The Long Flight & Run To Athens—The 2019 Journey of Adventure & Discovery Begins

My little cottage in Leucadia is finally organized, and clear of all the stuff, I’m taking to Greece for my Summer Eastern European Adventure. Before embarking on an extended trip, I get a tad anxious. One the one hand, I want to be sure I have everything I think I’ll need, especially those items that […]

The Overheating of Doc & The Hillside Select. Finding Corks & Forks in Athens. Goodbye Greece, for now.

I look around my apartment here in Athens. My helmet sits on a chair in the living room, my riding suit stained from over 5,000 miles of riding takes up the sofa, and I strew more laundry and loose items from the kitchen table to the side tables in the bedroom. I’ve made a mess. […]

Podcast #32 From Slovenia—Riding the Balkans 2018: A Live Update

When I set off on this 2018 Eastern European Tour, I had no real plan except to search for the best stories in food, wine, and culture. I wanted to discover the truth about the region. Like me, most North Americans do not understand what is happening over here—my aim was to find out. Now […]

Goodbye Greece: Papigo Dreaming & The Butcher of Zagorohoria

Thanks to a great — and late—evening with new friends at Dryoino, I could not get up early. It’s noon when I am packed and ready to go. Within 10 minutes riding, my shirt is sweaty and sticking to my back, the tips of my fingers stick to the inside of my gloves. Another hot day […]

Outside The Walls of Ioannina Castle Town

Ioannina is relaxed, comfortable, and easy. With my bike parked safely inside the old city, I walk around and then outside the walls along the lake. I join other locals who are chatting, drinking coffee and juices and smoking cigarettes under umbrellas and tall trees that line the lake. So what I thought would be […]

Heading North Into The Region of Ali Pasha

I can feel beads of sweat drip down my back as I ride out of Lefkada. There is only one way off this island. And everyone leaving must take the same road and cross the same bridge. So the traffic is crazy. I take advantage of the small profile of my motorcycle and edge along […]

The Last Lefkada Supper

I stay an extra night in Lefkada. I want to ride the island one more time. Take comfort and revel in awe at these beautiful beaches. I also share a sunset and meal with Adonis, the owner of the villa, Thea Resort, my brother Jonathan and his friends rented a few years ago. Full of […]

Bliss. Riding The Island and Savoring The Waters of the Ionian Sea.

  The cool evening breeze is a welcome relief from the heat of the hot summer days here in Lefkada. Nick and the entire staff at the Hotel Konaki are welcoming and offer suggestions for dinner, so I walk to nearby Seven Islands on my first night on the island and the second night to […]

Dining Off The Well Traveled Path In Lefkada

I find it hard to leave Lefkada. The beautiful beaches, the great food and wine, and most of all, the friendly locals. Take Panagiotis Kollokas, one of the family members that own and operate Taverna Kollokas, a restaurant tucked into the tiny hillside village of Katouna, just a few miles south of Lefkada. My brother, […]

Athens to Paradise. Welcome to Lefkada!

Before leaving Athens, I have a little more business handle. So after a nice breakfast on the rooftop at the A for Athens Hotel where I was happy to join Dimitri’s family, but Dimitri is still sleeping.  Since he drives back to his village in the Peloponnese today, they let him sleep in. Today, I […]