Oh, I see! moments
Travel Cultures Language

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02

Jul

Traveling the World of Birds

by Joyce McGreevy on July 2, 2018

A rainbow and bush parrot in New Zealand suggest a brighter future for native birds around the world. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

New Zealand birds need vast areas of pest-free forest to survive.
© Joyce McGreevy

Winging It in New Zealand

Some of the best reasons for traveling the world are birdbrained. Consider New Zealand, home to some of the planet’s most amazing birds. But what makes New Zealand native birds remarkable has also made them vulnerable.

A black-billed gull remind a birdwatcher traveling the world that many New Zealand native bird species are in trouble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

New Zealand’s black-billed gulls are the world’s most threatened gull. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Avian Nation

New Zealand is unique. Until about 800 years ago, its only land mammals were species of bat. With virtually no predators, many bird species evolved beyond fight-or-flight. Why fly when you can safely nest on solid ground?  Read more...

 

Making a Difference/Nature Discovery/New Zealand

26

Jun

Oradour-sur-Glane: A Story Stopped in Time and Memory

by Meredith Mullins on June 26, 2018

Rusted out cars in front of a burned out building in Oradour sur Glane, France, the site of the cultural history of a Nazi massacre during WW II. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

The sobering story of the Nazi obliteration of an entire village
© Meredith Mullins

A Moment of WW II Cultural History that Should Not Be Forgotten

I knew the “Oh, I see” Moment would be memorable. The lump in my throat began to build long before I got close to Oradour-sur-Glane.

As the green of the Limousin countryside flew by and the road signs of well-known World War II French villages came and went, I was in full time-travel mode back to June 1944 . . . filled with a gut-wrenching sadness.  Read more...

 

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/France

19

Jun

A Dog’s Tale of Travel Adventure

by Joyce McGreevy on June 19, 2018

Mount Ruapehu, overlooking Ohakune, is the scene of many New Zealand travel adventures. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Halfway between Auckland and Wellington, Mt. Ruapehu is
the center point of New Zealand’s North Island.
© Joyce McGreevy

Lost and Found in
Ohakune, New Zealand

This is the tale of a little toy dog, a New Zealand forest, and the power of Kiwi kindness.

Once, a Traveler took a journey through New Zealand. While traveling south by train, she visited Ohakune.

Why Ohakune? asked a man from A Big City. The Traveler wasn’t sure. She only knew it would break up the 12-hour rail journey.

It’s the wrong season, said City Man. Ohakune is a ski town. Do you ski?  Read more...

 

Adventure Travel/Cultural Encounters/Life Lessons/New Zealand

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