Live Life. Travel.

Kicked by the Katun

By Yvonne Lanelli, Freelance Writer

January 2008

This wave train on the Katun in Siberia's Altai Mountains only hints at the ferocious whitewater ahead.

“Piriot! (Forward!)” ordered Sergei, our raft captain. Like eight Roman galley slaves, we obeyed, powering the eighteen-foot-long inflatable rubber craft into the center of the Katun River in Siberia’s Altai Mountains.

Ahead of us lay the Class Four [more difficult on a scale of One, easy, to Six, un-navigable] rapids of the Shabash I and II, a dual collection of wave trains, sinkholes, backwashes, boulders, boilers and whirlpools--the most treacherous whitewater of our week’s trek.

Exploring Kamchatka's Valley of Geysers

By Yvonne Lanelli, Freelance Writer

January 2008

No fish live in Karimska Lake, seen from a helicopter, since ash from nearby eruptions landed in the lake and killed them.

“Few people in the world will ever see this.”

The white helicopter’s giant blades swung slowly to a stop. I eased my cramped body out of the seat, crouched through the narrow door and followed my staring companions down the short ladder.

Travel Blooms on the Island of Mainau

By Katherine Khan, Freelance Writer

December 2007

Flowers and water cascade together at the Italian Staircase.

Located at the juncture of Austria, Switzerland, and Germany, the Island of Mainau nestles in Lake Constance. Easily accessible from any country, most tour books recommend coming by ferry across Lake Constance which presents a Baroque palace overlooking the boat harbor as your first introduction. Boat trips are available from nearly all lakeside towns with a stop at the island. Another option is the pedestrian bridge in Constance, a German city sharing the border with the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen. The bridge itself was a beautiful journey with graffiti-type artwork decorating the sides as we looked out over Lake Constance. Bobbing in the water an armada of swans floated in the sunlight. Never having seen more than one pair at a time, the sight mesmerized me to see so many graceful birds in one area.

Salzburg - From Medieval to Mozart

By Michael Norris, Freelance Writer

December 2007

The Festun Hohensalzburg rising above Salzburg.

Stepping off the train at Salzburg’s Hauptbahnhof – the main station – you immediately see the beauty of the city. The Austrian Alps form the backdrop against which Salzburg goes about its daily business, and each time you venture outdoors you see these magnificent peaks. The Old Town lies between two smaller mountains, the Monchsberg and the Kapuzinerberg, and is bisected by the River Salzach. It is a city that dates back to the 8th century. It owes its architectural heritage to the Prince-Archbishops who ruled it as an independent state, and who had both religious and temporal powers. It owes its cultural heritage to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was born here, and lived here until his final move to Vienna in 1781.

Christmas in the Arctic

By Kathryn A. Lemmon, Freelance Writer

November 2007

Reindeer are led in single file on a Finnish style safari.

The Yuletide connection lured me to Finland and the Arctic Circle in December. In northern Finland, pure white snow is measured not in inches but in feet. It’s a place where reindeer herds thrive and Lapland traditional clothing is vibrantly elfish in color and style.

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