeans, and looks like a cross between a kibbutznik and a rabbi. For more than fifteen years, Eli has worked in the…
by Janet Bein I didn’t really find what I was looking for in Peru until we reached the Andes. By that time, my husband and I had been in Peru for over a week. We were traveling with a small (eleven participants) eco-tour group, led by GAP Adventures. Our first stops had been Lima, Pisco,…
by Janet Bein, Young at Heart Diva When I first heard about Toscana Mia, a Bay Area–based group offering luxurious, customized tours of gorgeous Tuscany, Italy (with enticing names like “Live Like A Tuscan” and “Under Your Tuscan/Amalfi/Rome Sun”) I jumped at the chance to meet with the group’s founder and tour leader, Serenella Leone,…